HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN TRAINING PLAN

A COACH IS A GREAT INVESTMENT, BUT YOU CAN ALSO CREATE YOUR OWN PROGRAMME IF ARMED WITH THE RIGHT TOOLS...

- JAMES WITTS

Last month we showed you how to set goals and boost your chances of reaching them. This month we'll take things to the next level by helping you to formulate your own training plan, giving you the information you need to go away and overcome the hurdles of training for a multisport event. And, for the alpha males and females among you, that starts with one clear message: don't let your ego ruin your chances of success.

"With any training, you undertake for an event, the number one goal is to make the start line injury-free and healthy." The words thereof Phil Mosley of MyProCoach. Phil's been coaching amateur triathletes for over 20 years and is adept at designing training plans for people with busy lives. You must, he says, remember you're not a professional. Vis-à-vis, don't overcook things. "Too many age-groupers set too hard a training schedule and then beat themselves up that they can't keep up with the plan. They then overdo it and end up injured."

In short, if you feel more is better - a common belief among multi sporters - you'll soon be burnt out or get ill. Instead, dance to the mantra sung by legendary coach Joe Friel in his acclaimed The Triathlete's Training Bible, namely do the least amount', plan continual improvement' and be 'specific'...

"Least amount implies that less is better. How can that be? Most successful athletes support the notion that small fitness gains made over a long time are better than quick fitness changes over a short time. We all know that 'too much, too soon' leads to breakdown yet we keep doing it.