This is the best way for me to train. If I plan my workouts on any days of the week and can't it is hard to deal with. I do try to have a set plan that I follow during the week but make changes as needed. This does not say that I don't set my plan up based on my perdictable recovery times but normally I only work out hard when I feel up to it.
The key to planning is a balance between adapting to work to how you feel but not straying too far from the architecture of the year. Slight errors or timing can be expected but you must micromanage for the week and month.
Why can you not go with a set plan? Is it because you dont always feel like training every time you are ready to (physically), or because you are not always recovered for the planned session? Or any other reason, unpredictable/unsocial work hours?
I think it has something to do with the unperdictable loads that group training can bring during cycling. Races/group rides are by nature difficult to control the load leading to late recovery times messing up the plan. I might see this the same way as when someone increases training load because they feel good adding to their recovery times from the workouts.
The more experience you have with a training system and particular athlete, including yourself, the better you will be able to predicte what you will be able to handle and how fast you'll recover. This is another reason not to chase fads and constantly overhaul you program, because you will always be dealing with the unknown, which makes it much harder to plan. However, in addition to physical status, you must also be flexible in order to deal with other disruptions such as bad weather, restricted access to training facilities (special events, competitions, etc.), as well as outside obligations which might pop up. The key is to go with the flow and adapt, and NEVER try to make up for lost training time; it's gone, period.
Clemson,Originally posted by Clemson
The key to planning is a balance between adapting to work to how you feel but not straying too far from the architecture of the year. Slight errors or timing can be expected but you must micromanage for the week and month.
i think I agree w/you but don't you think that sometime straying from the plan is **exactly** what's needed?
what I'm getting at is I've seen coaches (heck, i've done it myself) who are running into problems, but say "well we had x planned so we're going to do x" it can be hard to admit that you've planned wrong, calculted recovery, progress, learning incorrectly -- but sometimes we just don't forecast well. Sometimes it's impt to be the king of plan B.
heck sometimes during rehab/injury comebacks you're planning on an every other day basis and then seeing how the athlete responds. it can be frustrating, but when they're in that "touch and go" stage it's tough to really plan 3-5 days ahead.
i think i'm being devil's advocate todayOriginally posted by Flash
The key is to go with the flow and adapt, and NEVER try to make up for lost training time; it's gone, period.
but really, is this what we really mean? for example, an athlete gets sick or hurt during specific prep. So to proceed with comp type loads when they come back to 100% doesn't make sense even though it may be what you originally planned for the comp period.
We often get into trouble (I have) by throwing an athlete in with the rest of the training group when it appears that everything is good. Those people have been doing what was planned for the time period that the athlete was doing "plan B".
So it would make sense to go back and do what was planned (or some version of it). When you skip prep periods you may be able to run very well based on talent, experience, and previous experience, but usually pay later in that quality of performance drops of somewhat rapidly.
So I would, at least, go back and do some what was lost in an albeit abbreviated fashion and then (for example) after indoor season try to fully establish the necessary "conditioning" levels to survive outdoor.
I think that's a great point from Kebba.
I think that sudden gradient changes in volume/intensity curves is a lot of athlete's undoing.
Building on Kebba's comment, I think sometimes we need to be honest and maybe take a step back. This is often so hard to do for coach and athlete as its human nature to want to make up for lost time.
Such a paradox really patience being the means to running fast.
Patience is a widely absent quality in track, even though its totally free.
I personally find it hard to keep myself from training, even when i know i shouldn't, so i do everything (outside of supllementation) i can to speed the recovery process. Is your problem that you have certain days that you don't want to train, or you're muscles are just too tired?
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