The Dog Days of Winter

The dog days of winter

Many athletes find motivation strong as the seasons change and spring/summer start to seem imminent… The same can be said for the start of a new year when a fresh start is an exciting prospect.  But there comes a period in late January and February, when I’ve found many athletes really struggle to stay on track.  It’s that weird time, when the race season seems SOOOO far away… But the excitement of a new year has faded.  That combo is tough!

A good strategy here, if you start feeling the winter doldrums sinking in, is to look at your goals, but recenter NOT on the outcomes you hope to enjoy this year, but on the steps you have to take to get there.  If you want a certain min/mi pace increase, or to get into the top 10 or 5 or 3 of your age group, for examples, what steps facilitate that?  Shift your focus to those steps.  How do you facilitate them?  How do you execute to keep working on them?  While the outcomes we hope for are nebulously floating around months in the future, the steps needed to get there are a here, now, today situation.  By getting your focus on the steps you need to move in the direction you hope to go, you can jump start yourself out of the winter doldrums really well!

Will Kirousis, MS, CSCS, CISSN
Tri-Hard | Director
USA Cycling Certified Coach

USA Triathlon Certified Coach
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist

Certified Sports Nutritionist

508.633.2708 | will@tri-hard.com | www.tri-hard.com | @willkirousis

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