How Early Do You Start Planning Your Season?

As soon as the race schedule comes out.

I've got a fairly good idea of the races I want to do, and when they're offered, so really it's already at a somewhat solid state now. There will just be small changes for additions in the early season for me (that will require a small amount of travel).

Not tri-specific, but hey, planning is planning.

I have a few designated races I know I will do.  I plan around the longer ones (since they will take more training).

As an example, I planned around Baltimore and CIM in Dec.  Backwards planned out the various phases, and there ya go.  Anything else (at least this year) was filler/fun.

After CIM, I'm looking at a 10K "season", focusing on improving my road 10K time (we ahev a four month series that ends in March).  After that, I'll probably plan it out for an early SEP marathon. 

Considering I've already paid for (and the races are already closed) two races for next year I have to plan way ahead .....

There are certain local races I do every year regardless whether they are as training runs/races or ones I go all out at (a few 5ks, a 5 miler and a half and full marathon) as long as they fit in my schedule.  Kona typically is the same weekend as the Baltimore marathon (which after this weekend I will have participated in for the last 4 years) and it is my goal that I miss the marathon next year since I'll have another committment on the schedule that October day.

I have my 'A' races planned for the next two years. My 2007 season had been planned for well over a year.

Mirg--just in my experience, and from conventional wisdom around here, yes, training for the longer distances also makes you appropriately faster at the shorter ones.

Chrissy--Triathlete's Training Bible is good stuff. As you know, I have an obsession with lists of numbers (which I've thankfully passed to you ) ...

Every single workout and race between now and March 29, 2008 (California 70.3) is planned.

General periods, training scheme, and likely races are planned through February 28, 2009 (IM NZ).

I use target races and work around/backwards from them.

Feel free to e-mail me if you want to see what this all looks like. 

I think you would do great in an Oly at the end of the season (hell, you'd probably do great in one at the beginning, but another season of sprints would make you fantastic).

I have 2008 outlined already.   Like this year I'll have a TriAmerica long course (1.5x Oly) in April, a sprint in June and a local Oly in October.  I want to do a HIM during the summer so I'm going for the Mussleman in NY (July) while I'm on the annual summer vacation, registration opens Nov 1st!  09 I'm considering an IM, LP would be the logical one since I'm always in upstate NY in July and it lines up well for when I can do most of the training in near perfect FL weather!

I need to full resolve my injury first (Plantar F) then kick the base training into high gear soon, the 1st race is ~26 weeks away ! 

D-ck .....  

My 2008 is already planned, thru Sept. It has to be, the races I'm doing will sell out (Desoto, Lou). Coincidentally, those are my A-races, so everything else will revolve around those.

And no, there's no training plan that's going to help you be fast in sprints, OLYs, IM's, Marathons, and 5K's.  The season is long, the races are plentiful, but you're not going to go max speed in them all. It's a fact.

Have to figure out vacation time, hotel reservations, , plus the longer to wait to sign up, the $$$ goes up.

I've got 2008 almost planned out, a few tweeks here or there.