You should have build a solid base level of fitness and progressed through a build phase of training prior to starting this plan.

This Pre Competition phase of training plan has been prepared to help you work more on the specifics of your goal A race. This time is an opportunity to do some local “training races” to become used to the race paced efforts. During this phase of training, the focus will move away from developing muscular strength to increasing muscular endurance, strength and power, it will include less important races, lactate tolerance more, interval sessions and an opportunity to practice race tactics, such as open water swimming, transitions and brick sessions

The plan itself will develop your lactate system, or race pace, and build on the aerobic base fitness you have developed. It is the anareobic or speed work that you need to go faster, which will feel hard to start with in week 1, getting easier as the weeks go by ass you adapt and build your anaerobic system

The plan will follow a 4 week cycle of easy, medium, hard and recovery weeks based on hourly volume, and will provide you with an increase in VO2 max, an improvement in lactate buffering and removal, plus an improved resistance to fatigue from interval sessions.

Weekly training hours range from 5:15 to a maximum between 8:15 and 11:00. There is some flexibility built into the plan to accommodate individual differences. For example there is no time posted for the swim workouts. Obviously there can be big differences in swimming abilities between people with a competitive swim background and those just getting into swimming. Some of the run and bike workouts also have ranges built into the workouts.