For much of North America and Europe the endurance race season has ended. Blog posts and podcasts focus on how to train in the off season. Here in Hawaii, the season stretches into December with the Honolulu Marathon. It can be hard to find the motivation to sit back and plan next year while struggling to find time to train, but if you wait until after the Marathon you will find your free time consumed by the demands of the holiday season.
Our Event Calendar can help you plan; however I must apologize for not updating it for the new year. I hope that by the time you read this it will prove useful.
Begin by deciding on a BHAG, a Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal. That might be your first marathon, your first Ironman, the Waikiki Rough Water Swim, USA Cycling Nationals, or a two-week bike-packing adventure. Call that your “A” event. If you are a member, reply here with what that is.
Before going any further, think about what success at your “A” event will look like. For many of us, that can be as simple as finishing, or, if you have been struggling with injuries or health issues, just making it to the start line can be called a win. If you have done well at several Ironman races you might set a goal of an age group podium or qualifying for Kona. You want to organize you year to maximize the possibility of achieving your goal.
Next, pick one or two similar events that will help you be successful with your “A” event. Call these your “B” events. The longer your “A” event, the fewer of these “B” events should be on your calendar. In general, you don’t set high expectations for a “B” event, and you don’t do a full taper. There are exceptions to this rule. Some bike racers train hard before the race season starts, but during the season, most of the training effort happens in a race, since they race as often as once a week.
After you decide on your “B” events you can sprinkle around some other events that look interesting or fun. Call these your “C” events. They take the place of a normal weekend of training. You are there just to go through the motions and enjoy the day. You don’t taper for these any more than you would for a hard weekend of training.
The best way to map out your season is with TrainingPeaks. This requires a Premium account. Right now you can get 25% off with the code CYBER2025TP. This offer will expire soon.
The tool you want to use is the ATP – Annual Training Plan (see illustration). Things you will need to get started:
The dates and descriptions of your events.
The number of hours you have per week on average to train. (Be realistic.)
Younger athletes can use a four week cycle. Older athletes do better with a three week cycle. If you are not sure, use age 50 as a dividing line.
Based on your answers, TrainingPeaks will suggest which activities to train and total weekly hours. There is still a lot of work to be done to create a complete plan, but this will get you started. You will find information on building a plan in our training section and this prior post on designing a framework.
You are far more likely to have a successful year if you do some planning. Just winging it is not on the path to success.