Coach Mike: Introducing our new schedule

We are about to introduce a new mix of training sessions to help you all for the coming race season.  Times and venues are all set out on the site – this post is to share some of the thinking behind each session and how they fit together and to let you know about the Lead Coaches

First up, we are making a significant step up in the swim sessions, going from the one a week that we’ve been running at Wadurs since the College pool closed, to three. New to our schedule is a 90 minute session at Surrenden which Graeme has kindly offered to lead. We’ll also be running our regular Tuesday night session at Wadurs and a second one hour session there on Thursdays.  Laura, Leanne and I will be sharing out the lead for these, working to an overall plan with Graeme to create a formidable Gang of Four and help ensure we get the right mix of progressing technique, specific fitness and skills across the three sessions.

The new Monday swim session means that for the first time as a Club we’ll be offering a choice of training sessions in one evening as we are keen to maintain the Monday evening runs. As those of you who have been attending them will know, the increasing emphasis of these is on running form and flexibility, Strength & Conditioning and plyometrics. Ian and Rachel are our excellent Run Leads.

They will also be working with me on another new session for the Club.  We are now at the end of a very successful and fun series of turbo sessions on Wednesdays. Through April Mark will be taking us through a four week programme incorporating the turbos with use of the running track to give us an awesome brick programme.  Our plan is for this to then transition into our first ever regular track sessions. So we won’t be doing intervals by dusk at Hove Lawns, instead looking to make Withdean a new base for runs, alongside the Monday sessions.

Mark and Santi are continuing to be our expert Cycle Leads, with great support from Cathy.  We are looking forward to the velodrome reopening so we can get back to our popular early Saturday morning sessions with their great mix of technique, bike handling skills, high intensity intervals and the occasional special events. And some of you will know Rick is about to qualify as a Mountain Bike coach, ready to add a new area of expertise to the coaching team.

Once the sea warms up we’ll also be going back to our Saturday afternoon Coached Open Water Swims. Last year weather conditions were so grim we cancelled more than we were able to run, but hopefully this time we’ll have more luck.

Finally, Sunday ought to be a day of rest for the coaches so we are hoping there will be a spontaneous welling up of member led longer rides and runs – post up on the Forum if you are planning a long ride or run, maybe incorporating café stops, cakes, scenic routes on the Downs or cliff tops in any combination. We do have some Ride Leaders in the Club and would be happy to sponsor more to make Sunday social rides a part of the mix.

As ever, if you have any questions about the type of training we are offering, please get in touch with me or any of the Leads mentioned here.