[JW]

Hey from Albert Canada!

I’m new to 80/20 and purchased a plan yesterday, 80/20 Triathlon: 2021 Edition Sprint Level 1 (Run HR and Bike Power) to start on 2021 February 14/15. I will be adding in a strength plan from 80/20 also (suggestions?).

So here’s my tentative 2021 schedule;

May 20 – Calgary Marathon – 10k priority C
June 5 – Vulcan Tinman Triathlon – Sprint priority B — this is also the end date for the tri plan I just purchased from 80/20.
July 10 – Sinister 7 Ultra Trail Race – 1 leg approx. 20k-30k priority A
July 24 – Rugged Maniac OCR – 5k priority C
August 7 – Raymond Triathlon – Sprint priority B
August 21 – Black Spur Ultra Trail Race – 3 legs 54k priority A

The plan is to train first for the B priority tri sprint and then top up in between the first B and A race with trail/hill training even though there’s not much time in between. Then train for the for the final A, the years “BIG” race. We have been doing tri sprints for about five years and the ultra trails for 5-6 years however only one leg of the race (on a team). This is the first year we will be attempting the full 54k (three legs) solo!
The 10k and OCR races we are considering fun/training days.

Thoughts on my approach to the training plan, recommendations on supplementing the plan or am I way off base here and need a totally different plan? Sorry if this somewhere in the forum however I did some searching and couldn’t find much close to this kind of situation, I’m sure I’m not unique with the types of races we run and train for.

Currently my job as a firefighter / emergency management specialist requires me to be a certain level of fit, I’m 51yrs and just getting started!

The home gym is decent with smart trainer and a treadmill, Also using TrainingPeaks and Zwift for about a year now.

Thanks in advance!!!

[David Warden]

Hello! Thanks for posting. I appreciate you searching first, but for sure the Plan Customization is going to be unique almost every time.

What a great season you have planned!

Before I make a recommendation, let’s take a look at your first events in terms of time to complete (an estimate):

May 20 – Calgary Marathon – 45 minutes
June 5 – Vulcan Tinman Triathlon – Sprint priority B — 75 minutes
July 10 – Sinister 7 Ultra Trail Race – 1 leg approx. 120 minutes

If I were your coach, the concern I’d have is that you only three weeks to get from a 75-minute even that includes 20 minutes of running, to a 120-minute that include 120 minutes of running. Especially because the Ultra this is an A race.

If the Ultra is the A race, I’d load a HM plan (Level 2 or 3 since it actually could be up to 30KM) and train for the Sprint on the side.

Or, stick with the Sprint plan, but add 1 hour to all of your longest week-end runs. 50 minutes become 1:50, 1 hour become 2 hours… that might be enough to cover the difference between what the Sprint plan will prepare you for vs the HM plan.

David

[JW]

Thank you!

And thanks for the reply, I have looked at the HM plan and that’s a lot of running, running, running lol. Not sure if I can do that or if I would stick with that plan so I would like to stay with the “variety” of training in the Sprint plan and add time to the runs. I have the plan set up that my rest day is Sunday, when you say “longest week-end runs” this would be the last run of the week? Between the Friday and Saturday (this being the weekend as Sunday is my rest day) it looks like with the plan I have there is only one run on either of these days so I just add an hour to that run, correct? And if the weekend run is a Brick?

Is upping from a Sprint to an Olympic plan beneficial?

Also which Strength Plan plug in would you recommend I add to this? The plan descriptions say “This plan is paired with an optional Free or Premium Strength Training plan designed specifically to fit and complement this plan.” however I’m not sure which one would best be best suited.

Thanks again David!

[JW]

Also, would it be better for training if I had the Bike Power and Run Pace plan (currently Bike Power and Run HR) even if the priority A Ultra Runs are trail with typically ” Elevation Gain/Loss: 2,230m / 2,230m (54k)”?

I chose the HR run version as we really don’t use pace as guide when we are on big ascents on the mountain, I have always used heart rate to tell me when to back off.

I have four weeks of “preparation” starting Monday (which is good as I am just coming off three weeks of forced recover… dang doctors lol) however I’m pretty stoked to get things lined up and dig into your training plan!!!

I’m also looking for documentation on how to have your plan “lineup” with my 2021 periodization. I set up the TrainingPeaks ATP using automatic and would like it to reflect the correct “period”. I have changed the first two weeks of January to reflect the recovery time and zeroed out the “hours”, “limiters – Run” none, and “Strength” N/A. Four weeks after this a have changed to “Preparation” and adjusted hours, limiters, and strength accordingly. This leaves me with first week of training “period” showing “Base1 – Week3” and so on so it does not automatically adjust. The documentation would help me realign the ATP. Is there something that will tell me what each week of your plan is in relation to my TP ATP?

