Plan for the #GOALGETTER Challenge

In this post I am going to capture some philosophy level information about my training and nutrition plan for the 6 month #GOALGETTER challenge.  I will also be getting into the details a bit looking at high level training blocks and what to expect for the next 6 months and beyond.

For my nutrition I have embraced the idea of Paleo or Primal eating and becoming a "fat adapted" athlete or "fat Burning Machine".  I see the effects of sugar on my body.  I have read and experimented enough to know sugar and carbs are not my friend.  For example I can drink salt water, or avoid all salt and see little change in my BP, but 2 weeks grain and process carb free (no carb free, just junk free) I see a 20 point drop in BP. I have been pulling information primarily from Rob Wolf, Mark Sisson and Abel James, also a few others as well via podcasts.  -sidebar: most of my walks with the dog are spent listening to podcasts instead of music, I find it has exposed me to a lot more information then I could ever have time to read.

For my training I am taking a lot of input from Alex Viada, Brian Mackenzie, Travis Mash, and Mark Sisson, as well as others.  (again podcasts have opened up a lot of new information streams during time I use to listen to the same songs over and over)  From all this information about endurance sports as well as strength sports and general fitness I have formulated some new theories.  I have also been putting them to work in bite size trials.

In the past I have been EXTREMELY regimented.  For example for last years idea of running 43 mile trip with a friend for his 43rd birthday I created a 16 month training schedule.  From base building all the way race day.  Every workout.  Miles.  Target pace once we got to track intervals in month 5.  Every detail.  Then he got injured, I got busy, the plan had no room for life, and we will not be making that run...

This time I am embracing some new thinking.  Training needs to come in phases and cycles.  Within those phases training sessions need to be vary based on day to day factors, not a set schedule.  Need a week off for an injury, the cycles can handle micro-deviation without the need to start over.  I am also taking on a new understanding of "base building"  always before that meant some basic (probably slow) miles, before beginning to ramp up the volume (10% or less per week).  Now I am thinking about base as base fitness level, base aerobic capacity.

So my cycles will be:

1. Aerobic base building
2. High Intensity / Competition
3. recover/Aerobic base restoration
• repeat 2 and 3 for a few cycles
4. Rest

So for #GOALGETTER the plan looks like this:

Aerobic base May 1 - July 31, 13 weeks

High Intensity August 1 - August 21, 3 weeks

recover August 22 - September 4, 2 weeks

Aerobic base Sept 5 - October 2, 4 weeks

Taper  October 3 - October 14, 1 week

Competition October 15 - October 31, 2 weeks

Winter Rest November 1 - January 15, 11 Weeks

Aerobic Base Jan 16 - 

...

So what do those categories mean?

Aerobic base means every workout: Run outside, walk the dog, bike ride, lifting, etc is in HR range 108 - 140.

High Intensity / Competition means hard workouts or race events.  Track sprints, Tempo paced long runs.  Higher intensity but reduced volume.

Recover is returning to lower intensity 108-140 heart rate workouts, and maintaining the reduced volume.

Winter rest, LOW intensity and LOW volume.

That's my plan on the big picture.  Within those dates workouts will vary but always fall into the guidelines of the current cycle.

Truth and Transformation!

David