Training Mini Cycles

It is tempting to look at one training session in isolation but that is often a distorted picture almost like looking through the wrong end of a telescope. Training results today are directly impacted by what you did yesterday and profoundly affected by what you did last week. Conversely tomorrow’s workout is directly impacted by the previous two workouts. I have found that it helps to think of a series or group of workouts usually three  sessions that are directed toward a particular theme in pursuit of specific objectives that result in the desired adaptive response. I almost think of this grouping of training sessions as mini cycles, a smaller very manageable chuck of time. Looking back and analyzing training records I recognized this pattern resulted in consistently positive training adaptations. It was something that I fell into, it certainly was not a conscious attempt to structure it this way. However now I do consciously plan the workouts in groups of three sessions usually over three days but it also can be done it two days. I conceptualize it as using one workout to set-up the next workout. If it is done in two days then I set it up so that there are two sessions on day one usually no more than 4 hours apart and the third session on day two at least 12 hours preferably 15 hours after session two. Day three then is a very light recovery day. This training sticks, I find it very manageable and it solves the density dilemma (Too much crammed into one session). It has worked for me see if it works for you.