Sport
Triathlon training
96
days to Dorney Lake · Sun 26 Sep 2026
Phase 1 – base build (weeks 1–4, 22 Jun – 19 Jul)
Week 1
22–28 Jun · Reactivation – heat week ✓
| Day | Session | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | 10km run ✓ · 4:32/km · HR 157 | Done ✓ |
| Tue | Pool Swim 3,000m ✓ – 2×1,500m, Zone 2 effort, 1:55–2:00/100m Swim done. |
Done ✓ |
| Tue | Zone 2 Run – not completed (heat) | Drop |
| Wed | PT 6:30am ✓ | Done ✓ |
| Thu | Zwift Lionel Sanders Green Day ✓ – 3×3 min at 110–112% FTP, cut short at 30 min (heat) VO2max work – quality was there despite the early finish. |
Done ✓ |
| Fri | Rest – heat warning | Done ✓ |
| Sat | Circuits 9:30am ✓ | Done ✓ |
| Sun | Outdoor Box Hill ride ✓ – 63km, 733m elevation, avg HR 138 Cadence 72rpm avg – below target. Active reset needed on next outdoor ride. |
Done ✓ |
Solid heat week. Four sessions in difficult conditions. Zwift VO2max on Thursday harder than planned but quality was there. Sunday outdoor ride added valuable aerobic work. Cadence (72rpm) is the one flag to carry forward.
Week 2
29 Jun – 5 Jul · First tempo – calibration complete
| Day | Session | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | Zwift 3×12 min sweet spot ✓ – avg 307W (92% FTP), HR 142–157, cadence 92–94 rpm Done – strong session. |
Done ✓ |
| Tue | Pool Swim ✓ – 7×210m + 1×180m at 1:44–1:48/100m, HR 140–153 Race-pace swim fitness confirmed. Matches Blenheim end-of-block pace. |
Done ✓ |
| Tue | Zone 2 Run – 8km, HR under 145, ~5:30–5:45/km Afternoon. HR ceiling is the target, not pace. |
Flex |
| Wed | Fixed PT 6:30am Strength and conditioning. |
Keep |
| Thu | KeyTempo Calibration run ✓ – 2km warm-up, 5km at 4:15/km avg (HR 157–171), 2km cool-down 5km PB on a sluggish day. HR reached 171 by km 5. Calibration complete. |
Done ✓ |
| Fri | Outdoor Long ride 80–90km, HR 140–155, cadence 80–85 rpm Aerobic cycling base – cadence discipline. Conscious reset from Sunday's 72rpm. Target 80–85rpm throughout. |
Flex |
| Sat | Fixed Circuits 9:30am Conditioning. |
Keep |
| Sun | Rest | — |
Calibration complete. Baseline: 4:15/km average at HR climbing to 171 across 5km on fresh legs. Race target is 4:27/km for 10km off the bike. The next 12 weeks close that gap.
Week 3
6–12 Jul · First speed session + short brick
| Day | Session | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | Zwift Tempo: 10 min warm-up, 2×20 min at 260–285W (78–85% FTP), 5 min easy between, cool-down Sustained tempo – Olympic-specific bike stimulus. Sub-threshold effort mirrors the sustained effort required over 38km at race pace. |
Flex |
| Tue | Pool swim – 200m warm-up, 5×300m at 1:45/100m with 30 sec rest, 200m cool-down (1,900m total) Longer reps – building continuous distance. First 300m reps: focus on even splits across each rep, not fading in the back half. |
Flex |
| Tue | Speed Fartlek – 1.5km warm-up jog, 6×2 min at 4:00–4:05/km with 2 min easy jog between, 1.5km cool-down (~8km total) Afternoon. First VO2max run work – introduction to surging above tempo pace. Run by feel and Garmin pace. Start the efforts conservatively. Log HR at the end of each effort. |
Drop |
| Wed | Fixed PT 6:30am Strength and conditioning. |
Keep |
| Thu | KeyTempo Run: 2km warm-up, 6km at 4:18–4:25/km, 2km cool-down Run development – threshold work. Compare HR at the same pace to Thursday week 2 – any downward movement is a positive signal. |
Keep |
| Fri | KeyBrick Zwift 45 min at 260–280W, then immediately run 3km easy (HR under 155, ~4:45–5:00/km) Transition familiarity only. The run is deliberately easy – prove you can hold back off the bike. |
Keep |
| Sat | Fixed Circuits 9:30am Conditioning. |
Keep |
| Sun | Rest | — |
Three run sessions this week – fartlek Tuesday, tempo Thursday, brick Friday. Heavy run load. If Tuesday leaves legs dead for Thursday and tempo quality suffers noticeably, the speed session moves slot in future weeks.
