I was 15 years old and what you'd call "skinny-fat." Not liking what I saw in the mirror, I began running up to 10 kilometres every morning before school. We lived on an old country road outside Peterborough, Ont. and I ran out and back again, pushing myself one hydro post further each time.
But running only made me skinnier. It did nothing to change my physique. That's when I joined the boys in the weight room after school. They taught me how to lift weights and build muscle.
I dreamed of working as a lifeguard and taught myself how to swim, adding regular sessions in the water to my weekly exercise routine. This was also the year I fell in love with cycling and bought my first road bike, a beautiful Red Trek 1500.
After a year, I was no longer a gangly, skinny teenager. I was becoming fitter each day and I was hooked. I loved the endorphin rush and pushed myself to exhaustion each workout. This habit of daily exercising continued into my 20s, up until the day I started racing.
Once I began to take my race results seriously, I hired a coach and learned the importance of training. He taught me how to follow a program and the differences between exercising and training.
It took me a long time to kick the habit of pushing myself to my limit every workout; it's against my nature to hold back. But as research and self-study show, I excelled and progressed when I followed his program.
Not only does each workout have a goal, but so does each week, each month and every season. Even when you aren't training, days are planned so you have enough time to recover and build strength. Without a plan, overtraining is common and poor performance is inevitable.
If you are budget-conscious, you can find free plans online. If you want a plan specifically designed for your abilities and goals, I recommend hiring a coach.
A coach will teach you how to train effectively and make adjustments as the season progresses, something that an online program can't do.
Once you have decided which plan to follow, stick with it. The only thing worse than not having a plan is jumping from one plan to another. After the season is over, you can review your progress (or lack thereof) and adjust for next year.
Kristina Bangma is a coach, personal trainer and writer with a love of riding and racing. Email questions to kris@ getfitwithkris.com.
