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Sunday, September 28, 2008

2009 Planning - Periodization

I'm following Joe Friel's book "The Triathlete's Training Bible" to set up my training for 2009, and have come up with a big-picture look at my 2009 season.

These are his steps, and my planning decisions from them.

Step 1: Determine Season Goals

I have one goal: Finish Ironman Canada

I'm sure I'll find some other smaller goals before then, but everything I do this year will have that goal in mind.

Step 2: Establish Training Objectives

My limiters to meeting the goal of finishing Ironman are endurance and finding the time to train.

So my training objectives come down to being able to get those long runs, bikes and swims into my weekly schedule.

Step 3: Set Annual Training Hours

I haven't thought this part out fully, I will get more in depth here when I start laying out my weeks.

Step 4: Prioritize Races

The goal here is to assign a priority to the races you're planning - A, B, or C.

A-priority:
Peterborough 1/2 Iron (July)
Muskoka long-course (June) (switched)

B-priority:
Around the Bay 30K run (March)
Paris to Ancaster 60K Mountain Bike (April)
Ironman Canada (August)

C-priority:
Sporting Life 10K or 1/2 marathon (May)
Sprint Triathlon in late May or early June
Sprint or Olylmpic Triathlon in late July / Early August

Step 5: Divide Year into Periods

Each week of the year falls into one of 6 periods that lead up to a race... so this is my plan based on the races I've identified as my "A" races. The date is the Monday of the week.

(Note - I updated these in this post in December... so ignore the below)
  • Transition - 8 weeks - Oct 20 - Dec 8
  • Preparation - 6 weeks - Dec 15 - Jan 19
  • Base (1, 2, 3) - 12 weeks - Jan 26 - Apr 13
  • Build (1,2) - 8 weeks - Apr 20 - June 8
  • Peak - 2 weeks - June 15 - June 22
  • Race - 1 week - June 29 (Peterborough 1/2 Iron)
  • Transition - 1 week - July 6
  • Base (3) - 4 weeks - July 13 - July 27
  • Peak - 2 weeks - Aug 10 - Aug 17
  • Race - 1 week - Aug 24 (Ironman Canada)
  • Transition - August 31 - ???
This ends up being a 36-week plan (from first Preparation phase to final Race)

Step 6: Assign Weekly Hours

I haven't done this yet... no rush, I have a few months before the structured training starts.

Comments and Feedback is appreciated!

8 comments:

Darren said...

Yo Jono,
Depositing 2 cents..

-adjust one goal. Finishing 'well' at IMC, to just finishing IMC. The difference is subtle, but mentally, it may be huge.

-Joel Friel is a great coach, however, I think his plan over complicated. Seriously, what's the difference between transition, prep, base1, base 2, base 3? Do NOT over complicate this. Two simple rules following the KISS principle: 1) figure out weekly available training hours - slowly start to fill those hours as you get fitter. 2)stick to your schedule, yet have some flexibility in it. The day in day out, week in week out, CONSISTANT training will serve you best in the long run.

Oh yea, bike more. :)
Cheers!

Tina Marie Parker said...

Seeing someone else put in writing as me is pretty cool on the site. I do get caught up in the weekly hours and feel I have to adjust due to family happenings. Still have the time though and like Darren said, and friends tell me consistancy is the key.

Jon P said...

Thanks for the advice darren and tina, I appreciate it a lot.

Honestly I don't see a huge difference between all the stages either, especially as a novice. The basic principle is to get in a long run, long bike, and long swim each week, and fill the rest with speedwork & intensity...

Not that different from what I was already doing! :) I just want to get more of it in than before.

Tina Marie Parker said...

It will make more since when you turn to page 109 Table 8.1 the difference in the phase is time in each and working up the endurance part. I was really going storng then tapered with family and now getting back into the swing faithfully. The time crunch is hard when Thomas has two baseball games in one day. The trainer is going to the game with me this weekend, then I can adjust to time. Somedays life happens. I have learned over time if you don't have the base the bulid sucks and you are not your best. I've been coached it is all about the base. The key is those three long workouts and the bricks.

Tina Marie Parker said...

Sorry, something else just came to mind.. Is the half to close to the full?

Jon P said...

"Is the half to close to the full?"

I'm not sure to be honest... Friel says 8 weeks or more apart, so I went by that (mine are exactly 8 weeks apart). Another option is to make my mid-June race my "A" race and make the half a B and do it more for training/experience than for a good time... not sure which way to go with that.

Tina Marie Parker said...

I think I'd do the have then.. I'm looking at a 1/2 first part of April with Ironman June.

I went with the thought my A race is Ironman, 1/2 was B and then others C. I missed two Cs already, becuase I did not feel the base ready. I did okay at Vineman for what I put into it. I will look at my schedule again. Don't forget Friel also adds some weight work out too.

Anonymous said...

That's an interesting concept...
I like the idea of my training schedule being a little more structured-- especially as I do make the transition from pure running to triathlon.
Thanks for the post-- I might check out that book!
(I'm motivated right now, so I'm going with it as long as it lasts.)
Cheers!