Training Plans & Goals

Most people started off the year with some type of New Year’s resolution:  “lose weight, eat healthy, exercise more, train for my first race/ win a race” are among the most popular every year.  Now 30 days into the New Year, history suggests that about 40% of you have given up on those goals. 

Have you given up? 

Although there’s no specific number of days someone has to perform a task for it to become second nature, a simple rule of thumb is the more you do something the easier it is to continue doing.  Take waking up at 4am to work out: that first week or 2 is going to be the worst you’ve ever had, but stick to it and by no time you’ll be looking forward to getting your day started early!

Although people start off with the right mentality of wanting to achieve their goals, one of the biggest mistakes I see people have is not having a training plan or goal.  Trying to wing it day in day out, unless you’re an ultra spontaneous high energy person, the reality is this isn’t going to work for most.  People get easily burned out by trying to wing it.  Waking up with the intentions of working out, but not sure how long, what workouts, or when to fit it in your day so you just skip it saying “I’ll start tomorrow”.  Sound familiar?

Going to the gym and trying to wing it only causes failure:

When it comes to goal planning, first off; think of what you want to accomplish:  what are your long term, short term and immediate goals?? 

• Long Term Goals:  Think 6 – 12 months down the road.  Do you want to finish your first marathon?  Complete your first triathlon?  Get a PR on your next 5k?  *Notice how weight loss wasn’t one*  I generally don’t recommend weight loss as a goal… too many people become fixated on the numbers on the scale which doesn’t seem to provide sufficient motivation to continue; in fact, it may be detrimental to you accomplishing your goals.  Focus on improved performance, weight loss will follow.
• Short Term Goals:  Think 1 – 6 months ahead.  You want to increase your long run from 30 min to an hour?  You finally want to hit the 10mi mark on your next run?  Want to consistently increase your workout frequency from 3 days a week to 5?
• Immediate Goals:  Think what you are doing now in today’s workout.  Want to have your fastest mile on today’s run?  Want to deadlift 300 pounds at the gym today?  Want to run up that hill the fastest you ever have?

WRITE THESE GOALS DOWN!  I’m a huge fan of having SMARTER goals.  By being able to write them down, telling other people about them, and being able to consistently remind yourself of those goals you’re more likely to achieve said goals.

Now that you have your goals, having a training plan to accomplish these goals is important.  Training plans don’t have to be highly scientific, but do have to be relevant to your goals.  How many hours should you be training?  What specific workouts should you be doing?  Should it involve all cardio, or do I have to lift weights?  How many days of rest do I need (YES, you need rest days)?

This is where having a coach becomes a valuable resource.  Coaches understand the daily demands life throws at you while still trying to achieve your health & fitness goals.  Coaches are able to help you get the most return for your valuable investment (most fitness for your time).  Having a coach can help you achieve your fitness & racing goals maximizing the time you put in.  A good coach can adjust your schedule as needed while being creative with your workouts to minimize burnout.  In short, you have no excuse.

TZCoaching offers pre-built training plans starting at $30 a month!  Need more personalization?  Contact us to discuss your goals and how we can help you achieve them.