How to Plan your Training

How to Plan your Training (for Racing)

So, now you have a training plan and plan to peak for a race! But then what? After your peak do you take another plan? Take a break? What should your fitness line look like throughout the year?

How many times a year should you or can you peak? Here is a look at how to plan your year ahead…

If you are a keen racing cyclist, whether it be to win a race or a category or beat your own personal best time, you need to plan ahead!

First and foremost set some goals! Include which races you want to peak for – prioritize these as 'A' priority. 'B' priority races are those you would like to do well in and 'C' priority races are races you will use for hard training purposes and to prepare you for you’re a and 'B' priority races. 'A' priority races are your main focus, these are races you want to be totally prepared and trained for!

Here is an example:

RACES	PRIORITY	GOAL
Fast One	C	Have a fun safe race!
Berge en Dale	C	Use as part of Argus Training
Cape Argus	A	To be in top 10 in my bunch
Tour Durban	B	To be in top 10 in my bunch
Lion Man	C	A fun race as training
The Jock	A	Beat last years time by 10 mins
Amashova	B	To be in top 10 in my bunch
Momentum 94.7	A	To be in top 5 in my bunch.

Now you have a mainframe to work out the rest!

If you are a racing snake or a keen racer with goals, the general trend of your fitness line (blue line) should either be upwards (aiming towards your peak) or downwards (in a recovery/ rest period). Flat lines are not positive or negative, and are generally only good for those planning to stay at a good level of fitness all year through with no specific peaks.

When setting your goals here are a few considerations:

1. Your peak can last you about two weeks, so if you have two peak races together (say back-to-back weekends) - works well!
2. Plan to peak 2, 3, or max 4 times in a year! This gives you a good time frame in which to build up for your race properly. Using a proper plan with it’s training blocks.
3. It’s important to take a break too after you have peaked (10 to 14 days), let your fitness line drop. Take mental and physical time out and then build to your next peak.

With training this way you’ll find that with each ‘training cycle’ you get stronger! Obviously everyone has a limit somewhere along the line but this is the best way you reach YOUR full potential!

How to Plan your Training (for General Fitness)

If you are not a racing snake but are a keen cyclist/ spinner who enjoys training and wants to keep in shape/ get in shape/ stay healthy/ get healthy then your typical graph and year ahead plan may look a little different to the racing cyclist.

Here is an example:

GOALS

To lose 8 kg’s and get healthy!

To cycle 3 to 4 days per week and get fit!

Once I’ve lost the weight to maintain it.

Have a medical check up in July.

Do the Momentum 94.7 25km MTB race.

When setting your goals here are a few considerations:

1. Choose a training plan you know you can stick to. Select the plan based on how many hours you have available per week to train – not how many you wish you had.
2. Plan your training around you business trips and/ or holidays. Choose plans that will last you until the date you have to go on that business trip or take a family holiday. Take a break over that time and then resume training when you return.
3. Have a final goal that is tangible to work towards – finish a race or log a certain amount of hours training for the year!
4. Have fun and enjoy the journey to becoming fitter and healthier!