Thanks! (just let me know if this needs to go offline)

[David Warden]

Redde, ok, I hope I represent all of your questions and comments below:

– The HM plan is a lot of running, running, running, but so is your Ultra! Again, if you are comfortable going from training for a 20-minute run to a 2-hour run in a few weeks, then cool. But, all of the Run Foundation workouts in the HM plan can be replaced with Swim and Bike workout, which will occur 2-3 times a week and help break up the monotony.

– You have a good point about picking a plan you can stick with. Certainly, you’ll do better at the Ultra coming off of a Sprint plan that you adhered 100% to than a HM plan that adhere’ 50% to.

– Yes, “Longest ween-end run” is just your longest run, which usually occurs on the week-end if you rest day is Sunday or Monday. Really, just add an hour to your longest run of the week (which will probably be a week-end run).

– I thought about the Oly solution and don’t like it in your case. Sure, it preps you for a 45-minute run, but it’s twice the swim and bike for no real benefit. The HM plan is best, the Sprint plus an hour to the longest run is next best, then Oly. The oly option isnt’ bad, it’s just not as good as the other two options.

– See https://www.8020endurance.com/free-vs-premium-strength/ for strength plan options you can pair with your plan.

– If you will be regularly training on trails, the Power or HR run plan is best. If you will be running in the flats, Power or Pace is best. This is for the exactly reason you mention: Pace can’t be used in hills, you gotta use Power or HR.

– Your Sprint Level 1 plan uses the following periodization

It’s a 3-week mesocycle through the entire plan (every 3rd week is a rest week)
Weeks 1-9 are Base
Weeks 10-14 are Build
Week 15-16 is a taper

– Definitely would prefer you keep posting here and not take it offline. It takes me just as long to answer an e-mail, but this way everyone gets to benefit from your question.

David

[JW]

This is really great support David, THANKS!

I think I’ll stay with and try the Sprint L1 plan and add the hour to the longest runs plus I “think” I will add the ” 80/20 Triathlon: 2021 Edition Premium Sprint Level 1 Strength Training Plan ” as it appears you have designed to match the base plan. I only found 7 run workouts (RF6, 7, 9, 10, 11, and 12 x2) to add the hour to, this sound about right? The swim in the pool swims do not look promising right now lol so I will be changing then to your documentation’s ” Option 2: Replace your swim training with Dryland Training “. I understand this as I delete the swim workout completely from the TP calendar and add 5 x 30min (swim) workouts to week that best suits the day’s workout time? (only do this until the pool swims are available again)

I have a smart trainer and a decent Precor treadmill and realistically most of the training will be indoors in the home gym. I will stick with HR training (and pace as a secondary on the watch, a Forerunner 745 and the treadmill) for a couple of reasons… One is the trails in the mountains as we have agreed on even though most training will be on the treadmill, second I have the Zwift Runpod and it does not do power. I will get to the mountains in Kananaskis however nothing I can bank on and place in the plan, they will be bonus runs on the rest day if not out hiking, snowshoeing or MT biking.

Thank you for the periodization, does it matter if I match it up to my TrainingPeaks? I have manually changed the ATP as follows;

* Preparation 4 weeks
* The base weeks – Base 1 weeks 1-3, Base 2 weeks 1-3, Base 3 weeks 1-3 (weeks 1-9)
* The build weeks – Build 1 weeks 1-3, Build 2 weeks 1-2 (weeks 10-14)
* Peak – week 1, Race (weeks 15-16)

I’ll change the ATP hours to match the plan also and clear the Limiters – Run? Is this all a good idea or am I being OCD / over planning the ATP?

Do you foresee any issues if I add 1 “hills” workout up to an hour each week in addition to the Sprint plan and additional strength plan? Maybe on a swim day I remove from the plan to do the dry land stuff?

I have to admit I’m getting more and more stoked to get into this plan we (let’s be realistic here, YOU) are creating here and seeing the outcomes in August post last race!

[David Warden]

– For replacing your swim with dryland, it’s just a 1:1 replacement. If your total scheduled swims for the week equals 3 hours, then do 3 hours of dryland. It can just be broken up into 6×30 minutes a a week instead of 3×1 hours a week, for example.

– Your ATP looks good, it matches the plan, but I don’t understand why you would want to clear the limiters. You can keep them or remove them.

– I assume you mean adding an additional hour per week of running in hills, not 1 hour extra to your Sprint plan (as discussed) plus another hours in hills. You can actually add hills to any run at any time, and should if your next event is expecting that. Any easy run, interval run… they can all be done in hills.

David

[JW]

Awesome David!

It seems as though we are on the same page. I’ll make the recommended changes and leave the rest. I’ve started week 1 of 4 for preparation and feeling good as I’m coming off three weeks Dr ordered recovery and looking forward to using your plans for this years training!

I just added another two day C event in June, FireFit (firefighters version of OCR).

JW

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