How to Set Up Your Season with CTS Coaches AJW and Cliff Pittman #211
Episode overview:
If you are not planning out your season by now you should be! CTS coaches Cliff Pittman and AJW discuss how to set up your season with the right anchor points, how to schedule a B race and how to keep the focus on the things that are the most important.
Episode highlights:
(9:02) Western States classic buildup: Way Too Cool 50k, American River 50, Miwok 100k, Memorial Day training camp
(17:02) Koop’s framework: identifying key goal races, building an ideal long range plan before modifying it to incorporate supporting races, camps, and life circumstances, knowing where to make compromises
(30:00) Recon the crux of the course: challenges with course recon, Western States example and trails blocked by snow, example from the first year of Cocodona, confidence boost
Our conversation:
(0:00) Introduction: recent race lotteries, introducing Cliff and AJW, considerations for season setup
(1:56) Setup: Tropical John shirt banter, the topical nature of season setup, reasons why athletes freak out at the start of the new year
(3:54) Setting anchor points: goal races, buildup races, training camps,
(5:05) AJW’s three step process: Western States example, major life events outside of training, training races, dialing in logistics, training camps
(9:02) Western States classic buildup: Way Too Cool 50k, American River 50, Miwok 100k, Memorial Day training camp
(11:04) Ramping up to goal races: applying the classic Western States buildup timeline and training structure to other races
(13:23) Arkansas Traveller example: Arkansas race series, parallels to the classic Western States buildup
(14:43) Course recon: experiencing race day environmental challenges before your race, athletes with non-ideal training circumstances
(17:02) Koop’s framework: identifying key goal races, building an ideal long range plan before modifying it to incorporate supporting races, camps, and life circumstances, knowing where to make compromises
(20:20) Training priorities: clarifying priorities and the coach-athlete relationship, working backwards from the ideal training buildup
(22:02) Variability in the training formula: training camp example, there is a training formula that works, 6 months is not a long time to train, nonnegotiables in training setup
(24:13) Setting expectations for training volume: avoiding compounding life stress and training stress
(25:25) Heat training and race recon: specificity of timing
(27:25) Cocodona 250 example: a brutal start, reconing the start of the race course, Hardrock and Leadville examples
(30:00) Recon the crux of the course: challenges with course recon, Western States example and trails blocked by snow, example from the first year of Cocodona, confidence boost
(33:01) The first 37 miles of Cocodona: how much water to carry, the 18 hour cutoff
(35:40) Additional considerations for season setup: nutrition and hydration, environmental considerations, train your gut
(38:54) Tinkering with your training: gear, psychology, tinker with one thing at a time, start early, if you wait you have no choice but to tinker with everything at once and that causes problems
(41:04) Figure out your race crew: planning ahead and avoiding last-minute stressors, don’t be stuck with whoever is available, mental preparation and goal setting
(42:55) Know what crew work well: for bucket list races everyone wants to help out, being crew is demanding, think about who is best suited to be crew versus spectators, who is not going to let you quit
(45:10) Koop on supporting athletes: setting up a travel schedule, giving athletes a familiar face in their corner, figure out who will support you, deciding to go solo
(47:58) Crewing at Leadville and Javelina: connecting with athletes who are going solo, lending confidence and support from a known quantity, example of inexperienced crews
(50:03) Crew as ergogenic aids: Koop’s example, choose crew who will enhance your performance or confidence, everybody wants to help but not everyone is best suited to crew
(52:04) Focus on your main priority: avoiding getting pulled in different directions, focus and prioritization, recognizing limitations in planning, priorities aiding in decision making
(54:55) Managing expectations: communicating with family about training, being selfish and recognizing limitations in household life during hard training, Graham Cooper example, banter
(58:04) Wrap-up: savor the build-up to a bucket list race
(59:22) Outro: giving thanks, AJW transitioning to full time coaching, you can sign up for coaching at trainright.com
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