Sustained power or long distance triathlon plans?

Hey- I am a triathlete looking at building out my season for a full ironman in May.

I am wondering if anyone has any thoughts about doing the sustained power plan or the long distance build plans. I have completed the sweet spot base plan mid volume, and I am in the middle of the full distance base phase high volume. I am not finding the high volume full distance base plan to be as challenging as the sweet spot base plan, and I am thinking about the switching to the sustained power build plan instead of moving on to the full triathlon build section.

The sustained power plan has a higher weekly TSS, but lacks the long rides on weekends, and instead has two, shorter rides on Saturday and Sunday. I was thinking about doing the sustained power build plan and only doing the one long ride from the long distance triathlon plan.

Any thoughts on this plan?

There’s no reason why this wouldn’t work as long as you are good with the higher TSS. I’ve used the Sustained Power Build a few times in the build up to races rather than the triathlon plans.

There are many ways you can modify the plans - the way you suggest would be fine I’d imagine - if you are dropping one ride I’d think about dropping the Monday ride with shorter intervals for the long ride but if you feel you’d get value from the shorter stuff drop one of the others.

Dependent on your IM experience I’d also ask whether you feel you need the longer rides at all at the moment. May is a long way away yet and you may benefit from following the plan as prescribed and introducing longer rides in the couple of months preceding your race. It just depends on what type of riding feel you’d benefit from the most.

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Erm, something is not right here (!)

Are you doing all the run and swim training in the plan?

When did you last do a ramp test?

It’s true that base isn’t meant to be as tough as build phase, but having tried the high volume plans when I was not working and had loads of free time…it tore me a new one.

Week 3 of high vol has 7h15 of cycling most of which is over 0.8 IF, 7000m swimming mostly intervals, and 3h25 running including intervals…if that’s too easy, you must rock! :wink: