Aim Lower and Get More Done

Aim Lower & Achieve More: The Power of Consistency in Training

When I start working with a new athlete, having clear goals and a traceable training history is a huge advantage. It allows me to craft a program tailored to their specific needs. But there are times when things aren't so clear-cut.

Recently, two swimmers from my squad asked for help improving their running. Initially, I was tempted to give them a solid, generic training plan—something that works reasonably well for most. But I paused, taking some wisdom from Coach Gordo Byrn I realized there was a better approach.

Here’s the advice I gave them, and it might apply to you too!

Focus on Consistency First

The most significant gains in performance come not from going from “some” to “more” but from going from “inconsistent” to “consistent”.

For amateur athletes aiming for better results, the goal should be to train like a low-volume elite. This means stressing the body (whether through training, work, or life) earlier in the day and prioritizing recovery as the day progresses. Here’s how you can set yourself up for success:

• Get the most important work done in the morning – Front-loading your day with the toughest tasks ensures you tackle them when you’re fresh.

• Create a routine that supports recovery – Lower your stress levels as the day winds down, setting yourself up for a good night’s sleep.

• Own your mornings – Gain control over as many mornings as possible. It's the easiest way to build momentum.

A Simple Progression:

1. Start small: Do something most mornings.

2. Build consistency: Do something every morning.

3. Add volume: Do something every morning and add a longer session on the weekends.

4. Increase density: Do something every morning, go long on the weekends, and add double sessions on some weekdays.

Note that this progression is over many months, even years, and not just weeks!

The Power of Routine

I asked them to create a committable weekly plan and I gave them a few guidelines:

• Lock in your time slots: Hold the same training slots open each week.

• Set minimums: Make your minimum targets achievable. Start small, but start consistently.

• Protect tomorrow: Avoid the temptation to push too hard and wreck your recovery—this will affect your next session and ultimately your progress.

• Keep it simple: Avoid distances and intensities beyond your current capacity, spontaneous hard runs, or constant changes in your protocols. Stick to the plan.

I used their existing evening swim sessions as opportunities to double up with morning runs. Here's what I suggested their weekly plan might look like:

When the scheduled swim sessions are not available during the holiday season, I asked them to replace them with gym or home swim-focused strength sessions. There’s no excuse for missing runs!

The First 14 Weeks: Building a Habit of Doing

Before getting caught up in the details of what to do, focus on just doing.

Start with a 14-week block (98 days) and aim to hit your plan as consistently as possible. If you find yourself missing more than one workout a week, then your plan is too ambitious. 

The goal is simple: complete the workouts. 

Forget about progression for now; just show up and build the habit.

After 14 weeks, we can take a look back and assess:

• How much volume can you handle?

• What’s your workout frequency by sport?

• What’s your baseline fitness level? 

With this information, they will be ready to have a meaningful conversation with a coach about the next phase of their training, including progressing workout type, volume, and intensity.

Another benefit of this intuitive “trial period” is that you will build your running body gradually at a rate appropriate to your starting point. You will learn to tune in to how you feel and respond to training stimuli. This has a much lower risk of injury than strict adherence to a prescriptive plan.

Create A Habit Of Doing

No matter the sport, start by focusing on workout frequency. Keep your training schedule consistent week-to-week, and you’ll notice two major benefits:

1. No more mental energy wasted – You won’t have to figure out what to do and when to do it.

2. Your life adapts to your training – The people around you will get used to your routine, making it easier to stay committed without distractions.

This eliminates unnecessary thinking and negotiating. Your #1 task is clear: stick to the plan. Repetition might sound easy, but it’s challenging over the long haul. We often make choices that “screw up tomorrow,” and the serious athlete’s lifestyle can feel like an outlier.

But here’s the paradox: the easiest way to build volume and improve is to aim for less, not more. If hard workouts disrupt your week, scale back the intensity or duration, but keep the time slot. Consistency is king.

See also Maxim 1 - Take Process over Perfection in Tom’s A Training Manifesto

Case Example

Here’s a real-life example. At the end of 2020, I was asked to take part in a study by Whoop called Project PR. The idea was to have groups of athletes on different run plans. Some got a tailored plan based on the daily recovery metric and others did not. It was an 8-week plan leading to a 5km time trial. My ambition was to go sub-18 although I hadn’t run sub-19 (albeit I hadn’t tried the distance many times). As it was a study, I strictly followed the plan they gave. But to be honest I had my doubts. It didn’t seem “hard enough” - lots of easy running, maybe six hours a week total, and only 8 weeks.  Below you can see week 6 which was one of the peak weeks. These are the green-recovery workouts, so the max I could do that week. If I had a yellow or red recovery there were other lesser variants to follow.

To my surprise, I crushed the time trial in 17:32 with the best time in the M50-59 age group. It also remains the best relative time in comparison to my PBs at other distances. I put the success of the plan down to simplicity and consistency. Left to my own devices I probably would have trained too hard and been inconsistent; over-prioritizing the “quality” sessions to the expense of the frequency and density of the easy runs. The plan seems to have been perfect to give the minimum effective dose. I was forced to aim lower and I achieved more!

Ready to aim lower, be consistent, and see bigger results? Let’s make it happen!