Putting Together Your Full Year Plan

By Pete Rea, ZAP Fitness/Running Journal/November 2008

Each year, with each athlete (rookie and veteran) we have here at ZAP Fitness, we begin the outgoing year by setting outcome goals and mapping out strategies for the incoming. These goals include the expected performance based goals replete with PRs to target, places for National Championships for peaking, and the team based goals we have including Road Championships and Club Cross-Country. The path to these performance goals, however are laden with a type of goal many have never considered: process goals.

Process goals are very much unlike outcome goals in that we all have 100 percent control over process goals. For example, if an athlete has a goal of running a personal best time in the 5,000m in the coming year, he or she will need to first and foremost stay healthy to complete the required training necessary for this PR. How does an athlete stay healthy? How about a process goal of running “at least half of all weekly volume on non-paved surfaces.” That is a goal which can be controlled a.k.a. a process goal. “Sleep a minimum of 9ninehours each night” is another process goal commonly put forth by the athletes here at ZAP or “ice legs daily after training runs.” In a nutshell process goals are unequivocally within our power, making the outcome goals outcome goals we all set much more likely to happen.

Once you have your goals in place the next order of business, and one which far too many athletes fail to address, is a detailed plan of attack with specific training phases and planned races for the coming year. Having this type of road map to your end-of-year goals will allow you to see success along the way. How might a year long plan look? Below is an excerpt from ZAP athlete Ann McGranahan five years ago.

1) First 16 weeks (slowly build mileage from 50-60 per week to 90-100 miles per week), keeping five-six days per week under 75 percent effort. One-two moderate fartleks of moderate tempos each week. No racing during this period.

2) Weeks-17-29 (begin introducing anaerobic threshold efforts such as 2 x 20 minutes, four-six mile tempo runs, and longer fartlek sessions at 85-88 percent effort). Long runs at this point in the two hours plus range. Every third week introduce a rest week reducing mileage 15-20 percent. Three-four races during this period for fitness test.

3) Weeks 30-40 (42) Transition into longer intervals with shorter recovery, longer hill repetitions and 4-5x per week of post run strides. Every other week racing, now moving toward primary distances. Time Trials once per 10 days.

4) Weeks 41-50 – Primary Racing (Race and rest).

5) Weeks 51-52 (off – REST!).

That year (2003), McGranahan was named to her first US Team and lowered her 5K track PR from 16:10 to 15:46. Along the way, process goals played a very strong role in a year where she was able to stay healthy. What are some other tips as you begin this process of fully planning a year?

* Set optimistic yet realistic goals to begin the process. If your 10K best is 46:00, perhaps target a goal of 1:00 – 2:00 faster. A goal of 33:00 is likely a bit unrealistic unless you ran your 46:00 effort holding a 25 lb. weight.

* Do not expect early season/year race efforts to bring forth your best performances. If you are planning your year correctly with a Base Phase, Anaerobic Threshold focus, and economy work to finish, your early races will likely be “rust busters” and often will be sub par simply based on the fact that intensity should be kept to a minimum in early training phases.

* Reassess your goals and your map toward those goals occasionally with someone who knows more than you. Nothing is more powerful to a distance runner (or any athlete) than an objective eye. No one has the power to be fully objective about his or her own training.
* Avoid the “race all year” trap that many fall into. While road racing 52 weeks a year is enjoyable, improving performances is more enjoyable. Simply allowing yourself a three-four month lower intensity Base Phase period to begin each year (sans racing) will allow you to see higher peaks at the end of your year.

* Allow yourself a two-three week period of true rest following the end of your year following your primary goal race to reflect and begin planning your next stage of attack.

In the fall of 2007, ZAP Fitness resident athlete Thomas Morgan and I sat down to plan his year leading to the Olympic Trials and the European campaign to follow. This plan consisted of training phases, when to shift those phases, and when to begin introducing races. Throughout the year we tweaked based on his feedback, moved workouts to different weeks based on illness or physical ailments – but in the end we stayed true to the road map we had set forth in October. The results were his best year ever (Olympic Trials final in the 5,000m and a personal best time of 13:27.4 for 5K on the track). This also marked the seventh consecutive year Morgan ran at least one personal best at his primary distance, the 5,000m. This consistency and progress for Morgan has been due in large part to his planning and use of process goals. As you look toward your winter, spring and summer of 2009 -- I encourage you all to try the same. Never train or race haphazardly, do so toward your goals with a plan.

ZAP Fitness is a Reebok and NY Road Runners Sponsored non-profit facility that supports post collegiate distance runners in Blowing Rock, NC. ZAP puts on adult running camps during the summer and is available for retreats all year. The facility has a state of the art weight room, exercise science lab for testing and a 24 bed lodge. Coaches at the facility include 2 time Olympic Trials Qualifiers Zika Rea and Randy Ashley as well as head coach Pete Rea. For more information go to www.zapfitness.com or call 828-295-6198