Happy New Year!!!
Happy Planning!!!
It’s January and you are well into your off season. And while it may be your off season and time to recharge your batteries, it’s a great time to lay out a racing schedule for 2017. Goal setting is always a hot topic. I like to work backwards with my athletes as we create goals together to accomplish down the road (pun intended).
Laying out an annual plan may seem daunting however with a little homework, it can be done efficiently and you will be good to go. It doesn’t have to be completed in one sit down. You can take your time and adjust things as you move along. The end game, is to have something in place to work off sooner than later.
Laying out a calendar takes place in steps.
Step One:
Design your 2 to 3 key goal races for the year. Maybe it’s that 10k you’ve been aiming at. Maybe it’s a half marathon. Could be your first or you are ready tackle a new course and shoot for a personal best. Maybe it’s a marathon. Again, could be your first.
Whatever you decide, stick to it and use it as a starting point.
Last year, one of my athletes was coming off of an injury. He wanted to get back into competitive mode and feel “normal” by the end of the season. Together, he and I devised a calendar that made it happen.
Step Two:
Break up your workouts with each event in mind. In other words, recognize that you can’t peak every month but will work towards peaking as you approach your “A” race. Your “A” race is that event that is going to mean the most to you.
Set up a calendar of workouts that are set to 8 to 12 week segments. After each segment is completed, give yourself a week or two of maintenance workouts before jumping into what’s to come for you.
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So….I’ve laid out a simple template for you.
Good luck in 2017.
If you have any questions or need further help, please e-mail me at bob@runbobrun.net