This first image is my tentative schedule for the spring. It's a best case scenario schedule that I hope we'll be able to stick to. It also includes a few schooling shows and cross country schoolings that will be a "prep" for our spring season. I've also included clinics that I know I'll be attending or hope to attend. While I will try to stick to this schedule, chances are it will change as the year progresses. Fortunately, we're only about 5 1/2 hours from Aiken which makes a few weekend trips there this winter possible.
In addition to having a long term schedule, a short term schedule can also be very beneficial. The main point of the short term schedule is to work backwards from events and have a solid plan for fitness. If you were training for a half marathon, you wouldn't just haphazardly start running with no plan; you'd - ideally - look at how much time you had to prepare and gradually increase the length of your runs while perhaps throwing in some cross training to keep other muscles in your body strong. Furthermore, you'd have to pay attention to how you felt and maybe even monitor your heart rate and respiratory rate to make sure that you were gaining fitness, but not overworking. At the same time, you wouldn't want to take it too easy on yourself and not make satisfactory progress. My point here is - you don't want to go say "We have to be fit enough to do the T3D by May" and have no plan. It's best to work backwards and set small goals along the way. For example, by March I know that I want to be doi
ng 2x15 trot sets. By April, 2x20. This photo over here to the right is an image of my calendar for January. Again, it's tentative, but I do try to follow it as closely as possible.
Depending on where you're wintering and what kind of facility you have access to, you may find that the weather puts a kink in your plans. Keep in mind that you can do your fitness work anywhere. Yes, hills are better and it's much more pleasant to do trot sets in a big open field than go around your dressage arena 30 times. That being said, when you need to get it done - do it. If it snows and you can't trot, don't underestimate the power of a good, long hack.
Basically, the first step of planning for a Training 3-day is working backwards, both on a day-to-day basis as well as a long term schedule.
In addition to having a long term schedule, a short term schedule can also be very beneficial. The main point of the short term schedule is to work backwards from events and have a solid plan for fitness. If you were training for a half marathon, you wouldn't just haphazardly start running with no plan; you'd - ideally - look at how much time you had to prepare and gradually increase the length of your runs while perhaps throwing in some cross training to keep other muscles in your body strong. Furthermore, you'd have to pay attention to how you felt and maybe even monitor your heart rate and respiratory rate to make sure that you were gaining fitness, but not overworking. At the same time, you wouldn't want to take it too easy on yourself and not make satisfactory progress. My point here is - you don't want to go say "We have to be fit enough to do the T3D by May" and have no plan. It's best to work backwards and set small goals along the way. For example, by March I know that I want to be doi
Depending on where you're wintering and what kind of facility you have access to, you may find that the weather puts a kink in your plans. Keep in mind that you can do your fitness work anywhere. Yes, hills are better and it's much more pleasant to do trot sets in a big open field than go around your dressage arena 30 times. That being said, when you need to get it done - do it. If it snows and you can't trot, don't underestimate the power of a good, long hack.
Basically, the first step of planning for a Training 3-day is working backwards, both on a day-to-day basis as well as a long term schedule.
