The weather post

It seems like it is that time again. Time for my semi regular post about the weather.

After a miraculously mild Autumn, now, 5 days into Winter, it seems like we are about to get a reminder of what Winter is meant to be for us. By the sound of the forecast the riders of the apocalypse are bearing down on us, and if not that then at least a fair bit of wind and a touch of rain is on its way. Already I am starting to get those queries that always come this time of year about alternative sessions and what to do about the wet.

My advice to athletes is always fairly consistent when it comes to training in Winter. Be sensible. Winter doesn't need to mean wrapping yourself up in a blanket and hiding away until the weather improves. In fact with a bit of planning and some common sense, Winter doesn't need to slow down training at all.

First up, riding outside in the rain isn't a four letter word. Riding in the rain can be a bit cold and a bit unpleasant, but with the right clothing it can be quiet bearable. Maintain your bike a bit more often, get a suitable wet weather wardrobe and away you go, no need to slow down. On top of that, these days a lot of people have good indoor trainers and the combination of these and platforms such as Zwift means it has never been easier to get in a good quality training session on a miserable day. The trainer option can be particularly useful on those days where it is raining sideways and might be a little dangerous to be on the road outside.

The same comment about wardrobe goes for running too, no bad weather just bad wardrobe choices as the saying goes. If the weather really looks like becoming a problem, consider trying to find a treadmill to satisfy your running needs. Really though, in Perth I have never seen a day so bad that you couldn't run in it if you really wanted too.

Swimming? Well the only reason to not swim in Winter would be because of lightning, which might be a problem only two or three times a year. Let's face it, you are getting wet anyway, so rain isn't really a problem. However, if bad weather or lightning really look like being an issue, consider tracking down an indoor pool for your session, then all those weather related variables are removed.

What if you don't have some of these indoor trainer options, well consider being a bit creative. If you don't have a trainer, but can get to a treadmill, swap one of your bike sessions with a run to avoid the bad day. Same goes if you only indoor option is a pool. Winter sometimes just means being a bit more flexible with your planning to do what you can on the good days and control what you can on the bad.

So really, when it comes to triathlon training there are always options to make sure you can get out there, no matter what the weather is throwing at you.