Week 4
13–19 Jul · Load peak – longest week before holiday
| Day | Session | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | Zwift Sweet spot: 10 min warm-up, 3×15 min at 285–310W, 5 min easy between, cool-down Cycling threshold – volume building. |
Flex |
| Tue | Pool swim – 200m warm-up, 3×500m at 1:45/100m with 45 sec rest, 200m cool-down (1,900m total) Building toward race-distance continuous swim. First 500m reps – the distance step that matters. Judge pace over the first 200m of each rep carefully. |
Flex |
| Tue | Zone 2 Run 10km, HR under 145 Aerobic base – longest Zone 2 of Phase 1. Afternoon. Take it genuinely easy. |
Flex |
| Wed | Fixed PT 6:30am Strength and conditioning. |
Keep |
| Thu | KeyTempo Run: 2km warm-up, 7km at 4:18–4:25/km (HR 163–170), 1km cool-down Run development – hardest run of Phase 1. First km at the conservative end of the range – don't go out at 4:18/km from the gun. |
Keep |
| Fri | Outdoor Long ride 90–100km, steady endurance pace, HR 140–155, cadence 80–85 rpm Aerobic base – peak endurance ride of Phase 1. Nutrition on the bike: 1 gel per 45 min minimum. This is the session that earns the adaptation. |
Flex |
| Sat | Fixed Circuits 9:30am Conditioning. |
Keep |
| Sun | Rest | — |
Heaviest week of Phase 1. Thursday tempo and Friday long ride are both non-negotiable. Tuesday swim and Zone 2 run both matter – arrive at week 5 slightly tired. That's correct.
Phase 2 – pre-holiday peak (week 5, 20–26 Jul)
Week 5
20–26 Jul · Pre-holiday peak – second speed session
| Day | Session | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | Zwift Tempo: 10 min warm-up, 2×25 min at 260–285W (78–85% FTP), 5 min easy between, cool-down Sustained tempo – last structured bike before the holiday. Make it count. |
Flex |
| Tue | Pool swim – 200m warm-up, 2×700m at 1:45/100m with 60 sec rest, 200m cool-down (1,800m total) Longest rep to date. Control pace through the middle third of each 700m. |
Flex |
| Tue | Speed 6×800m at 3:58–4:03/km with 90 sec recovery jog (~9km total inc. warm-up and cool-down) Afternoon. More structured than week 3 – pace targets are precise. 800m at this effort takes roughly 3:10–3:15. Log HR at the end of each rep. If HR is still above 170 after rep 4, extend recovery to 2 min. |
Drop |
| Wed | Fixed PT 6:30am Strength and conditioning. |
Keep |
| Thu | KeyTempo Run: 2km warm-up, 7km at 4:18–4:25/km (HR 163–170), 1km cool-down Run fitness benchmark – compare directly to week 4. Is the same pace sitting at a lower HR? |
Keep |
| Fri | KeyBrick Outdoor ride 80–90km at endurance pace (HR 140–155, cadence 80–85 rpm), then run 5km easy (HR under 155, ~4:45/km) The ride is the main event – the run is transition maintenance. Nutrition on the bike essential. |
Keep |
| Sat | Fixed Circuits 9:30am Conditioning. |
Keep |
| Sun | Rest – holiday starts | — |
Thursday tempo and Friday brick are unmissable. Leave for the holiday having done your two best sessions of the block. Tuesday speed session is the first to drop if the week gets tight – the swim stays regardless.
