I'm trying to plan for a race that is 47 weeks away. I'm starting my second season of training after catching the triathlon bug. I'm very motivated to improve and I feel like I need to get started.
When designing my season, I choose from the templates a 12 week winter training, (I'm located in the midwest) then a week of rest, followed by the last 8 weeks of another winter template, a rest week, then 13 weeks for olympic level 2, a rest week and finally 10 weeks of olympic level 3. When looking at the graph I'm not sure I've structured this properly.

I know I have to watch myself, years ago (20) as a track athlete, I was constantly flirting with burnout, but I can feel my fitness slipping away and I can't wait to get back at it.

Any advice you have would be greatly appreaciated.

Hi John,

You've done a good job of structuring your season, assuming your two Olympic distance 'A' races are at the end of the 2 Olympic templates. You'll notice that the swim volume is less during the Olympic programs. If you swim as per the 'off-season' programs and complete 20 weeks of masters or similar swimming, you can safely maintain that level of swim volume, throughout your Olympic distance programs rather than the relatively low volume of those programs. In this case you might do the advised swim main-sets or slightly longer versions of them, then add extra time (up to a total swim time of 1 hour) working on your technique, doing drills or kick.

Given that you will also do quite a long off-season or base training phase, you may be able to begin your first Olympic program a few weeks further into it. For your situation, I might advise replacing Weeks 1,2,3 of your Level 2 Oly. Program, with weeks 5,6,7, which you've effectively then do twice. This would give you slightly harder training as you start your race specific program, rather than the more conservative start, which would be appropriate for those without such a good off-season base phase.

Maintaining a weekly rest day, ensuring you sleep enough and not being tempted to add unnecessary training will help to avoid burnout.

Thanks. CoachKev.

Maybe I haven't structured it quite right. I have an A race on Sept 7th, then two B races one on July 19th and Aug 8th. What is the best way to train so I'll be at my best Sept 7th, and what is the best way to train through my B races.

Thanks.

Given the info you've provided so far, I'm advising you use the Level 2 Olympic Template (rather than the Level 3). Also, according to the dates you've provided, your races don't fall on weekends, so I'm going to use these dates for your races in 2008. July 20th (B Race), Aug 10th (B Race), Sept 21st (A Race).

Begin with an easy week (level 2) on the week of May 19th. Then, drop in, week by week, Olympic Level 2 Weeks 1 through 7, followed by an Olympic Race Week, for your July 20th race. Following that race, repeat 'build' weeks #6 & #7, then another race week for your 2nd B Race. Follow that race with weeks 8 through 13 which will provide an easy week after your 2nd race, leaving you rested and ready for the final push towards your A race.

Using this approach I've effectively stretched out your Level 2 Olympic program from 13 weeks, to 17 weeks, allowing rest weeks before all of your races, without compromising your program by inserting races and then training through them. If you reproduce this scenario using your program builder or by using the 'Add Template Weeks' function with your existing program, you'll see the logic in the structure.

Depending on the climate in your area, you might consider an 8 week bike focus, prior to your race-specific training program. Using this procedure, you can see it's best to work 'backwards' from your race season.

CoachKev

Thanks for the help Coach