The Insanity of Your Training

This is a recent article I wrote for Competitor Magazine, which is published on their website. Check it out, and feel free to send me your thoughts and responses. Be sure to check out the February issue for my new 9-week training plan for a 5k.

The Insanity of Your Training

Written by Jim Vance

Albert Einstein once said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results. If this were a legal definition, many athletes might end up spending time in a padded room.

How many of you reading this have been doing the same training, over and over again, year after year, expecting to get better results? Have the results really gotten any better?

For many self-coached athletes, the term periodization carries no meaning. Periodization is the process of varying your training based upon specific time intervals, to maximize gains in physical performance. In layman's terms, it means to start with general race preparation and move to specific race preparation, as you approach your A-priority event. But despite the success which can be seen from a well-periodized training plan, many self-coached athletes do not change their training in any real capacity during the year.

The new season is here, and this is the perfect time to sit down and figure out a periodization plan for the year. The key is first taking inventory of what happened last season. Without assessing your past training, and utilizing that information to make training decisions this season, you could be destined to repeat the same mistakes, results, and/or injuries.

Read the rest at Competitor.

Coach Vance