Phase 3 – holiday (weeks 6–7, 27 Jul – 9 Aug)
Week 6
27 Jul – 2 Aug · Holiday – reduced load, no structure
| Day | Session | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Any | 2–3 easy runs of 30–40 min, conversational pace, no HR or pace targets Maintain run habit. Fit around the social calendar – if you can't run, walk instead. |
Drop |
| Any | Open water swim if available – 20–30 min easy, no lap counting Maintain feel for the water. Sea swimming is harder than a lake – treat it as skill work, not fitness. |
Drop |
| All | Rest, eat well, sleep. The fitness is banked. | Keep |
This is planned recovery. Two or three easy runs and a swim or two is all you need. The load in weeks 4–5 is what earns the adaptation – the holiday is where it happens.
Week 7
3–9 Aug · Holiday end – light continuation
| Day | Session | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Any | 2–3 runs of 30–45 min easy. If the second week feels settled, one run can stretch to 50 min Maintain base heading into week 8. |
Drop |
| Any | OW swim if available – 20–30 min easy Maintain feel for the water. |
Drop |
| All | Return home by 7 Aug – week 8 starts fresh on Mon 10 Aug | — |
Don't sneak structured sessions in. Arrive at week 8 rested, not trying to claw back volume. Week 8 is where the real work resumes.
Phase 4 – main build (weeks 8–9, 10–23 Aug)
Week 8
10–16 Aug · Back to work – colonoscopy week, conservative reload
| Day | Session | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | Zwift Tempo: 10 min warm-up, 2×20 min at 260–280W, 5 min easy between, cool-down Reactivate cycling fitness. Start conservatively – legs may feel flat after two weeks off the bike. |
Drop |
| Tue | Pool swim – 200m warm-up, 3×400m at 1:45/100m with 45 sec rest, 200m cool-down (1,800m total) Re-establish swim fitness after the holiday. Expect slight regression – don't chase week 5 pace. Get the feel back first. |
Flex |
| Tue | Zone 2 Run 8km, HR under 145 Reactivate run legs. Afternoon – easy reintroduction after the holiday. |
Drop |
| Wed | Fixed PT 6:30am Strength and conditioning. |
Keep |
| Thu | Rest – colonoscopy day. No training regardless of how you feel. | Keep |
| Fri | Zone 2 Easy run 8km, HR under 145 – or rest if Thursday was harder than expected Light reactivation if feeling well. Decision made on feel – gut prep the day before means this is not a given. |
Drop |
| Sat | Fixed Circuits 9:30am – only if feeling well post-procedure Conditioning – subject to how you feel after Thursday. |
Flex |
| Sun | Rest | — |
Colonoscopy week – deliberately conservative. PT is the only non-negotiable. Everything else is subject to how Thursday and Friday feel. Don't try to make up for the holiday here.
Week 9
17–23 Aug · Main build – hardest week + third speed session
| Day | Session | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | Zwift Sweet spot: 10 min warm-up, 3×15 min at 285–310W, 5 min easy between, cool-down Cycling threshold – building back toward pre-holiday level. |
Flex |
| Tue | Pool swim – 200m warm-up, 1×1000m continuous at 1:45/100m, 200m cool-down (1,400m total) Continuous swim milestone. First 1000m continuous rep – even splits across all four 250m quarters. Don't go out hard through 500m and fade. |
Flex |
| Tue | Speed 5×1km at 4:00/km with 2 min recovery jog (~10km total inc. warm-up and cool-down) Afternoon. Step up from 800m reps – longer efforts, same pace target. The fifth rep will be uncomfortable. Log HR at the end of each effort. |
Flex |
| Wed | Fixed PT 6:30am Strength and conditioning. |
Keep |
| Thu | KeyTempo Run: 2km warm-up, 8km at 4:15–4:22/km (HR 163–170), 2km cool-down (12km total) Peak tempo session. If HR is above 172 by km 4, back off to 4:22/km and hold – forcing 8km at ceiling does more harm than good. |
Keep |
| Fri | KeyBrick Zwift 60 min at 251–265W (75–79% FTP, race effort), then run 6km: 1km easy, 4km at 4:20–4:27/km, 1km easy First race-effort brick. Log every km split. Compare run HR at 4:20–4:27/km to the Thursday week 2 tempo – that gap is your fatigue cost. |
Keep |
| Sat | Fixed Circuits 9:30am Conditioning. If a SHAC Wed/Fri evening slot is available, add a short 700–800m OW session – first open water back after the holiday. |
Keep |
| Sun | Rest | — |
The hardest week of the block. Thursday tempo and Friday brick are both non-negotiable. If Tuesday speed session leaves your legs in pieces for Thursday, that is important information and we adjust week 11 accordingly.
