When the shoe doesn't fit
As odd as it sounds considering we just started spring two weeks ago, I am putting the finishing touches on the summer training plans.
Cool. Wait, did you say plans? As in plural?
Correct. Two training plans. The next step in the evolution of my training cycles.
Why two plans?
I'm probably late to the party on this one, and it seems so incredibly obvious, but I was looking at the test results from the last two weeks, and two things jump out.
1. We're way more fit than we were last year.
2. We still have a lot of varying levels of fitness across the board.
This past winter was easily the most intense training plan that I've put together. The number of meters that could be covered inside of 108 days of winter was pushing over 1 million. Lots, and lots of volume training. Some of the guys on the team excelled. Some did well, but not as well as one might have hoped. Looking at the results, it was plain to see that while everyone did some of the training, not everyone did all of the training.
I believe that is obvious for any sort of training, and rowing or athletic level.
The team sat down last fall, and halfway through winter and presented me with some ambitious season goals, so I turned up the heat/hit the accelerator - either analogy works - and geared winter toward that. But lost in the idea of the goals, was the fact that while everyone might say that they want to do A, B, and C, not everyone realizes how much work those goals require, and once they see it, A, B, and C, might simply become A. Or a. And that was reflected in the test results. Everyone improved, but not everyone improved in a way that reflected the team goals.
And so be it! That's absolutely not a problem. Some people want to be part of the team, want to work out, but don't feel the drive or need to be in the top boat. They are happy contributing, working, but that next level that makes them elite doesn't appeal to them. And they shouldn't be chastised, punished, or forced to go for something they don't have a vested interest in.
And thus, a rather obvious fact which hits me late - it's been like that around here this week for me, mistakes suddenly becoming so clear I wonder why I couldn't see them earlier - and so to accommodate those who want to work at an 85-90% capacity, and not the 100-110% required for some things, will have a workout plan that suits them. It won't simply be a "dumbed" down version of the more intense workout - same meters, but a higher/slower split. Instead it'll focus on more volume training, some aerobic pace days, but no short interval training, and little anaerobic training. They will get plenty of that in the fall and spring.
Again, this is so painfully obvious that I feel sheepish admitting that I overlooked this simple change. But I'm fully into it now, and hope that with this split, everyone feels more like part of the team, and less pressure to perform.
Cool. Wait, did you say plans? As in plural?
Correct. Two training plans. The next step in the evolution of my training cycles.
Why two plans?
I'm probably late to the party on this one, and it seems so incredibly obvious, but I was looking at the test results from the last two weeks, and two things jump out.
1. We're way more fit than we were last year.
2. We still have a lot of varying levels of fitness across the board.
This past winter was easily the most intense training plan that I've put together. The number of meters that could be covered inside of 108 days of winter was pushing over 1 million. Lots, and lots of volume training. Some of the guys on the team excelled. Some did well, but not as well as one might have hoped. Looking at the results, it was plain to see that while everyone did some of the training, not everyone did all of the training.
I believe that is obvious for any sort of training, and rowing or athletic level.
The team sat down last fall, and halfway through winter and presented me with some ambitious season goals, so I turned up the heat/hit the accelerator - either analogy works - and geared winter toward that. But lost in the idea of the goals, was the fact that while everyone might say that they want to do A, B, and C, not everyone realizes how much work those goals require, and once they see it, A, B, and C, might simply become A. Or a. And that was reflected in the test results. Everyone improved, but not everyone improved in a way that reflected the team goals.
And so be it! That's absolutely not a problem. Some people want to be part of the team, want to work out, but don't feel the drive or need to be in the top boat. They are happy contributing, working, but that next level that makes them elite doesn't appeal to them. And they shouldn't be chastised, punished, or forced to go for something they don't have a vested interest in.
And thus, a rather obvious fact which hits me late - it's been like that around here this week for me, mistakes suddenly becoming so clear I wonder why I couldn't see them earlier - and so to accommodate those who want to work at an 85-90% capacity, and not the 100-110% required for some things, will have a workout plan that suits them. It won't simply be a "dumbed" down version of the more intense workout - same meters, but a higher/slower split. Instead it'll focus on more volume training, some aerobic pace days, but no short interval training, and little anaerobic training. They will get plenty of that in the fall and spring.
Again, this is so painfully obvious that I feel sheepish admitting that I overlooked this simple change. But I'm fully into it now, and hope that with this split, everyone feels more like part of the team, and less pressure to perform.
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