How to Customize your Own Training Plan for Optimal Performance

Sign-Up for Updates : The Gawors 

To each his own, for everyone’s body responds optimally to different volumes, and different intensities.  For endurance training, having a customized training plan is an absolute must.  Unfortunately, not everyone can afford or has access to endurance coaching.  The following rules are guidelines to creating your own customized training plan. 

Finish Line of Age-Group Nationals!

Rule #1 – Know Your Goals!

Know your goals, and have a vision.  You need to take the time to sit down and map out your previous race performances and benchmarks.  From these benchmarks, set your seasonal goals and aspirations.  After you have a good set of seasonal goals, look to your training cycles.  You need to set, not only seasonal, but short term goals as well.  The combination of long term and short term goals allows for an overall vision to be crafted.  Take the time, rack your brain, and see your vision!

Rule #2 – Know your Objectives!

Just knowing your goals is not enough, for you’ll need guidelines to achieve each one of those goals.  Writing down a set of two to three objectives for each goal will allow for you to achieve the highest performance. 

Short Term Goal :

• ·       Swim 45 seconds faster this year than last year at same race.

Objective :

• ·       Swim 15% more volume (on average) during training
• ·       Incorporate two more efficiency drills into every session
• ·       Increase overall body strength by 12%

Rule #3 – Reach for the moon, Not for the Stars!

Mankind has set foot on the moon, but he has yet to reach the nearest, distant star.  Using the same concept, look over your own goals and objectives and make sure that they are realistic.  Is it POSSIBLE that you can you achieve them this season.  Use the SMART method to analyze your Goals and Objectives.

• ·       S – Specific
• ·       M – Measurable
• ·       A – Achievable  
• ·       R - Realistic
• ·       T – Timely

Rule #4 – Schedule Rest AND Recovery!

Rest and recovery is a severely neglected part of most training plans out there today.  Try to schedule at least one recovery aspect for every two workouts scheduled (Ratio 1:2).  If possible you may strive for a ratio of 1:1.  Below is a list of recovery techniques to include in your plan.  Just remember as your hard workouts get harder, your easier ones should get easier. 

• Ice Bath
• Compression Equipment (socks)
• Self-Massage
• Full Body Stretching
• Contrast Hydrotherapy (Hot tub 5 minutes, Cool Tub 3 minutes, repeat)
• Breathing Exercise Routine
• Rest Day

  

Get Professional Triathlon Coaching from Maximum Conditioning Training!

Rule #5 – Make a Plan, but Don’t be Made by that Plan

Plan your year into cycles.  Your schedule should gradually increase in intensity and decrease in volume as the months progress.  Write down your anticipated training volumes and pacing zones for the months and weeks to come.  As time advances, you are going to have to revisit your training volumes and pacing zones to re-evaluate whether they are still on the same performance path.  It is extremely important to have a plan to follow, but don’t be stubborn not to deviate from the plan when change arises.  Listen to your body! (Rule #5½!)

On a Side Note: I would like to give my regards to Lance Armstrong who was stripped of his 7-Tour-de-France Titles.  Regardless is he cheated or not, he is an incredible athlete who has helped progress mankind in not only sports, but in all inspirations of life. 

Read More Articles on The Gawors!

Athletic Enhancement - Legalized Doping?

Sign-Up for Updates : The Gawors

Effects of Caffeine in Athletic Performance

Caffeine is a globally widespread drug that can enhance the body’s chemical processes.  When most people think of caffeine, a picture of a mornin’ cup a joe pops into their mind.  When most think of the use of caffeine, so often it is a substance to get jolt of energy in the sleepy time morning or mid-afternoon.

Athletic Performance

But what about caffeine use in athletic performance?  Can it be used efficiently?  Is it a necessity?  Is the use That effective?  Yes, Yes, and YES!  Major studies have been done on the effects of caffeine on athletic performance and these are some results from Active.com:

“The average improvement in performance is about 12 percent, with more benefits noticed during endurance exercise than with shorter exercise (eight to 20 minutes) and a negligible amount for sprinters. More benefits are also noticed in athletes who rarely drink coffee, hence are not tolerant to its stimulant effect.”

Recovery

Caffeine can not only be an effective tool in athletic performance, but athletic recovery as well.  Because caffeine speeds up chemical body processes, it inherently speeds up the time it takes for the body to repair itself from previous workouts.  Additionally, Caffeine can increase the effects of carbo-loading for race weeks.  Read Caffeine used as a Recovery agent for a more in-depth analysis. 

Submit your Workouts to The MCT Triathlon WWW! 

Legality

But is this legal in triathlon?  Again, Yes!  In the ITU and USAT rules it explicitly states that Caffeine is NOT a banned substance and can be used in competition.

How about ethically?  Is it wrong?  This is a matter of opinion but I believe it is not wrong.  Caffeine is widespread, available to everyone, and is not entirely harmful (extra high doses can trigger anxiety attacks and such).   

According to the New York Times, “Caffeine, which is legal under International Olympic Committee rules, is the most popular drug in sports. More than two-thirds of about 20,680 Olympic athletes studied for a recent report had caffeine in their urine, with use highest among triathletes, cyclists and rowers.”

Dosage

So what is the proper “dosage” of this drug?  Studies show that fewer than 2mg of Caffeine per kg of body weight has no athletic enhancing effect while over 6mg of Caffeine per kg of body weight actually hurts athletic performance.

Sign-Up for a Free MCT Triathlon Coaching Consultation

Source

Where to get it?  Your first thought is probably “coffee.”  While this is easily the quickest and cheapest way to obtain caffeine, studies show that caffeine in coffee may not be utilized as effectively as other sources.  While this may be true, other options include eating 1000 calories of 90% dark chocolate (I love chocolate but let’s not get carried away), Tea, or caffeine pills.  Personally,  I’ll take a few more ounces of the joe’ to compensate. 

How to use caffeine efficiently?

When used on a regular basis, the effects of drugs on the human body tend to diminish over time.  This is no different for the use of caffeine.  Those who use it as a wakeup call every morning are going to see less pronounced effects. 

While I haven’t found any studies pertaining to the tolerance effect of caffeine, I recommend scheduling it’s use sparingly (not daily) based on trial and error experience.  I find that the athletic enhancements of caffeine diminish greatly after using the drug three or more days a week.  Use caffeine twice a week on Lactate/Aerobic Threshold and VO2 Max days to enhance training performance.  Three weeks before an “A” race, use is cut down to once a week to break tolerance levels so there is a greater effect during race week.

Schedule caffeine use on days with higher carbohydrate intakes for maximal carbo-loading.  A study from the Journal of Applied Physiology (July 2008) found that glycogen levels were substantially higher with carb/caffeine ingestion as opposed to just carb ingestion.  Most endurance athletes would call this glycogen storage “carboloading.” 

Example for a Build week in Triathlon

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
90min Ride 90min Swim	2 Hour VO2Max Run	90min Run 90min Swim	2.5 Hour LT Ride (Long Sets)	90min Ride 60min Swim	60min Swim	2 Hour Weighted Run
	Caffeine		Caffeine

Stayed Tuned for another post in the MCT TriathlonTraining Log:

A Guide to a Quick, Cheap, and Fun Iced Coffee Fix!

Submit your Recipes to The MCT Triathlon WWW!  
Read More Articles on The Gawors!