The best training plans start at the end.

Hey reader,

Do you have a race/event planned for this Autumn?

It’s quite common for these autumnal events to sneak up on us as we’re finally enjoying a bit of sunshine and do not want to be thinking ahead to the change in season. However, by now you should be either deep into your training plan or ready to embark upon it, as believe it or not, the middle of October is only 11 weeks away, (how did that happen?!).

The duration of your training plan will reflect the goal you are looking to achieve, your experience with running, cycling and triathlon, your previous injury history and the time you can dedicate to training. For example, the way in which you train for your first 5km would look very different to your 20th where you're targeting a sub 20 minute 5km. A 10 week 5km plan may work for a runner who can train 6 days a week, but not for a runner who can only train 3.

Regardless of your goal, a progressive training plan and time are what you need.

Going back to the aforementioned example, both your first 5km and your sub-20 minute 5km training plans could be 12 weeks in duration. The sessions, however, will naturally differ.

So where do you begin when designing your training program?

The best training plans start at the end. It’s a reverse engineering approach to make sure you have enough time to train for your goal without risking injury and overtraining.

Here are 6 steps to follow to help you design a successful training plan:

1. Put your race/event into the calendar and count back the weeks until you reach today’s date.

2. Look at your weekly schedule and plan in your training working backwards from race/event day making sure you have at least one rest day a week and de-load weeks as necessary.

3. Identify your key sessions of the week, (tempo session, steady Z2 session, strength and conditioning).

4. Schedule sensibly and avoid planning your key sessions on back to back days. For example avoid this structure: Tuesday -Tempo, Wednesday - Threshold, Thursday - Long run/ride and S&C.

5. Plan for anticipated missed training, eg. holidays, weddings, birthdays etc. Bookend these events/periods with modified training to avoid falling into the dangerous catch-up trap.

6. Finally, be honest with yourself about your current fitness level and how viable your goal is with the plan you now have.

Use each training plan as an opportunity to learn and develop as a athlete. You’ll learn to give yourself more time for events/races, adopt a more sustainable approach to training and goal setting, make more progress in the long run and have more fun along the way!

If you would like any help with your training plan for an autumn event, please reply to this email and I’ll be in touch.