Training sessions competitions and recovery should have a rhythm according to your current state of fitness, lifestyle, the time available for training and recovery from training workloads.
For example if you are a beginner you might begin by training one day and resting / recovering the following day. Over a period of months and years this might progress to two to three or four days training where training loads are high with one or two days recovery.
Below is one example of a periodisation plan for an endurance cyclist's year where two peaks are planned. This periodisation plan would be somewhat similar for triathletes and endurance athletes and can be adjusted according to the main competition dates.
Months |
October |
November December - January Feb |
Mid February March |
April May |
June July |
August September |
|
Stage of training |
Transition period |
General and specific preparation period |
Pre competition period
|
Competition period |
Recovery / transition
period |
Competition |
|
|
|
Prep 1 |
Prep 2 |
|
|
|
|
Aims |
Full physical and mental recovery from previous competition period/s |
Development of foundation for season. Increase in load tolerance |
Improvement in specific endurance and Strength endurance |
Development of competitive specific abilities |
Peaking:
Best performance in most important events |
Full physical and mental recovery from previous competition period/s. fitness maintenance and foundation for next competition period |
Peaking:
Best performance in most important events |
RECOVERY WEEKS:
Have a recovery week following every 2 /4 weeks training depending on how difficult the training and your job, lifestyle etc is at different times. A 30 –40% reduction in training volume and intensity for a week or ten days will allow the body to absorb and overcompensate following the previous period of training.
SOME EXAMPLE GRAPHS ARE SHOWN BELOW
NOTE: The graphs are only one example of how you might approach training they are not definitive ways of doing things. This will vary for individuals according to work or study demands
 |
| This graph demonstrates how training is built up and recovery periods are planned. |
This shows an example of how the training loads are progressively increased over a number of weeks for an athlete who works or studies. Full time athletes will obviously train for more hours per week (Up to thirty hours for mature International elite endurance athletes)
