How to schedule? Editing training plans, inter-season breaks, B races?

Training
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Hello all,

I’m seeking advice on how to choose and scheduling my training plans for this year. I’ve read a number of other forum topics on this subject but was unclear what was general advice, what was hard-and-fast rules, and what was very individual, so I thought I’d make a specific post asking for help.

Here’s the deal: I have a 24 week period of time that starts after I finish an early-season 70.3 race. At the end of the 16th week is a 70.3 (B race), and then at the end of the 24 weeks is my overall A race for the year, a 140.6.

Here are my specific questions:

  1. I’m reading that it’s best to do the full base if possible, then the full build if possible, and cut weeks off of the specialisation / peak plan if something must be cut. What’s the best way to plan that 24 weeks? Given that the Full plans are 12, 8, 8, does this wisdom suggest doing 12, 8, 4? Or is a more “equitable” split preferable?

  2. I have read in other places (namely Friel) that it’s good to have a bit of “inter-season” of break between structured training blocks. Does anyone have anything to add about this, whether anecdotally or scientifically? Specifically, should I not jump into Full Distance Base Week 1 the first week of the 24 weeks because the weekend before I just did a 70.3? How long would I wait, and how does this change the answer to the above? Let’s say I took 2 weeks off. Then I’m left with 22. Does this now become 12, 8, 2?

  3. The 70.3 B race takes place 16 weeks in. This doesn’t seem to fall naturally into a nice place in the Base or Build plans that would be going on around that time. What would be recommended treatment for this? I have no real desire or need to do an extended taper, but I would like to race hard-ish but jump back in for the subsequent week.

Thanks all for your help. This is my first real go-around with structured training, and hoping that the 140.6 will see a full base-build-peak cycle?!

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You’re absolutely right, leading up to your first 70.3 you want to get through as much as you can, so 12, 8, 4.

To answer your questions 2&3, instead of going back to Base, just take a few days to recover and jump back into Build to rebuild for the Full Distance Tri. I’m not sure when your 140.6 A race is, but you can Build for that and then move to Build or Specialty for your B 70.3. It’s going to be tough to peak for both A events, and you have limited time, but you can do your best to be in the best shape possible for each race! You may surprise yourself at the B race. Check out this article for more info: https://support.trainerroad.com/hc/en-us/articles/360001766351-Re-build-Off-season-or-Maintenance-for-Your-Fastest-Season

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hi larry, thanks for your response.

I seem to have mis-explained the structure of my plan. The first 70.3 (now listed in my post as early-season 70.3) is already planned for outside the bounds of my post. The 24 weeks question was in reference to the 140.6, which is 24 weeks after that 70.3. I’ll try and edit my original post to be more clear about it.

I’m specifically asking 1) how to best use that 24 weeks between the first 70.3 and the A 140.6, 2) whether to start Base right away or take a short break, and 3) how to plan in the B 70.3. Thanks again.

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When you get to that early-season 70.3. What type of training have you been doing? And for how long?

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would have done TR’s Half Distance MV base and Half Distance MV peak (because I planned it out before I knew of the order imperative). I’ve done a 70.3 and 140.6 each before (last year), but with much less structured training.