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) Building rep distance. First 300m reps – focus on even splits, 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. That is a heavy run load. If Tuesday leaves legs dead for Thursday and tempo quality suffers noticeably, the speed session moves to a different 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) First 500m reps – pace judgement over the opening 200m of each rep is the key skill. |
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. Arrive at week 5 tired – that is the correct state.
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 – 180m warm-up (6 lengths), 2×720m at 1:45/100m with 60 sec rest, 180m cool-down (1,800m total) 720m = 24 lengths. Control pace through the middle third of each rep – that's where pace tends to drift on longer efforts. |
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 – easy running only
| 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 |
Planned recovery. The adaptation from weeks 1–5 happens here. Two or three easy runs and a swim or two is all you need.
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. That is the only goal of this week.
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 – 180m warm-up (6 lengths), 3×390m at 1:45/100m with 45 sec rest, 180m cool-down (1,710m total) 390m = 13 lengths. Expect slight regression after two weeks off – don't chase pre-holiday 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 – PT is the only non-negotiable. Everything else is subject to how Thursday and Friday feel. Do not 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 ✓ – 180m warm-up, 1×1,500m continuous, 180m cool-down (1,860m total) 1:49/100m avg, HR avg 144, max 160. First continuous 1,500m – distance not an issue. Pace conservative – didn't commit to race effort. Fix for week 10: harder from the first length, 30 sec rest after warm-up only, check splits every 10 lengths. |
Done ✓ |
| 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 – 180m warm-up (6 lengths, 30 sec rest only), 1×1,500m continuous at 1:45/100m, 180m cool-down (1,860m total) 1,500m = 50 lengths. Race effort from the first length – not a comfortable pace. Check split every 10 lengths: target 5:15 per 300m. This is the session where the week 9 pacing error gets corrected. |
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 flex first. 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 – 180m warm-up (6 lengths), 3×480m at 1:42–1:44/100m with 20 sec rest, 180m cool-down (1,800m total) 480m = 16 lengths. Faster than race pace with minimal rest – sharpens speed above target pace. Total working distance 1,440m at higher intensity than race effort. This is a different stimulus to the continuous sessions. |
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. Aim for Garmin display showing 4:08–4:10/km to hit actual 4:02–4:05/km. |
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 speed swim and speed run, Thursday SHAC benchmark (moved here from original plan to protect Friday full simulation), Friday full race-distance simulation – all non-negotiable except Monday Zwift, which drops without guilt if you are already carrying fatigue.
Week 12
7–13 Sep · Consolidation – SHAC benchmark, intervals, final hard week before taper
| Day | Session | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | Pool Swim – 180m warm-up (6 lengths), 6×210m at 1:40–1:43/100m with 20 sec rest, 180m cool-down (1,740m total) 210m = 7 lengths. Faster than race pace, short rest – sharpening session. Differentiated from Thursday's OW timed effort. |
Flex |
| Mon | Zone 2 Run 6km, HR under 145 Aerobic maintenance, easy. Afternoon. Ankle-aware – don't push it. |
Flex |
| Tue | Zwift 3×15 min at 285–310W (85–92% FTP) with 5 min easy between, 10 min warm-up and cool-down Cycling threshold – maintain fitness into taper. Same session as week 11 Monday, shifted to Tuesday. Keep cadence 90rpm+ throughout. |
Drop |
| Wed | Fixed PT 6:30am Strength and conditioning. |
Keep |
| Thu | KeySHAC OW 1,500m continuous timed effort – wetsuit on, race-pace sighting OW race-distance benchmark. Race effort from the first stroke. Note time at 750m and 1,250m. This is the OW number you carry to race day. |
Keep |
| Fri | KeySpeed Interval run: 1.5km warm-up jog, 3×1.5km at 4:02–4:05/km with 2 min recovery jog, 1.5km cool-down (~9km total) Target Garmin display 4:08–4:10/km to hit actual 4:02–4:05/km. Three full reps – VO2max ceiling work ahead of taper. Ankle-aware: if it talks to you during first recovery, stop at two reps. Log HR at the end of each effort. |
Keep |
| Sat | Fixed Circuits 9:30am Conditioning. |
Keep |
| Sun | Rest | — |
Thursday SHAC and Friday intervals are both non-negotiable. Monday swim and Tuesday Zwift are both important but flex first if the week gets heavy. 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 – 180m warm-up (6 lengths), 4×300m at 1:40/100m with 20 sec rest, 180m cool-down (1,560m total) 300m = 10 lengths. Volume down from week 12, 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 – 180m warm-up (6 lengths), 5×120m at 1:38–1:40/100m with 30 sec rest, 180m cool-down (1,260m total) 120m = 4 lengths. 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 is short and familiar. Otherwise: rest, sleep, eat, and let 14 weeks of work do its job.