Building a Sprint Training Plan


Remember training for your first triathlon? If you were anything like me, then your enthusiasm was off the chart, and you highly anticipated each day’s workout. Some of you didn’t train at all and just jumped in to see what all the fuss was about. Others loosely followed a training schedule as you didn’t want to show up out-of-shape, but at the same time you didn’t care to set any records the first go-round. Regardless of how you prepared, you


showed up on race day and finished your first tri. And if you didn’t finish, well, then hopefully you have a good story. But for the finishers — brilliant feeling, yes? Of course, everybody remembers the finish line! But what about the rest of the day? Was it smooth? Were you prepared for all the little details here and there? I would be willing to bet that minimizing the number of “surprises” on race day would be highly correlated to a beginner reporting an overall positive experience at his or her first triathlon. The ones that show up more prepared, physically and mentally, not only


perform to the best of their ability but also are more likely to stick with it in the long run. Longevity in the sport will hopefully lead to a lifetime of health, fitness and happy PRing! Now what coach wouldn’t want that for an athlete? There are many things to consider when writing a plan for a beginner. Here are some steps to building a success sprint training plan for a beginner:


Know the athlete inside and out In the movie “Hoosiers,” actor Gene Hackman plays the Hickory head basketball coach. During the game, Hackman tells one of his players to guard the opponent so closely that he should know what flavor gum the opponent is chewing by the end of the game. Sure enough, when the Hickory player comes out of the game a few quarters later, he nonchalantly says, “Dentyne,” to Hackman on his way to sit down on the bench. Mission accomplished! What it takes is that little extra effort. When getting to know a beginner triathlete,


By David Bertrand USA Triathlon Level II Certified Coach


listen more than you speak. You’ll be amazed at how much better you can write the plan when you let them talk. Find out what they like and how they are best motivated. You may not need all the information at first, but you will use it later for sure.


Many beginner training plans out there


are not training plans at all; they are exercise plans. To “train”


for something suggests


that more time and attention has gone into creating the plan. To write a great training plan you need to know what flavor gum they are chewing.


Consider these things when writing an


effective plan: • Goals and commitments of the athlete—are the commitments enough to reach the goal? If so, then how long will it take to reach the goal? If not, then how will goal be altered? • Pros and cons of the goals and commitments—how is the goal going to benefit the athlete? What are some of the challenges the athlete may incur along the way?


(continued on next page) PERFORMANCECOACHING | page 5


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