#CoachesTips – Developing a plan without a target race

By KRISTINA SKROCE, TNN Coach

With this unexpected hiatus, it’s a good moment to work on weak points and concentrate on enhancing performance without having the mental pressure of a race. 

Training prescription is individualized for every athlete. During this period, some good goals could be building aerobic fitness, working on speed and power, building threshold, etc. The option you choose depends on the type of rider you are, your current fitness level, and your career/ future racing schedule.

The key facet during this period is maintaining motivation while continuing to build as an athlete.

SMALL GOALS

If you have a coach, take the time and have a discussion around the current situation and set new goals. Even without a coach or a target race soon, still set short-term goals. Come up with daily and weekly goals. By achieving these small targets, motivation should remain high. 

CROSS TRAIN

Training without a target race allows for space to cross train, which can be used as a different stimulus while also counting as an active rest day. Different types of cross training include hiking, running, gym, MTB, or gravel riding, all of which help vary the training program and permit you to alter the daily routine. Furthermore, by changing the stimuli and avoiding monotony in everyday routine, an athlete can focus on a long-term goal while maintaining a high level of motivation. 

VOLUME/LOAD

Because there are no races planned for the end of this block of training, training volume can be higher than during a competitive period. Just remember-workout prescription should still include weeks with both high and low training loads to avoid injuries while still building a solid block.

To sum up the tips for developing a plan without a target race are: 

• Determine your current fitness to identify your weak points;
• Work on your weaknesses by giving more emphasis on the type of training you lack the most;
• Do other kinds of activities to vary your training stimuli to avoid the monotony of everyday routine of a training plan;
• Keep your motivation high by focusing on daily training goals that are connected to a long-term goal;
• Keep in mind that training without a specific race may be a huge opportunity to do a good block of training volume.