Linda Donaldson: Lights, training plan....action!

In this week's instalment of Linda's fitness blog, she reveals why planning for an event is key.

Having a structured plan is essential for my triathlon training. On the face of it planning is should be relatively easy since there is a huge amount of free information available on the internet to help you pull a plan together.  From downloadable week by week training plans, online blogs and forums where people swap hints and tips (although sometimes not necessarily good ones), to magazines with guides on everything from what gear to buy, diet to consume and events to enter. While all this information is helpful it can be a little confusing at times and personally I am a big advocate of having a coach or personal trainer to help create a bespoke plan, that will really work for me.

When you are new to a sport working out how to improve your performance can be a bit of a minefield.  Triathlon is even more complicated since it has three disciplines for you to master and while I enjoy reading up on the subject nothing beats the know-how of a professional. Choose your coach carefully. If you can, find someone who has first-hand experience of competing in the sport you need coached in. You may already have a great relationship with a personal trainer but they may be limited in their knowledge of specific training technique for swimming or cycling. It is fine to have more than one coach inputting to your training but it is probably best if you have one person you agree your overall plan with and allow final say on what you decide to do.  

So once you have found your coach what next? My preference is to build my training plan around a specific event or goal. Usually, I will have one major goal each year which is generally linked to completing a physical challenge. Then you can work back from that date and decide what you need to be doing and when. Be realistic and practical about your goals. Consider if you have long enough to train to complete the challenge and how you will fit training around your work and family commitments. Triathlon training requires a reasonable amount of time out of your week, with three sports to practice and perfect there is always something to do and above all it requires the discipline to get up early and consequently sacrifice a bit of socialising by going to bed early too.