Phase 5 – race specific (weeks 10–12, 24 Aug – 13 Sep)
Week 10
24–30 Aug · OW ramps up – outdoor bricks begin
| Day | Session | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | Zwift Tempo: 10 min warm-up, 3×20 min at 260–280W (78–84% FTP), 5 min easy between, cool-down Sustained tempo – race-specific bike stimulus. Longest sustained tempo effort on the bike. High specificity for the 38km flat race leg. |
Flex |
| Tue | Pool swim – 200m warm-up, 1×1200m continuous at 1:45/100m, 200m cool-down Building to race-distance continuous swim. Focus on maintaining stroke rate in the final 300m – that's where technique degrades under fatigue. |
Flex |
| Tue | Zone 2 Run 8km, HR under 145 Aerobic base. Afternoon. |
Drop |
| Wed | Fixed PT 6:30am Strength and conditioning. |
Keep |
| Thu | SHAC OW 1 easy warm-up lap (~350m), then 2×700m at race effort with 2 min rest OW race-pace work – distance building in open water. Wetsuit on. Second rep should feel harder than the first – that's correct. Sighting every 8–10 strokes throughout. |
Keep |
| Fri | KeyBrick Outdoor ride 70–80km at race effort (HR 148–158, cadence 80–85 rpm), then run 8km: 1km easy, 6km at 4:20–4:27/km, 1km easy Full outdoor brick – race-specific combination. First full outdoor brick: the 6km run off a proper outdoor ride gives real race-day data. Compare run HR and pace to the week 9 Zwift brick. |
Keep |
| Sat | Fixed Circuits 9:30am Conditioning. |
Keep |
| Sun | Rest | — |
Three non-negotiables: Thursday SHAC, Friday outdoor brick, Saturday circuits. Monday Zwift and Tuesday swim are both important but the first to flex if the week is heavy. This week should feel hard.
Week 11
31 Aug – 6 Sep · Race-distance swim + full simulation + fourth speed session
| Day | Session | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | Zwift Sweet spot: 10 min warm-up, 3×15 min at 285–310W, 5 min easy between, cool-down Cycling sharpener mid-block. Drop without guilt if you're already carrying fatigue from week 10. |
Drop |
| Tue | Pool swim – 200m warm-up, 1×1500m continuous at 1:45/100m, 200m cool-down Race-distance swim milestone. Even splits across five 300m segments. This confirms race readiness in the water. |
Keep |
| Tue | Speed 3×1.5km at 4:02–4:05/km with 2 min recovery jog (~10km total inc. warm-up and cool-down) Afternoon. Longest reps of the block – sustained race-pace holding. The third rep will hurt. Log HR at the end of each effort and compare to week 9. |
Flex |
| Wed | Fixed PT 6:30am Strength and conditioning. |
Keep |
| Thu | SHAC OW 1,500m continuous timed effort – wetsuit on, race-pace sighting OW race-distance benchmark. Note time and how you feel at 750m and 1,250m. |
Keep |
| Fri | KeyBrick Outdoor ride 80–90km at race effort (HR 148–158), then run 10km: 1km easy, 8km at 4:20–4:27/km, 1km easy Closest thing to race day in training. Race kit throughout, nutrition on the bike, T2 under 90 sec. The 8km effort is your primary race readiness data point – log every split. |
Keep |
| Sat | Fixed Circuits 9:30am Conditioning. |
Keep |
| Sun | Rest | — |
The biggest week of the block. Tuesday 1,500m pool and speed session, Thursday SHAC benchmark, Friday full simulation – all non-negotiable except Monday Zwift, which drops without guilt if you are already carrying fatigue.
