As discussed at the end of chapter 2, a periodized training plan divides the year into distinct training phases. The training phases are like stepping stones that build upon one another to peak you for your target race or races. There are three basic steps to building your fitness from the ground up. First, you establish and develop your base. Second, you build upon your base. Third, you peak for your target race. Establishing and developing a solid base, and then building upon that base leads the way to peak performance. This chapter discusses how to prioritize your races and create your training plan with the base-build-peak progression in mind.
Prioritizing Your Events
Before you put together your training program, you must look at the big picture and determine your destination before mapping out the training phases and scheduling weekly workouts. In other words, you want to begin with the end in mind by pinpointing your top competitive priorities and working backwards on the calendar to create your training plan.
To determine your most important race or races of the year, write down your race schedule for the upcoming season and prioritize those races as follows.
A-priority races: These are the one to three most important races of the season. Training will be designed around these races to allow you to peak for them. Ideally, these will occur together in a two or three week time period; or, they may be separated by a few months or more.
B-priority races: These can be up to six races of lesser importance. These are races you want to do well at, but will not peak for. Training will be designed to give you a few days of rest prior to them, but not a complete taper as with the A-races you will peak for.
C-priority races: These are races done as tests, hard workouts, experience, fun, etc. You will “train through” these races. Deciding whether or not to do one of these races may be left up to the week (or day) of the race.
TRAINING GUIDE CONTENTS
Preface
1. Introduction
– Train with a Purpose
– The ABCs of Systematic Training
– The R&R of Training
– Begin with the End in Mind
2. Exercise Science Concepts
– Stimulus-Response-Adaptation
– Overload
– Overreaching and Overtraining
– Reversibility
– Specificity
– Energy Systems
– Aerobic Capacity
– Lactate Threshold
– Aerobic Threshold
– Muscle Fiber Types
– Periodization
3. Monitor Your Training Intensity
– What is Training Intensity?
– Key Indicators of Intensity
– Using Training Zones
– Training by Feel, or Perceived Exertion
– Training with Pace
– Training with Heart Rate
– Running with Power
4. Create Your Training Plan
– Prioritizing Your Events
– Overview of the Training Phases
– Choosing Your Periodization Schedule
– Filling in the Details of the Overall Plan
5. Create Your Weekly Workouts
– Creating Weekly Schedules
– Establishing and Developing Your Base
– Building Upon Your Base
– Peaking for Your Target Event
– Race Week and Race Day Warmup
6. Functional Strength
7. Recovery and Nutrition
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