Training Plan v4
Revised again after v3 was too conservative. I’m not a beginner — I have years of running background (half marathons, full marathon, Ironman 70.3, 20-30 km weeks last year). I’m deconditioned, not untrained. The plan needs to reflect that.
Athlete Profile
- Goal: Team Canada Age Group Aquathlon (M20-24), August 2026
- Race Format: 2.5K Run (R1) > 1K Swim > 2.5K Run (R2)
- R1 Target: ~3:15/km (8:07 total)
- R2 Target: ~4:05/km (10:12 total)
- Current 5K: ~22:00 (~4:24/km), estimated, deconditioned
- Background: Marathon, half marathons, Ironman 70.3, 20-30 km/week last year
- Current Volume: ~15 km/week (off-season)
- Schedule: 7 days/week, afternoons (1-3 PM)
- Nutrition: Cutting ~2,600-2,800 cal, 200g+ protein
- Equipment: Condo gym + Hart House (UofT)
- Injuries: Shoulder RC recovered. DB pressing only.
- Shoes: Hoka Mach 6
Philosophy Changes from v3
1. You’re Deconditioned, Not Untrained
v3 treated me like a beginner. It’s not. My cardiovascular system, tendons, and neuromuscular patterns are dormant, not absent. The return-to-fitness curve for someone with my background is dramatically steeper than for someone who’s never run. The plan needs to exploit that.
2. If It Doesn’t Stress the System, It’s Not Training
4 km at 5:30 is trivial. It’s barely a warm-up. Easy runs need to be long enough to genuinely stress the aerobic system. Hard days need to be genuinely hard. The plan should make me uncomfortable, let me recover, then make me more uncomfortable.
3. Zones Are Fluid, Not Static
v3 had formal recalibrations at weeks 8 and 12. That’s too slow. New rule: if a session feels easy and HR is 10+ beats below ceiling, push the pace down immediately. Zones are a starting point, not a ceiling I have to wait for permission to break through. Recalibrate by feel every session, formally every 4 weeks.
4. Force Adaptation, Don’t Wait For It
v3’s speed development strategy was “do intervals and pray the zones shift.” That’s not a strategy. This version has progressive overload built into every quality session — shorter rest, longer reps, faster pace, or some combination. Every week should be harder than the last (within a mesocycle).
5. Race-Pace Exposure Starts Early
Neuromuscular patterning at 3:15/km needs to start by week 5, not week 13. Short reps (200m) at goal pace teach the legs what race turnover feels like. By the time I’m doing full race-pace intervals in Meso 4, it shouldn’t feel foreign.
Starting Training Zones (based on watch HR data)
Calibrated from actual watch data, not reverse-engineered from a guessed 5K. My max HR is ~204 and the aerobic system is genuinely detrained despite the running background. These are starting points — push them down as soon as they feel comfortable.
| Zone | Name | Pace/km | HR (est.) | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Z1 | Recovery | 6:00-6:30 | < 130 | Recovery |
| Z2 | Easy Aerobic | 5:30-6:00 | 130-150 | Aerobic base |
| Z3 | Tempo | 5:00-5:20 | 155-170 | Lactate threshold |
| Z4 | Threshold | 4:30-4:50 | 170-182 | R2 pace development |
| Z5 | VO2max | 4:00-4:20 | 182-192 | VO2max development |
Watch data is ground truth. The aggression in this plan comes from volume, frequency, and progressive overload — not from running easy days at tempo pace. Zones are fluid: if a session feels easy and HR is well below ceiling, push the pace down.
Training Principles
Strength for Racing, Not for Size. If fatigued, cut lift volume. Never sacrifice a KEY run for a lift.
The Breathing Governor Still Applies. 2:2 cadence on all tempo/threshold work. If it breaks, the pace is too fast for that session — but that doesn’t mean the pace is wrong for next session.
Pre-Fuel KEY Days. 30-50g fast carbs 60 min before Tuesday and Thursday. Non-negotiable on a cut.
16-Week Macro Plan (Mar 16 - Jun 28)
Four mesocycles. 3 build + 1 deload. But the base phase is compressed and the progression is aggressive.