Week 12
7–13 Sep · Consolidation – final hard week before taper
| Day | Session | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | Zwift Tempo: 10 min warm-up, 2×25 min at 260–280W, 5 min easy between, cool-down Final sustained bike effort before taper begins. Last long tempo on the bike – make it count. |
Drop |
| Tue | Pool swim race-pace set – 200m warm-up, 5×300m at 1:40–1:43/100m with 20 sec rest, 200m cool-down (2,100m total) Swim sharpener – speed above race pace. Faster than race pace with short rest sharpens feel before the taper. 1:40/100m in a 30m pool is roughly 30 seconds per length. |
Flex |
| Tue | Zone 2 Run 6km, HR under 145 Aerobic maintenance. Short – legs needed for Thursday and Friday. Afternoon. |
Drop |
| Wed | Fixed PT 6:30am Strength and conditioning. |
Keep |
| Thu | KeyTempo Run: 2km warm-up, 8km at 4:12–4:20/km (HR 163–170), 2km cool-down Final run fitness session – race readiness indicator. Target pace is marginally faster than race target. You want 4:20/km to feel controlled, not maximum. If it doesn't, the race plan needs adjusting. |
Keep |
| Fri | SHAC OW 1500m easy – relaxed effort, wetsuit on, focus on sighting and stroke rate Final OW confidence session. No pace target – leave feeling confident, not tired. Last OW session before taper. |
Flex |
| Sat | Fixed Circuits 9:30am Conditioning. |
Keep |
| Sun | Rest | — |
Thursday tempo is the session that matters most this week. Friday SHAC can flex to another slot if needed. Start the taper on Monday 14 Sep knowing the work is done.
Phase 6 – taper (weeks 13–14, 14–26 Sep)
Week 13
14–20 Sep · Taper – volume drops, intensity stays
| Day | Session | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | Zwift 45 min: 10 min warm-up, 3×8 min at 285W (85% FTP) with 4 min easy between, cool-down Maintain cycling snap – low volume, quality output. Short and sharp. Volume roughly 60% of peak. |
Drop |
| Tue | Pool swim – 200m warm-up, 4×300m at 1:40/100m with 20 sec rest, 200m cool-down (1,600m total) Maintain swim sharpness, reduced volume. Volume down, pace stays sharp – taper is not easy swimming. |
Flex |
| Tue | Zone 2 Run 5km easy, HR under 145 Leg freshness – keep moving without accumulating load. Short and easy. Afternoon. |
Drop |
| Wed | Fixed PT 6:30am – ask for reduced intensity, lighter load Strength maintenance at reduced intensity. |
Keep |
| Thu | Key Activation run: 2km easy, 4×2 min at 4:15/km with 2 min jog between, 2km easy (~7km total) Run activation – maintain pace, drop volume. Short race-pace efforts remind your legs what they're doing on race day. Most important session of the taper. |
Keep |
| Fri | Zone 2 Easy 45 min Zwift (188–220W) or short flat outdoor spin Legs ticking over – blood flow only. No effort. |
Drop |
| Sat | Fixed Circuits 9:30am Conditioning. |
Keep |
| Sun | Rest | — |
Volume is roughly 60% of peak. The urge to do more is normal – resist it. Thursday activation is the priority. Monday Zwift is the first to drop if you feel fatigued.
Week 14
21–26 Sep · Race week – preserve, don't build
| Day | Session | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | Zwift 30 min: 10 min easy, 2×5 min at 280W with 5 min easy between, cool-down Leg priming – race-pace power, very short. Neurological priming: legs need to know they can go hard. Not fitness training. |
Drop |
| Tue | Pool swim sharpener – 200m warm-up, 5×120m (4 lengths) at 1:38–1:40/100m with 30 sec rest, 200m cool-down (~1,200m total) Swim sharpener – feel the speed. Short, fast, confident. Leave the pool feeling sharp, not tired. |
Flex |
| Wed | Fixed PT 6:30am – mobility and activation only, no heavy loading Mobility and activation without soreness two days before race. |
Keep |
| Thu | Key Short run: 10 min easy, 4×1 min at 4:10/km with 90 sec walk between, 10 min easy (~4km total) Final activation run. Last run before race day – very short. Confirming the legs work, not building fitness. |
Keep |
| Fri | Rest – logistics, kit check, race number, transition setup | Keep |
| Sat | Rest – no circuits. Eat well, hydrate, sleep early. | Keep |
| Sun | Race day – Dorney Lake, 26 Sep Primary target: sub-2:20 · A-target: sub-2:15 · Floor: sub-2:30 |
Race |
Nothing this week makes you fitter. Everything can make you tired. PT stays because it's short and familiar. Otherwise: rest, sleep, eat, and let 13 weeks of work do its job.