Like @Tim_P, I would like to see more detail on the running and swimming sides of the TR triathlon plans. I raised those concerns in a thread a while back:
That being said, I’ve noticed that not many people on this thread have addressed @Tim_P’s main concern/ question: “I’m looking for feedback from people who have followed the TR plans to a “T”. How well did it prepare you for race day?”
As of today, I have followed the TR plan about as closely as possible. I’m doing the mid-volume full distance plan in preparation for IM Texas. I have completed the 12-week base and 8-week build phases. I have missed only five of a possible 220 workouts and have varied from the TR script just in a few small ways. For instance, I do different swimming drills. While I cannot yet comment on how well it prepared me for the IM, I can say that I’m as fast and fit as I’ve ever been. I switched to triathlons about six years ago after a decade of marathon running. About a month ago I ran less than a minute off my half-marathon PR, which I set at age 38 at the height of my marathon fitness. I’m now 46 and running half the volume I was during marathon training.
I’ll try to revisit this thread in eight weeks after TX, but for now I will say that 20 weeks into TR triathlon training my answer is: “yes, it prepares you. It prepares you really well”.