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  • How to start building your training plan for next season


     

    In my work with athletes seeking personal coaching, one of the things I ask them to do is to reflect back on the previous season. The second thing I ask them to do is look forward to next season. These two items help me assemble the foundation of the training plan heading into next season.

    With a few simple questions, we can set direction for the next race season while using information from the previous season. We use what worked well in the past season, while avoiding mistakes of the past.

    Perhaps these questions will help you too.

     

    Season Summary

    Season/Year Just Completed________

     1. What was the highlight of your season (for example, best races or greatest accomplishment)? Please explain why:

       

       

      2. What was your greatest disappointment? Why?

         

          3. If you could have changed your training, mental preparation, or race tactics/strategy in this past season, what would you have done differently? Or, are there things you would like to try or do differently this upcoming season?
             
              4. If you’ve started thinking about next season, name the top three things you would like to accomplish.          

                 

                 

                 

                Race or Event Schedule      

                 

                List the races/events you plan to do this season. This is a tentative list and some may change and that's okay. For now, just list all the events that are possibilities.

                 

                “A” Races/Events: These are the most important events on the schedule. There should be only three or four. These are the races that include a peak and taper.

                 

                Date     Name of Event/Race             Distance           Last year’s results         Goal this year


                 

                 

                 

                “B” Races/Events: These are important events where you want to race well; where you will rest but not taper. There may be up to eight of them.

                 

                Date     Name of Event/Race             Distance           Last year’s results         Goal this year

                 

                 

                 

                 

                “C” Races/Events: These are the least important events for you, considered fun training events. Of course you will still race fast, but outcome (place/time) is not very important. We will “train through” these, using the race as a workout. There will be no training taper and minimal rest, depending on where they fall in your schedule. Be mindful of how many of these you plan to do as they can detract from training and reduce your ability to perform well at “A” and “B” events. Sometimes it's not the event itself that is a problem, but the travel associated with the event.

                 

                Date     Name of Event/Race             Distance           Last year’s results         Goal this year

                 

                 

                 

                 

                 

                 

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