5 Steps to Create Your Best Training Plan Ever With Marissa Axell, @axnfitcoach
So you’ve finished up the off-season and are already eyeing the event calendar for the next few months-- Congratulations!
With that fresh motivation, grab this opportunity and start planning the next three to four months of training for your events or races.
Once you begin your season, it’s a great reminder to pay attention to the little things! Of course there are workouts, but that’s just part of the plan. What about your mental resilience; mindset practices; your recovery technique; sleep plans; nutrition and fueling strategies; these are all areas you can target for improvement--besides just training your body.
First, make time to reflect on last season. As you review your training or race journal, ask the following questions:
What went right?
Where can I improve?
Where was I strongest physically? Mentally?
What were some of my limiters physically? Mentally?
List any crashes, injuries, or other physical challenges you faced, as these will hold clues for your new training plans.
Good, now that you have some idea of where you went last year/season, it’s time to get to work!
5 steps to build your best training plan ever
Goal setting-
Think of a SMART Goal that really fires you up! In fact, make it a little bit out of reach, like you get goosebumps thinking about doing that goal. It should be fun and achievable if you put in the work. Now break it down to a “SMART” goal. SMART stands for Strategic, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time Bound. For example, a year ago, I set a SMART goal to train up to perform a headstand in my Strength training TRX practice. I picked this because it was a fun goal, it was hard but attainable, It was relevant because “hello core strength” and it was timebound - I had to do it by January! This fun goal helped fuel my desire to get my strength workout in - because I wanted to do it.
2. Time’s up
Let’s be real, show of hands please--who has TIME to train 15+ hours a week? Me neither. Set yourself up for success and pick an attainable time goal -- that is, the amount of time per week that you will dedicate to your SMART goals, and stick to it. How many hours per week do you want to spend? How does that break to to hours/day? Note, not every day will have the same amount of hours of work.
3. List all your work, family, travel, vacation plans and put that into your planner/schedule - consider these “off limits” for training, and is something to build around - not train through.
4. Be Real with your strengths and limitations--and then get to work.
List your sport specific physical and mental strengths (ie: like mindset, goal setting, physical strength etc.)
List your sport specific physical and mental/personal limiters (ie things you need to improve upon to level up)
5. Have FUN.
Enlist friends to workout with you
Don’t forget about self-care/recovery!
Let’s put it all together into your best training plan.
Grab a calendar and a pen for Jan/Feb/Mar/April.
Fill in all your “off limits’ commitments first.
Fill in and commit to your recovery days. You will need to take at minimum 1 day off per week.
Fill in your days where you will work on your limiters (2-3)
Fill in your days where you will work on strengths (1-2 max per week)
Print out your calendars and place them where you will see them every day!
YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW - ask for help!
If you need help with the “what” to do to work on limiters and strengths, then consider hiring a coach to help offer plans, guidance, accountability and support during this time! I work with all types of cyclists, helping you to feel strong, confident, and excited to attain your next goal. I help train the whole human, helping you get your mind right, to get the most of your training.
FREE SESSION - click here for a free 30 minute coaching strategy session!- https://axnfitcoach-book.as.me/coaching-strategy-session-cycling-elevate