Happy Valley 70.3 Training Plan
17 weeks. Course-specific. Built to execute, not survive.
This plan exists for one reason:
Happy Valley punishes good fitness and rewards good decisions.
If you’ve looked at the course, ridden parts of it, or raced similar terrain before, you already know this isn’t a “hold on and see what happens” kind of day. The climbs are long, the hardest work comes late, and the run only goes well if the bike was handled with restraint.
This plan is built around that reality.
What this plan actually does
This is not a generic 70.3 template with your race name slapped on it. It’s a 17-week progression designed specifically around what Happy Valley asks of you, physically and mentally.
Early in the plan, the focus is on building aerobic depth and climbing strength without wrecking your run. Midway through, the training shifts toward durability and control — long efforts, steady pacing, and learning how to access strength without grinding. Late in the plan, volume comes down and specificity goes up.
You don’t “cram” fitness at the end.
You rehearse, preview, sharpen, and show up ready.
How the weeks are structured
You’ll swim twice a week. One session keeps speed and mechanics sharp. The other is about open water skills, rhythm, and staying calm when conditions aren’t perfect.
The bike is the backbone of the plan. Midweek rides focus on controlled climbing and race-relevant effort. Saturdays are long and intentional, not random. There’s a full race-distance on-course preview ride built into the plan, because familiarity matters here. As the weather changes, outdoor rides are offered as well as indoor sessions, riders choice.
Running is treated with respect. Threshold work is used where it actually helps, then removed when it stops being useful. Long runs are capped. Bricks are purposeful. The goal is to arrive at race day able to run well, not just shuffle it in.
Strength work is optional but supported. The plan assumes you want to stay durable, not sore.
The final block matters most
The last phase of the plan is where this really separates itself.
There’s a 70% race rehearsal week to dial in pacing, fueling, and transitions without digging a hole. There’s a full-distance bike preview (Free Registration Required) so race day doesn’t feel unfamiliar. Then volume drops while race effort stays present, so you feel sharp instead of flat.
Nothing in the final weeks is there to “prove” anything.
It’s all about removing doubt.
Who this plan is for
This is for athletes who:
already have a base and want structure that makes sense
care about running well off the bike
don’t want to guess on race day prefer clarity over bravado
If you want the cheap generic plan, this isn’t it.
If you want a plan that helps your fitness actually show up late in the race, it is.
About the coach
This plan was built by Jeff Taylor, a USAT-Certified Triathlon Coach and ISSA-Certified Strength & Conditioning Coach, with direct experience on this course and years of coaching endurance athletes who want to race intelligently, not recklessly.