If you've only done 20mpw before this build, I think pushing past 40mpw would be a little aggressive. I would hold the base mileage at 40 and just increase your long run into IMTX. Yes, let the TR build your cycling volume while the run stays flat.


I'm currently in my 3rd iteration of a very similar plan. First winter I built to 40 mpw, the next 50 mpw, and this winter I'm hitting mid 60s. I'm only hitting 1-2 bikes per week up to this point but am trying to start getting a little more each week. After the Houston HM I will start hitting every ride of the TR high volume plan into IMTX.

following as I want to do a similar plan starting now using TR for some sweet spot base thru winter (3x/wk). What days are you doing your bikes and how has it worked out? On the easy days, before the day you have an easy run, off day from running? Thx.

This was kind of my thinking, but I wanted some second opinions from the more experienced folk!

I've been combining BarryP type run training with a 3 ride a week schedule for the last 8 weeks or so. My run volume started out very low so it's still fairly conservative but it's going pretty well so far.
I'm doing my own thing on the bike but the outline is that I'll do a hard trainer session on Tuesday and Thursday evening (format varies but typically 60-90mins consisting of something like 2x20min@93%FTP, 3x15min Over/Under, 5x5min VO2max intervals, or a race or other unstructured hard effort on Zwift) I aim for TSS of about 80-110 for these sessions depending on duration. My third ride is normally a 2-3hr group ride on the road bike on Sunday morning or a 1.5-2hr trainer session if weather is dangerous (strong wind/ice).

I'm currently at 50km/week run volume. So that's allocated as follows: 10km easy on Monday night, 5km easy as a cooldown after trainer session on Tuesday night, 10km with some tempo/threshold intervals on Wednesday night, 5km easy as a cooldown after trainer session on Thursday night, 5km easy if feeling fatigued on Friday evening. 5km threshold if feeling good. Saturday is my long run so 15km easy if I feel I've already done enough run intensity on Wednesday and Friday. If I took it easy Friday I'll likely add a few fast kilometers towards the end of the long run.

So far this seems to be working out alright. Not sure how I'll manage if I go to 60km per week of running.

currently my planned week looks like this:

M: Off

T: 4 mi easy ( recovery pace if legs aren't feeling great from previous weekend)
T: 1st TR Bike workout, usually v02 max based on current TR plan

W: Swim (Guppy challenge workout with Tarpon volume)
W: Tempo Run

Th: 4 mi easy
Th: 2nd TR Bike

F: 8 mi run
F: Swim (Guppy challenge workout with Tarpon volume)

S: Long Bike w/ 4mi run after

Su: 13 mi run
Su: Swim


to be fair though I sometimes switch the Friday med distance run with the Sun long run based on my weekend plans. and the 3rd swim gets moved around a lot as well depending on scheduling

This is kind of a it depends answer for me. Intensity matters a lot here. As well as what your volume in each respective discipline has been before starting this. But basically, whichever you want to have priority I would do those "first." ie - Tuesday & Thursday and put the others on Wednesday and Friday. I find it harder to do the TR workouts than the runs, so unless I'm on a run only focus I usually prioritize being fresh for the first bike workout of the week which is usually VO2 (not the case for you doing sweet spot base).

This is what my build into IMTX will look like.

Run focus:

M: off or easy run and/or easy swim
T: Track & swim at lunch
W: TR if I'm up to it & easy run at lunch
TH: Tempo run & swim at lunch
F: TR & easy run at lunch
S: long run
S: long ride if I feel ok, easy run if I feel ok

Still run focus but trying to prioritize bike a little more:
M: off or easy run and/or easy swim
T: TR VO2 intervals & easy run at lunch
W: Run workout, mile repeats or similar + swim at lunch
TH: TR sweet spot or tempo + easy run at lunch
F: Tempo run + swim at lunch
S: long ride + easy or brick run if I feel ok
S: Long run

Tri focus (last 2-3 months into race)
M: off or easy run and/or easy swim
T: TR VO2 intervals & easy run at lunch
W: Big swim AM & Tempo run at lunch
TH: TR sweet spot or tempo + easy run at lunch
F: Big swim AM & TR sweet spot or recovery at lunch
S: Long ride + easy or brick run
S Long run + swim (ideally open water)

I did the same TR IM plan this year...even had a PB in the LA Marathon while in the IM Base.

Mon easy run 45min-60, then swim after or evening
Tues bike then easy 30min run
Wed 60min 1 mile repeats on treadmill, Swim
Thurs bike then easy 30min run
Fri easy bike, swim
Sat long run
Sun Long bike, easy run

I did find the Wed repeats got to be too much once int he meat of the plan...lots of biking took its toll on the legs. I had one coach say its ok to take the run down to easier levels to compensate for the biking. For me, it really becomes about managing the legs...minimizing the damage running does to your ability to crank out the watts on the bike. That is where a nice bike base helps long term

Did you hold that volume for most of the plan? Or keep building? Was there a point at which you could tell your legs wouldn't take any more run volume in combo with the TR plan?

the one thing that taxed me was my 'fast' run day Wed, after we started our early morning ocean swims int he summer. It was difficult to do any speed work after long swims, plus beffered between ftp-style or over threshold bike workouts on Tus/Thurs. My Wed run became an easy 45-60 min run.

Obviously a slow, easy base then build is the way to go while listening to your body. I just kept the mantra of bike bike bike, then easy runs as the season progressed. The frequency of the runs is what matters most than the intensity...at least of me. Right now I'm just focusing on frequent, short, fast runs, mostly treadmill stuff.

I'm doing something similar but trying to stick the long run on Friday consistently to free up weekends for increased bike volume.

---

Human Person

For the TR intervals and sweet spot are you just logging in and picking workouts or are you following a prescribed progression they advise?

Solid looking “basic week”. It’s exactly what a coach gave me when I got into the sport initially back in 02 and got pretty fast pretty quick.

Key workouts only:
M - easy swim
T - hard bike
W - hardest run of week
R - long tempo ride with short OTB run
F - hardest swim
S - long (and possibly hard depending on race distance)
S - long (and possibly hard depending on race distance)

following the progression of the plan if everything is on track for me. i will pick easier similar workouts if needed for whatever reason.