Originally Posted by
Hermes
What I suggest is that you take the training plan and database that you have from the previous three years where you had a coach and lay that out. Then put in the races / events for the upcoming year and see how that compares with the past.
Based on your response to various weekly training routines, adjust the old program to accommodate the new racing goals.
That's more or less what I'm thinking is going to be my best bet.
Last year, I used the same exact 3-year-old training plan, and just added time to each interval (about 10-15%) and resigned myself to doing them the best I could, and if it seemed like it was too much training load, re-evaluate. Turns out that was fine, but I'm also cognizant that maybe I could do more still without pushing myself over the cliff into overtraining. What I can do with a totaly from-scratch program is use how well I responded to the intervals I was doing and use that, in some form, as a starting point.
I think I've got it figured out enough now that I can hack together a workable program. I can always make adaptations/adjustments/course corrections along the way if it's either seeming to be too hard or too easy.
I also think I need to be less literal about this. There is much more wiggle room with this than I have wanted to admit.