I’ve been thinking lately (despite trying to avoid it), that trying adapt a pro plan to my tri training may not really be the best approach for someone, like me, who is not shooting to win his age group, and just want to finish respectably in the upper half to upper third of the group, and avoid injuries. It seems most plans are designed with the goal (in terms of training structure, load, etc.) of getting one to the top of the group or on a podium. Is adapting these “pro” plans to a more (in my case, at least) realistic goal as simple as cutting back the plan proportionately as to hours and intensities? Or is there a better way to tailor these plans? Thanks
There is a much better way IMO. But it’s not just a one-size-fits-all recipe. It requires analyzing your current fitness/experience levels, determining your relative strengths and weaknesses, taking in to account how much time you are willing to invest in training and developing a training plan that makes the most of it all.
It requires a coach or smart, experienced triathlete to help you through it.
On the other hand, you are entirely welcome (despite what ST folks might say) to enjoy triathlon recreationally and just train when you feel like it and do the training that you enjoy without concern for placing well.
My thoughts are
1 - where are you finding pro training plans, I thought typically they keep the details fairly quiet.
2 - What distances are you looking at? AG at IM races is a bit different than AG at local sprint/international distances.
3 - What is your current fitness level/experience? There is a big gap between what an Age Grouper will do to improve and what a Pro must do to improve.
There are a fair number of pros that cover the range from International to IM distances, but that doesn’t mean their plans are right for you. I think a majority of the work can be gained by building a strong base to get you to the upper half of an AG. This will build your distances up and help prepare your body to limit exposure to overuse injury.
If you want to learn the concept of planning, pick up a few of the popular books out there and learn how schedules are built and the value of each type of workout. If you want a flat workout, look at some training plans offered by some of the big companies, take it a step further and get a coach who will design a plan for you and send you workouts based on your goals.