If you’re looking for structure in your weekly workout routine or preparing for springtime events, hiring a coach from t2coaching can provide a customized training plan based on your goals, fitness level, and available training time. This will help you achieve your goals, avoid overtraining, and increase your chances of success on race day. Here’s what you need to know about t2coaching:

What is t2coaching?

t2coaching is a coaching service run by Wendy, who coaches both local and remote athletes around the world. Wendy works from home, creating and revising training schedules through Training Peaks, and communicates with athletes via email and phone. She also offers consultations and swim training sessions.

Wendy is dedicated to continuous coaching education, keeping up with the latest articles and training philosophies. She has developed her own coaching system, and below is an outline of what goes into a t2coaching training plan to help you understand the preparation required for a new season. The key to successful coaching is manipulating frequency, intensity, and duration to help athletes achieve peak performance as they taper for their goal race.

Steps to create a customized training plan:

Step 1: Determine your goal event Wendy begins by having athletes fill out a detailed questionnaire and discussing their goals and experience. Whether you’re new to the sport or a seasoned athlete, your plan will be tailored to your specific goals. For newcomers, the focus may be on building a foundation and acquiring the necessary skills to finish the event. Seasoned athletes might aim to set a new personal record, requiring a plan with increased frequency, duration, intensity, and potentially strength training and injury prevention strategies.

Step 2: Set up an Annual Training Plan outline Wendy follows the concept of periodization and divides the training “year” into phases based on the target event and the available preparation time. The training season, whether it’s 3, 6, 9, or 12 months, is divided into periods or phases, each with a specific goal and length. The duration of each phase depends on the athlete’s experience, strengths, weaknesses, and available training time. The race date and length of the event determine how much time the athlete needs to train.

Step 3: Set up Phases of Training Each phase represents a 4-12 week block of time, starting with the race date and working backward. The phases include tapering, building race-specific intensity, establishing a base with lower intensity and skill-focused workouts, preparing the body to train through cross-training and strength workouts, and transitioning with some time off at the end of the season.

Step 4: Fill in the weekly details Wendy begins by scheduling your rest days and then determines your long training days based on your event. Group workouts, such as masters swim sessions, group rides, or runs, are also incorporated. The remaining workouts are filled in, considering the duration, intensity, and phase of training. Intensity is measured using heart rate or power, and it’s specific to the athlete’s fitness level and SMART goals for the event.

Step 5: Be Mindful As your coach, Wendy understands that one training plan doesn’t fit all. It’s crucial to keep a training log, communicate with your coach, and listen to your body to avoid overtraining, injuries, and burnout. Wendy is flexible and can update your training plan when necessary. Rest weeks may need to be adjusted if you fall sick, travel, or encounter weather-related obstacles that prevent you from completing your workouts as planned.

Remember, while anyone can find a training plan online, having the expertise of a coach from t2coaching ensures that you receive the necessary guidance to stay healthy and perform at your best. Haphazard training without proper guidance can lead to injuries, illness, and subpar performances. If you need further guidance or are interested in t2coaching services, you can contact Wendy at wendy@t2coaching or fill out the online athlete profile and reach out to [email protected].