Success for Tomorrow Starts Today: Building Your Annual Training Plan

[Jake]

Originally published at: https://fascatcoaching.com/tips/annual-training-plan/

Success for Tomorrow Starts Today:

For the road and mountain bike racer now can be the perfect time to start thinking of next season. You along with your coach can design an annual training plan detailing out next season’s goals by working backwards from your “A” number one race (or time frame). Your annual training plan details out every aspect of the plan, including races, training phases, power tests, recovery weeks and a cycling specific resistance training program.


 

Yes you may still have some racing coming up and maybe even a target event, but soon you will be coming into fall and will want to have a plan in place. You can use TrainingPeaks ATP to help plan out your year to reach your next season’s goal.

Reasons for designing the plan at the end of the season:

• Season is fresh in your mind
• Can manage offseason breaks and holidays
• Undergo a weight loss plan
• Plan for Cycling Specific Resistance Training

Fresh in Your Mind

With the season fresh in your mind you will be able to know what has worked, what hasn’t and have a good understanding of a training schedule that works with your life’s schedule. Look back on this year’s training and look for trends. We use your Performance Manager Chart to track your CTL to TSB with peak power performances.


This example shows the numerous peak power numbers in the spring. First during the build up from the winter and then again after this athlete took a vacation. Later on in the year he didn’t hit as many peak numbers. From this we can take that he should plan an early summer break and build back up for the mid to late summer. This will give him another solid rest period which gives him the freshness he needs to be at his best. We can put that in his ATP.

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The other thing you may want to consider is where you live and the winter you experience. Maybe it will be more beneficial for you to do intensity early on the trainer as those can be short and intense and than do a longer base period as the spring approaches and the weather is nicer.

Manage Offseason Breaks and Holidays

By designing your annual training plan now, you are going to be able to manage your offseason breaks better. Can you take off 1 – 3 weeks, can you manage to fit in multiple breaks, how do the holidays fit in? After a long racing season the last thing an athlete will want to do is train more, however this maybe a good approach, especially for those in northern climates who are about to face a winter on the trainer. So we can plan a short season ending break, plan a fall foundation program while riding weather is still nice and then plan a longer offseason break as the weather turns and daylight is cut way down. By doing this you can get a jump start on your next season. You can keep your CTL up a bit so you don’t have to scramble to get so much come January when it’s snowing. Plus it’s a great time to focus on strength, skills, your pedaling and maybe even a weakness.

Weight Loss Plan

Weight loss: nearly all of us will benefit. There is a good time for this and a bad time to lose weight. You do not want to be cutting weight off as you are training hard and need the calories for recovery. Look to do this during the fall, or early in the base season. If this is one of your goals set target weights in your ATP track your progress and manage your weight. We can help! Read more about losing weight using MyFitnessPal under our guidance.

Cycling Specific Resistance Training Program

Most athletes always want to start coaching in January when racing can be only weeks away. This does not leave much time, if any at all for a cycling specific resistance training program (you need 10 weeks). Resistance Training needs to be completed in the early portion of the off season so that you still have time to put in a good base. The ultimate goal is to increase your power output! By planning the resistance program in advance you will be able to make sure you have ample time to switch focus to base and intervals before the racing season.

Building Your ATP:

The best way to start building the ATP is by starting backwards from your goal and main target. In TrainingPeaks once you put that as your ‘A’ event we’ll use the manual mode from there. That way you can put in the plan that suits you best!


By working backwards you can include an overload and taper. Tapers require 2- 3 weeks before your A race, but need to follow 2 – 8 weeks of an overload period. An overload phase includes race specific intervals that match your goal and then you can go from there including intensity, base, resistance program, off season, fall foundation and end of season recovery period.

Read more about Off Season Training HERE.

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