A lot of people will say that since I am in the off season, I should just focus on long steady distance. I don’t 100% disagree, but I think having a plan is very important, even for mostly long steady distance. I considered writing my own plan for this off season, but I decided to buy a plan through TrainingPeaks for 12 weeks to help my off season training along. I think goals and planning are an often overlooked part of triathlon training.
I’m very intrinsically motivated to compete in triathlons, but sometimes getting out the door to train can be tough when I don’t have a plan of what I am doing. By having a plan, something goes off in my mind telling me I have to get this done. Sometimes, when there is no plan, I will procrastinate until I just don’t get the workout done that day, so having a training plan helps me get out the door sometimes.
Using a training plan also helps eliminate junk miles in training. With a lot of long steady distance work, I find it easy to get sloppy about workouts. Running slower, a lot of people find their form may begin to fall apart to an extent, so training with purpose can help prevent this. Having a plan can give you areas to focus on improving and a purpose behind workouts so things like technique do not fall apart.
I picked my training plan based on a few criteria. First, I wanted to use heart rate, because it is the metric I am most familiar with, even though I have a power meter. Second, I wanted something focused on zone 2 training, because I felt like that worked for me in the summer. I may feel frustrated sometimes with it, but I think for me it is the right way to train right now. Third, and finally, I wanted something where I would build distance over the course of the plan.
I picked one of Matt Fitzgerald’s 80/20 plans from TrainingPeaks for about $25 (off season plan). It is based on time for the bike and run, and I substitute my masters swim practices for the swim workouts, because I was a former competitive swimmer. I am just getting started with the plan, so I am hoping to do a more in depth review when I’m finished in January.
Overall, I think the most important thing when picking a plan is to make sure you’re honest with yourself about where you are right now. I am currently easily running 35 minutes, biking 1.5 hours, and I can swim forever, just at a slower pace than I used to be. I could have lied to myself, but then I would be on a plan with too much volume too soon, which is likely to lead to injury. Hopefully in 12 weeks I’ll be back with success stories of completed workouts and increased fitness.