Cycling
Winter training tips for triathletes
Swedish Ironman Patrik Nilsson shares some winter wisdom on how to maximise motivation.
Swedish Patrik Nilsson does not only hold one of the world’s fastest times in the IRONMAN discipline but has over the past couple of years become a regular IRONMAN winner. Today the speedy Swede has plenty of impressive results in his portfolio including several IM gold medals, 2021 European IM Champion and 2019 North American IM Champion.
Training for Ironman and Triathlon is a huge process and one that involves pushing yourself for hours on end through the dark and cold winters. And as fun as training can be, sometimes even the best of us can lose motivation. We caught up with Patrik to see what motivates him to keep pushing through the cold, dark Scandinavian winters and come out the other side stronger and ready for race season.
4 min
A day in the life of an Ironman
PATRIK'S TOP TIPS FOR STAYING MOTIVATED IN WINTER
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1. It’s ok to not be in top form.
First of all, I think it is important to allow yourself relax and to realise that it's okay to not be in top form all year round. To constantly push yourself to the max in every training session is not good for the body or soul. In fact, it often leads to illness, injury and becoming generally run-down.
Winter is a good time to let yourself relax a little extra, maybe gain a kilogram or two, and spend some extra time with friends and family. That way you are fully recovered, motivated and fired up to face the new upcoming race season head on when it's time.
It’s a longterm solution to make sure that you last many race seasons to come.
It's not about how many hours, but how well they are used in winter.
© Oscar Sey / Red Bull Content Pool
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2. Set goals and make a plan.
It is also important to have a proper plan in place and a goal to strive towards, otherwise it's easy to lose motivation and to start questioning yourself and your training sessions. Personally, I always feel lost and demotivated without a plan.
You can setup a plan together with a coach, by yourself or with some friends. The important thing is to stick to it. A good way to stay motivated is to enter a race together with your friends so that you can motivate and push each other.
A rough plan can look something like:
- December: Take it easier than normal.
- January/February: Build base fitness and strength.
- March: Book a training trip with friends/family.
- …and keep setting goals/plans to ensure that you will be in top form for your big race.
Getting the hours in during winter takes some extra motivation.
© Oscar Sey / Red Bull Content Pool
Read about Patrik's in-depth training plan here: A day in the life of an Ironman
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3. Use winter to build strength.
I often use winters to work on other aspects of my training, like core strengthening and weight lifting. This type of training often gets neglected in summer when focus is on swimming, biking and running, but is vital in order to prevent injuries and to help you run the last 10 km during a race with a sustainable technique. On top of that, it’s a nice change to lifts some weights and feel the lactic acid pumping and legs shaking but without getting out of breath.
I recommend building core by using TRX and/or pilates ball exercises - at home, in a class or in the gym. Also, lifting weights is a good way to get some extra power on the bike and also get a full body workout.
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4. Find a group to train with.
Winter obviously still requires you to keep up with some of your swim, run and bike training and I find the best way to do this is by joining a training group. Sometimes you need to push yourself to the max even in the off-season, and having a group around you really helps with that.
For example, in Stockholm the Tuesday sprint sessions on Bosön normally breaks even the best of runners and the swim sessions at Eriksdalsbadet pushes everyone to their limit as the goal of the session is to be the first person to bonk.
Swim until you bonk. Sounds like fun, right?
© James Mitchell
When it comes to biking, any 2-hour spinning session that makes you sweat like mad and push yourself to the max is a good one. Try not to focus on speed and watts, but instead pick intense classes that really challenges your fitness from the very start.
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Last words of wisdom
Winters are about getting outside of your comfort zone and pushing yourself to find new limits. It is not about how many hours you put in, but how you utilise them. You'll get stronger for it. The motivation and energy that you get after a session where you’ve managed to smash your 100-meter swim PB, will keep you smiling for a long time!
Time to get sweating!
© Oscar Sey / Red Bull Content Pool
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