Planning on signing up for IM MD when registration opens (assuming there are spots open) and want to make sure my plan sounds reasonable for prep

Stats: 23 M, 155 lbs. Been running consistently for better part of last decade and was a swimmer as a kid through early HS. Have done a few tri's and a 70.3 a little over a year ago where I went ~5:20 (38/3:55/1:43 splits) off of <5 hours of training a week. Was only doing it for fun and wasn't really racing so I don't put too much stock in the time. Longest bike before was only 32 miles and wasn't doing any sort of structured workouts.

This past spring I was doing a good amount of running and cycling averaging 9-12 hours a week without much structure and a focus on consistency and increasing bike volume.

Plan for next year:

currently training for a half marathon and 5k time trial in October. Aiming for 1:20 and 16:30 and have been holding 45-50 mpw for the past two months. Previous open PRs were 1:25 and 16:45 off of less training than what I am currently doing and based on my workouts I am optimistic that these are within reach but also not certainties.

after this run focused block ends i'm going to reduce mileage to some easy runs only here and there as I do a bike focused block aiming at raising my FTP over ~2 months. Recently got a power meter and don't know current FTP but guess is around 220 based on some workouts I've done and haven't been training much lately though I was biking frequently in the spring reaching over hilly terrain including my first century which felt really good. (Think it was something like 103 miles in 5:33 w/ 4k+ feet of climbing).

After this I will take some time off for around 2 weeks then get back into a structured multi discipline training. Take 22 weeks to build up to 70.3 Roanoke in 5x4 week blocks and followed by a 2 week taper for the race. Post race I'll take 1 week to recover then do 3x4 week blocks to prep for IM Maryland where I then take another 2 week taper into race day. Will likely build blocks around the triathletes training bible style of build volume for 3 weeks then reduce a little every 4th week.

Volume will range anywhere from 8 up to 16 hours a week on peak weeks with a planned distribution of about 15% - 50% - 35% between swim - bike - run. The

I don't have any current time goals as I don't have a great grasp of what I might be capable of and I don't want to limit or set too high of expectations right now. Waiting to establish some 70.3 goals until January and then will reestablish the IM goals after that race.

Is there anything that is glaringly wrong with this plan or things that would be good to look into for improving it?

Yeah base training is definitely the priority and would get a coach but not in the budget this year so kind of going at it on my own. Was thinking about taking the half as a less than A race so will probably have less of a taper into it and still eyes set on IM during the winter and spring.

Swimming wise I actually used to be pretty good with good form and was close to that shape before covid shut everything down. The first half I did was literally my ground zero where I didnt swim for the 5 weeks before and only was in the water once a week in the weeks before that. Planning on doing 3 swims a week this training cycle

using your B type lead up races as practice runs in terms of how you should execute your race taper as many people differ in what workouts or rest periods help them the most in the lead up to a race. Typically high volume trainers perform poorly if they taper to much, and likewise the other way for people who train less volume.

Everything in your plan makes sense. I think its a very aggressive plan, there are like 4 peaks in a year and practically no off-seasons per se. But you're very young and in a great shape, you might pull it off.

I think most of the latest books (Dixon, Fitzgerald) started to cater more to a crowd twice your age (and screwed up by 20 years of building careers in the office). :)

If I were you, I'd have only two large cycles: one for HIM and one for IM. Also I think the idea of rest weeks is going away slowly. You're not supposed to kill yourself in 3 weeks so you'd need a week of rest.

But then again, you probably should try to push yourself as much as possible in order to find your limits. You have time for trial and error.