They’re not the same thing, and what works best for you may change over time
In simple terms, a training plan works like this:
- Determine your goal – perhaps a race, challenge or target time
- Decide when you need to achieve it by
- Review your current fitness, strengths and weaknesses and identify the gaps between where you are now and where you want to be
- Draw up a plan to move you from where you are to what you’re aiming for
- Get to work
It’s simple to conceptualise and can be very effective, especially if your goal requires a significant change in your current abilities.
But there are trade-offs too. A plan like this will likely be very individualised, meaning you may end up having to do a lot of your training alone. Some people are happy with this. Others, less so.
Secondly, a training plan often has a defined end point. Once you’ve achieved your goal, you need to decide what’s next and how you’ll train for it.
This works especially well for people who move through life from goal to goal. Once you complete your challenge, you quickly identify the next and smoothly move on. It can also be effective for people who pursue diverse goals: this year, the English Channel; next it’s Everest, then it’s running a marathon and so on.
A swimming lifestyle?
But not all swimmers can or want to train in goal-focused cycles. They find it results in peaks and troughs in their fitness, motivation and enjoyment. The high of achieving their goal can soon be replaced by a dull emptiness and a quest to find the next thing.
For these swimmers, having a training schedule may be a better approach. A schedule is essentially a routine you follow week after week, year after year. Boring? For some people (e.g. big challenge seekers), absolutely. But other swimmers find they like training more than challenges, events or races. They enjoy swimming itself and value the fitness and rhythm that comes from having regular swimming as part of their lifestyle. They like the constant level of background swimming ability a schedule gives them, allowing them to tackle a diverse range of challenges at short notice.
Moreover, where a training plan narrows your options by targeting your specific goal, a schedule broadens them. A balanced schedule can include a mixture of endurance, threshold and speed work, allowing you to comfortably complete different sorts of challenges, from pool sprints to marathon swims.
A schedule can be more flexible too, especially when it comes to swimming with other people. Without the need to hit goal-based milestones or training distances, you can be more relaxed about individual training sessions. As long as you roughly cover your bases each week, then life is good.
Not having it all
But you’ll see the obvious trade-offs. It’s the classic jack-of-all-trades versus master-of-one dilemma. Do you dedicate your time to preparing for one – perhaps life-defining – challenge, or be constantly ready to tackle a wider range of swims?
Best of both?
How about a third option that combines these approaches? Start with a training schedule that develops all-round fitness and swimming skills. Think of this as your baseline, or default setting. Then, if the mood takes you to tackle a major challenge, you adapt or even step out of your schedule and lock into a dedicated plan. Once you’ve achieved your goal, rather than abandon training, slip back into your baseline routine.
Swimmers and coaches are naturally drawn to plans because they are logical and effective. But they are not the only option. For many swimmers, a training schedule provides the consistency, flexibility and enjoyment to keep swimming for years. And if a big goal appears, they can always switch to a training plan.
For more on this, including a look at my swimming schedule, get our short Foundations for Better Swimming video course.
If you would like personalised help building a training plan or a training schedule, you can also book a one-to-one online swim consultancy session with me.
