Sprint Triathlete - which plan next

Hi all,

I’m in my 4th season using TR for my training (having been bitten by the triathlon bug) and have seen my FTP increase from 225 in 2018 to 278 right now - I’m weighing in at 63.5kg (I enjoyed Christmas a bit too much) at the moment against a usual race weight of 60kg - so I’m not sure how much realistic room for growth there is.

I started with the Sprint Tri, MV plans for the first couple of years, completing them once or twice in my pre-race training. I’ve seen steady progression, and last year I changed tack a little - starting my training earlier and completing SSB1+2 and then Sustained Power build before moving on to the Sprint Tri MV plan.

I only tend to stick to the cycling training from the TR plan - I swim at a Swim Smooth club 2/3 times per week normally, and running from a friend-coach.

This season I’ve completed SSB1+2 again and am half way through Sustainable power build. I have a ramp test for week 5-8 scheduled for Monday.

I’ve just found out that my A race (ETU European Championships AG45-49) this year is going to be “after the Olympics” (no actual date yet), which gives me six months training.

If I complete the SPB plan and then plan the Sprint Tri MV I’ve got a gap of 5 weeks to fill.

Questions

  • Am I best served with the Sprit Tri MV - full plan (Base, Build, Specialty) given the work I’ve been doing - would I be better omitting the Base for something else - I asked a similar Q on this a couple of years back, but I’m coming off the back of a different set of training, so the answer may be different. Sprint Triathlon - Plan choice - #2
  • What to focus on for the 5 weeks in between or, given where I am in the SPB plan, start something different for the intervening 9 weeks.
  • I struggle to fit in anymore than 3 TR sessions per week normally, hence the MV over the HV plan, but where I can I’ll try and pull in a workout from the HV plan, or look for an alternative variant of the plan if I have longer.

Cheers
James
Occasional forum poster, frequent reader, dedicated TR fan!

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What does plan builder suggest?

2 Likes

Welcome back - what’s your weakest discipline? Could be a good time to have a break from structured bike training and focus on running.

2 Likes

@Scheherazade, Hadn’t thought of plan builder - last time I tried it was probably over too long a period and the repetitive nature of the same blocks put me off.
Just spent some time plugging races in and playing with options (Plan Builder has improved lots since I last tried it) and gives a couple of expected variations which look to make sense - depending whether I abandon the SPB plan now - combinations of base, build, specialty all from the Sprint Tri MV plan.

Thinking about it, the question I really have is - “is the best thing to focus on bike workouts specifically targeting the 30 min bike leg for the next 6 months, or could I use 4-8 weeks before then to build a stronger base ?”

From the Plan Builder perspective, the answer is to train for the event.

Cheers
James

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Hi @JoeX ,

Thanks! Transitions probably - I lose more time there relatively than awhere else - as for running - I’m coming back from injury so on a strictly limited plan, swimming is non-existent at the moment (I feel the cold too much for 2.5oC sea temps around here). Strength and conditioning, and transitions aren’t the most exciting, but a good call…and one I hadn’t considered.

Cheers
J

2 Likes

Whether its really the best time to be doing this is debatable but I’m a sprint triathlete myself and I really enjoyed the 40k tt plan earlier last year. The skills of sustaining power has transferred well over to the current sprint tri plan im going through (making all those carter workouts feel like a real piece of cake).

Plan builder will just give you an extra dose of (i imagine given your experience) build, which is fine in itself but the length of the plan does make everything rather “samey”.

@simon-trimon , Samey was my fear, as was overdoing it… I’d been going well, but wanted to keep it interesting…My target event for the year has been confirmed for Sept, which is Good. Work related tiredness, general fatigue and the prospect of training solidly on the turbo for 11 months (I started in Nov, and planned to go through to Sept), meant in the end I gave myself a month off TR to focus on riding for fun, running and strength/conditioning work.

Plan builder gave me 4wk base, 4 build, 8 specific to my B race, then 1wk recovery, 2 build, 7 specific to A race… repetition doesn’t feel too daunting with the prospect of some racing in there to keep up the motivation. I’m really hoping the ML Adaptive Training rolls out too…

Cheers
J

It’s definitely a lot harder without the racing I’ll give you that! I’m halfway through my second build/specialty and I’m really feeling the lack of a race. Two on the calendar to look forward to but its been a bit of radio silence from them both, not that I’d expect anything from either at this point but it just adds to the jeopardy of entering things this year!