In high school, I overheard one of my swim coaches discussing a 4-year training plan for a teammate who had the potential to qualify for the Olympic Games. My mind nearly exploded thinking that a coach would have a plan four years in duration. I hadn’t even planned what I was having for breakfast that day much less what my training should be like long term.
It’s been more than 20 years since that revelation, and indeed a long-term plan is a necessary component to athletic success. It helps guide what the training focus should be month to month and ensures an athlete will peak for the most important races. An annual training plan is something I started creating for each athlete on the Performance Project team starting in 2023. I refer to them throughout the year to help set up the next 6 – 12 weeks of training for each athlete. It also helps us prepare the athletes for the specific demands of their most important events.
But where do you start? Below are five simple steps to creating an annual training plan for endurance athletes.
Step 1: Plan Your Races
Pencil in the races / events you would like to do for the year. The most important ones to decide on early in the year would be your ‘A’ race(s). These are the ones you want to peak for and perform at your best. Depending on the distance of events that you like to participate in, this will guide how many ‘A’ races you can target in a given year. Generally, for marathon distance races or longer there should be no more than two ‘A’ races in a given year. However, it can vary depending on the athlete’s training and injury history. Also pencil in ‘B’ and ‘C’ target races that will help prepare you for your ‘A’ races. Finally, pencil in life events that will impact training such as holidays, work travel, vacations, the busiest work month(s) of the year, etc.
Step 2: Work Backwards
Work backwards from your ‘A’ race(s). Decide how much time you need to train for the event(s). Longer is usually better as life inevitably happens. If you only give yourself 12 weeks to train, and then you get sick for 2 weeks and have a work deadline that has you missing another week the allotted time to train may not be enough. Then, set up your training phases. These will usually be anywhere from 6 weeks – 12 weeks in duration but can sometimes be shorter or longer depending on the athlete.
Step 3: Evaluate Your Current Fitness Level
An athlete with a high level of fitness in January setting up their training plan vs. a sedentary person wanting to train for their first half marathon will have uniquely different annual training plans. If fitness is low, you may need to spend several months slowly improving cardiovascular fitness before introducing high intensity running intervals. Bottom line, give yourself enough time to train. One of the biggest mistakes I see athletes make is not giving themselves adequate time to prepare for a race.
Step 4: Increase Specificity as the ‘A’ Race(s) Get Closer
Write down what the demands of your ‘A’ race(s) will be. Consider things like temperature, altitude, humidity, terrain, elevation gain, distance, pace required, nutrition, etc. Taking lots of time to study the demands of the event will pay off when planning your training. As the race gets closer, your training should mimic the demands of the race more and more closely.
Step 5: Be Flexible Within A Given Week
So now that you have planned your long term training, all that’s left to do is execute it flawlessly right? There is a very small chance that training will go flawlessly. Life happens and you can and should adjust training load based on how you are responding to the training. Focus on the big picture and make sure you are focused on the theme for each training block rather than obsessing about hitting a certain mileage per week or completing every single workout. Consistency plus flexibility when necessary, will ensure the best possible outcome on race day.
Have fun and good luck! Ready, set…plan!
