Raceplan Coaching & Racing: Reminder of Raceplan Training Guidelines

A famous sports drinks asks "Is it in you?" This got me thinking about a topic that I spend a considerable amount of time working with my private clients; your core motivators. In other words, what's the one or two primary variables that motivates you to want to do what you do with joy, happiness and positive attitude towards becoming fulfilled with your actions. This process usually takes considerable time and dialogue to cut through the masks and barriers we normally adopt to hide what is really inside each of us.

And, so the purpose of this article is to help you think about and review your core motivators and what makes you tick inside. With 2007 approaching FAST, it's also an opportune moment to review the foundation philosophies I believe will evolve you from a good athlete into a great one. What’s your idea of a great cycling season? Does it contain lots of race wins? Is it helping your teammates to win and the team to become a successful unit? Is it just training hard and having fun? Is it crushing everyone on the Wednesday ride? Is it seeing loads of improvement and moving up a couple of categories? You decide what’s important. Once you’ve set a goal that is real for you, that truly reflects your beliefs, you are already on your way to achieving it. Take some time now to think about what you really want to accomplish in your cycling season and career. Recognize that there will be obstacles, but don’t let them hold you back from stating what it is you want, no matter how much of a dream it might seem like today. Write it down. This is an important step that cannot be passed over. Take time to do it now.

Train the whole person, not just the athlete in you. This may sound corny, but if the child in you is not satisfied with your training then your success as an athlete will be unfulfilled. Training the whole of you will ensure that your progression as an athlete is built on solid ground.
What is your core motivator? We all have our individual reasons, but have you honestly identified what motivates your core? Do you love being an athlete or are you training to feed an addictive part of your personality? Are you running towards or away from something? Answering these questions and identifying your core motivators require an objective and honest look at yourself. Identifying what motivates you deeply and completely will allow you to move through your training with positivity and greater success. This will make the difference between the training you WANT to do versus feeling as though you SHOULD or HAVE to do something. Determining your seasonal, monthly, weekly and daily objectives in line with your core motivators are critical components of your future success. Take time to reflect on these goals and write them down. Then review them with your coach and visit them periodically to ensure you and your goals are in synch.
Your plan is a work of art and your coach, therefore, is an artist! Incorporating proven science with the individual variables that are unique to you requires a certain level of artistry and mastery to account for unexpected variables of life. Unexpected events happen and its important for you and your coach to maintain a certain amount of flexibility to account for missed workouts.
Avoid following your friend's plan! The athlete in you deserves an individual plan that accounts for variables that makes you unique. On this note, if your plan is specific in its requirements, try and avoid situations (such as group rides) that will entice you to compromise your training and success.
You get stronger during recovery, not during the workout. Recovery doesn't just mean sleep, it encompasses everything that allows you to recuperate from your training quickly and effectively, including your sleep, nutrition, hydration, strength, flexibility and even your mental attitude. If you are feeling overly tired, it is okay to push up a rest week. Don't fear about losing fitness and take a long-term point of view. A missed three hour ride, unless very specific to your training, constitutes a very small portion of your total monthly training time. If you need to, take the time off and let go of any associated guilt...rather, celebrate your decision!
Keep a cool head and remember this is supposed to be fun! Great athletes know how to remain cool, calm and collected under pressure. Anxiety and stress will keep you from recovering from your training. This is especially true during stage races where your body will be put to the test and recovering from the current stage will give you an added advantage in the stages still to be raced.
Reward the effort and not the result. If you are true to giving your best, results will come. But, focusing solely on results may leave you frustrated.
Balance: we all know it's important but how do you actually embrace it? Life, family, work, friends and your home life are important...remember to make time for them. Remember that balance is not an end goal. Rather, it's a life-long journey.
Missed workouts: generally speaking, if you are emotionally and physically "not into" doing your workout, don't do it. And, if you miss a workout it's better to move onto the next workout than trying to make it up. The only caveat to this is if the workout is a highly specific one. I use a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the worst, to gauge whether to train or not. Again, this is totally subjective and I usually skip a workout if I am feeling at about an eight, unless it's a key workout during a key part of the year.
Favor quality versus quantity: if you are tired, focus on what you can do at 100% versus 70%. You will get what you put into it...give a 100% and you'll get 100% or more in return.
Athletes who are balancing work and life obligations will do the bulk of their training during the weekend and maintenance and short, specific workouts during the week. Those who have the luxury of time, will do the bulk of their training Tuesday through Thursday, Saturday and Sunday will be used for longer group rides and/or racing, Mondays will be a full day off for recover and Friday will be an active recovery day.
General progression using periodization methodologies require periods of build up then full recovery. An effective general plan is building for three weeks followed by a full week of active recovery.
P-Cubed: Patience, Perseverance, Positivity: There are no shortcuts in excellence. Maintaining positivity while you persevere through your training requires patience, commitment and faith. Don't use these words as a punch line, live by them!