Meso 1: Re-Entry + Ramp (Weeks 1-4)
| Week | Run Vol | Quality Runs | Swim | Strength | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W1 (Mar 16) | ~20 km | 1x | — | 2x | Re-entry. Establish rhythm. |
| W2 (Mar 23) | ~25 km | 2x | — | 2x | Add 2nd quality session immediately. |
| W3 (Mar 30) | ~30 km | 2x | 1x | 2x | Z5 work starts. First swim. |
| W4 (Apr 6) | ~20 km | 1x (sharpening) | 1x | 1x | DELOAD |
Meso 2: Threshold + VO2max (Weeks 5-8)
| Week | Run Vol | Quality Runs | Swim | Strength | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W5 (Apr 13) | ~32 km | 2x | 2x | 2x | Race-pace strides introduced (200m) |
| W6 (Apr 20) | ~36 km | 2x | 2x | 2x | Longer VO2max reps, progressive tempo |
| W7 (Apr 27) | ~40 km | 2x | 2x | 2x | Push VO2max pace if ready |
| W8 (May 4) | ~27 km | 1x (sharpening) | 1x | 1x | DELOAD + formal zone recalibration |
Meso 3: Speed Development (Weeks 9-12)
| Week | Run Vol | Quality Runs | Swim | Strength | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W9 (May 11) | ~40 km | 2x | 2x | 2x | Race-pace 400s, long threshold |
| W10 (May 18) | ~44 km | 2x | 2x | 2x | Longer race-pace reps |
| W11 (May 25) | ~48 km | 2x | 2x | 2x | Peak volume + intensity |
| W12 (Jun 1) | ~32 km | 1x (sharpening) | 1x | 1x | DELOAD + zone recalibration |
Meso 4: Race Prep + Taper (Weeks 13-16)
| Week | Run Vol | Quality Runs | Swim | Strength | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W13 (Jun 8) | ~42 km | 2x | 2x | 2x | Brick sessions, race-pace 600-800s |
| W14 (Jun 15) | ~40 km | 2x | 2x | 2x | Race simulation #1 |
| W15 (Jun 22) | ~35 km | 2x | 1x | 1x | Race simulation #2 (full dress) |
| W16 (Jun 28) | ~20 km | 1x (sharpening) | 1x | 0 | TAPER |
Weekly Structure
Build Weeks (most weeks)
| Day | Session | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | Easy run + strides | 5-8 km, Z2. Strides get faster over weeks. |
| Tue | KEY: VO2max intervals | Pre-fuel. Hardest run of the week. |
| Wed | Strength A + swim | Legs/plyos/core, then easy swim |
| Thu | KEY: Tempo/threshold | Pre-fuel. Progressive pacing. |
| Fri | Strength B | Upper + posterior chain. NO legs. |
| Sat | Long run | Z2, longest run of the week. |
| Sun | Easy run or swim | Recovery. Low impact. |
Deload Weeks (W4, W8, W12)
| Day | Session |
|---|---|
| Mon | Easy run (4-5 km) |
| Tue | Sharpening (short, fast, full recovery) |
| Wed | Strength (light, 1 session) |
| Thu | Zone recalibration test (TT or tempo check) |
| Fri | Rest |
| Sat | Easy long run (reduced) |
| Sun | Easy swim or rest |
Strength Structure
Strength A (Wednesday) — Running Support
- Plyometrics (box jumps, bounding) — FIRST when fresh
- Single-leg machine work (leg press, calf raises)
- Core with breathing (dead bugs, pallof press)
- Light arm accessories
- ~40-45 min
Strength B (Friday) — Muscle Preservation
- Upper pull (pull-ups, face pulls)
- Upper push (DB incline press)
- Posterior chain (hip thrust, slow eccentric leg curl, RDL)
- Core (plank walkout, copenhagen plank)
- NO plyos, NO leg press, NO squats
- ~35-40 min
Progression Targets
| Metric | Week 1 | Week 8 | Week 12 | Week 16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly volume | ~20 km | ~40 km | ~48 km | ~42 km (pre-taper) |
| Easy pace | 5:30-6:00 | ~5:15-5:35 | ~5:00-5:20 | Natural |
| Tempo pace | 5:00-5:20 | ~4:40-4:55 | ~4:20-4:35 | Near R2 target |
| VO2max pace | 4:00-4:20 | ~3:45-4:00 | ~3:30-3:45 | Near R1 target |
| R1 pace (3:15) | Not yet | Short strides | 400m reps | 800m reps, sim |
| Long run | 7 km | 12 km | 16 km | 12 km (tapering) |
Pre-Session Fueling (KEY Days)
- Timing: 60 min before KEY sessions
- Amount: 30-50g fast-acting carbs
- Options: Banana + honey, rice cakes, sports drink, medjool dates
- Hydration: 250-500ml water + electrolytes in the 2 hours prior
Do NOT run KEY sessions fasted.
Breathing Protocol
2:2 cadence (inhale 2 steps, exhale 2 steps) on all tempo/threshold. Shifts to 2:1 for Z5 work. If 2:2 breaks at tempo pace, the pace is too fast for that session.
Dead Bugs remain primary core exercise for diaphragmatic retraining.