A number of you have turned your thoughts to next season and this is understandable. Races are filling quickly and this calls for us to sign up 10-12 months in advance or risk getting shut out. While you focus to the future you must complete an honest evaluation of the past. This is something you can do by yourself or with your coach. I typically start with the goals I set out for last season. This is simple, did I Achieve the goals I set out for myself. Where my goals too easy or did they stretch me? Did I follow the plan which was established for me and mentally and physically did I give efforts in racing and training which allowed myself to achieve my goals? I also look at the races I competed in and looked for unusual patterns between myself and my peers which I can work on. If I rank 20th in every swim, 5th in the bike and 4th on the run then it makes it very simple what one of my key focuses will be in the winter.

It is important that you work with your coach to establish your goals between now and next season. When establishing your goals there should be a line of site between recent results and future results. If you went 5 hours at the 5430 Long Course this year and your goal for next year is 4:45 you need to determine where you are going to make up the 15 minutes and how?

If you are stuck year after year with results that you aren’t happy with then there needs to be some changes to your routine. Remember the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Allow your coach to make the necessary changes to your schedule and evaluate the effectiveness of change.

Each of you should fully understand your goals for the upcoming season. You should understand which phase of training you are in and what you are seeking to accomplish in the current week of training. You should also understand how the current week falls into the big picture. If you don’t understand the phases of training please read the article in the athletes only section of the Mile High Mutltisport web site on understanding your annual plan or contact your coach. The off season or non race season is a great time of year to work on your limiters. Talk to your coach about taking a Yoga or Pilates class, what their thoughts are on having your swim stroke analyzed, your running form critiqued or improve your functional strength.