Happy Thursfriday! To everyone that has to work tomorrow, I'm sorry. To everyone that has off...welcome to the long weekend!! Since we finally broke our Indian summer in western New York, I thought it only fitting to talk about summer on this craptastic weather day. (Ok, it's not snowing. But it's most certainly fall!)
I've gotten several emails since my guest post on Ironman regarding picking races and how to train. So since I could use a good dose of summer and everyone's motivation, I thought I would talk about about Planning your Season and picking a training plan!
First of all, get yourself a calendar. Any ole calendar will do, but I love this free download from trigeek that plots out the year by week. This way you can look at your season in it's entirety so that you can plan your races out without crowding them too close together.
Second, take a deep breath...pick your "A" race. What race are you most excited about? If you're taking on a new distance, such as a Half Ironman, Ironman, or other distance race, this is probably it. If you're having trouble finding a race, check out beginner triathlete's state forum for race recommendations...triathletes are usually a pretty friendly group and will give you their honest opinion. For what it's worth, in my experience....best Half Iron in New York= Musselman. Best Olympic (that I've done) = Finger Lakes (beginner friendly!) Best Sprint = Shoreline if you are trying to save $$, Mini Mussel if you are not. Feel free to debate :-) Trifind.com is also a great resource to look up races!
Once you've picked your go to race, fill in your calendar around it. Most people suggest a "tune-up" race a few weeks before the big one, a race that you use to test out your nutrition, pacing and race legs! If you're training for a full Ironman, make sure you give yourself time to recover before heading to the big dance...at least 4 weeks (if your tune up is a half). I like to "tune up" with the next step down in distance if possible. If my A race is a half iron, I will tune up with an Olympic. Bonus points if I PR on both :-P
Next, add in old favorites or races you think look fun! I usually do 4-5 tri's a year (they can get expensive!) then pepper in some half marathons, maybe a marathon, and a few short road races that I do on a whim (not in the calendar). I like to space them out so I race 1-2 times a month from March to October.
How often should you race? Well, of course, that's a personal preference. It comes down to $$$, what your goals are, how much time you have to train, and the big question...Do you train to race or race to train? It's a tricky question, but there are definitely two types of athletes! Do you prefer the adrenaline of racing and only put in the hours necessary to toe the starting line? Or do you sign up for races to have a reason to put in long hours of training? It sounds like an obvious choice, but it takes all kinds. The hubster lives for the glory of the racing, and if he doesn't have a race on his calendar, finds it harder to commit to training. Me? I'm the opposite. I sign up for races so that I can justify my love of training. I adore long runs on the weekend, long bike rides (yes, even on the trainer!) , speed work, long hours in the pool, you name it. Strange? Maybe so. But it works for me. So I sign up for fewer races...I like to race, but I LOVE to train.
So, now that you have your races, how are you gonna get ready? Well, there are several options, depending on your goals, experience, and finances!
* You can go at it on your own. I did this for my first tri...no plan, no nothing. Liberating? I guess. I would NOT recommend this, though. Even a lax training plan is so much better, because it holds you accountable and is built with some sort of rationale.
* You can find a free or low cost training plan online. A few places: trigeek.com (thats where I get my plans), beginnertriathlete.com, trainingpeaks.com, activetrainer.com....just to name a few. Saves money...but requires discipline and knowing yourself. I did a TON of research before picking my Ironman plan, and was really pleased with it. If you can commit to doing the workout and keeping a workout log to analyze your training, as well as being completely accountable for it, this is a low cost, decent way to go.
*You can hire a coach. I don't think I will ever go this route (social workers don't make alot of bank!) but if you need someone to kick you in the pants or are going for a KQ or BQ and can afford it....this makes perfect sense. There are really decent coaching services in Western New York (Nice Tri, T2) and if you aren't local, they are pretty easy to find by talking to local triathletes or paying attention to racing kits at your local races. Coaching around here runs anywhere from 100-200 dollars a month.
Now get out and tri! It's time to think about your 2012 season....what are your goals? What do you want to achieve? Let's pretend it's summer instead of bundling up with a cup of soup, shall we? :-D
I've gotten several emails since my guest post on Ironman regarding picking races and how to train. So since I could use a good dose of summer and everyone's motivation, I thought I would talk about about Planning your Season and picking a training plan!
Keep in mind I am not an expert, but with 6 seasons under my belt, I've figured out a few things....
Second, take a deep breath...pick your "A" race. What race are you most excited about? If you're taking on a new distance, such as a Half Ironman, Ironman, or other distance race, this is probably it. If you're having trouble finding a race, check out beginner triathlete's state forum for race recommendations...triathletes are usually a pretty friendly group and will give you their honest opinion. For what it's worth, in my experience....best Half Iron in New York= Musselman. Best Olympic (that I've done) = Finger Lakes (beginner friendly!) Best Sprint = Shoreline if you are trying to save $$, Mini Mussel if you are not. Feel free to debate :-) Trifind.com is also a great resource to look up races!
Next, add in old favorites or races you think look fun! I usually do 4-5 tri's a year (they can get expensive!) then pepper in some half marathons, maybe a marathon, and a few short road races that I do on a whim (not in the calendar). I like to space them out so I race 1-2 times a month from March to October.
So, now that you have your races, how are you gonna get ready? Well, there are several options, depending on your goals, experience, and finances!
* You can go at it on your own. I did this for my first tri...no plan, no nothing. Liberating? I guess. I would NOT recommend this, though. Even a lax training plan is so much better, because it holds you accountable and is built with some sort of rationale.
* You can find a free or low cost training plan online. A few places: trigeek.com (thats where I get my plans), beginnertriathlete.com, trainingpeaks.com, activetrainer.com....just to name a few. Saves money...but requires discipline and knowing yourself. I did a TON of research before picking my Ironman plan, and was really pleased with it. If you can commit to doing the workout and keeping a workout log to analyze your training, as well as being completely accountable for it, this is a low cost, decent way to go.
Now get out and tri! It's time to think about your 2012 season....what are your goals? What do you want to achieve? Let's pretend it's summer instead of bundling up with a cup of soup, shall we? :-D
I'm SUPER excited about the 2012 'racing' season. I tentatively use the word racing when it comes to my extra-curricular activities. My first tri experience was in May, and then I did one at the end of the summer, but I'm kind of hooked! Personally, I liked only signing up for two, and I'm planning on two tris in 2012 as well - it feels like a "sane" amount of training and racing to me.
ReplyDeleteI would say that my biggest concern is staying healthy (injury-free). That, in fact, may be my number 1 goal for training rather than looking at speed. While I plan on setting a few goals for myself, I'm not going to be anywhere near the podium for these two races. So, if I race smart and enjoy the experience, I'll be happy!