Hi all - I’ve been using a TR sprint triathlon plan for the last 6 months or so and am coming to the end of the season (in Australia) now. My last race is this weekend and my current plan has a week of recovery after that and then ends.
The question is - what to do over the winter off season? My next tri race would be November. I’m also keen to work on increasing my FTP.
So options might be:
- Start a new sprint tri training plan aiming toward next season’s races.
- Start a different plan for winter based on increasing FTP.
- Something else?
Will TR realise that it’s the end of the season (and I might need a bit of a mental break before getting back to structured training) or would I be best to take a few weeks off myself before starting any new plan?
Cheers!
I can’t answer the sprint tri specific stuff but for this TR doesn’t know that you want a period of unstructured riding. So you have to manage that yourself.
If it were me, I would still come up with some general weekly outline (especially if you’re still trying to juggle the three sports) but have a couple more group rides and just trying to fit in more of the rides you wish you did more but are hard to fit with the training structures.
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Hey @moonman!
Congrats on finishing the season–I hope it was a good one!
You’ve got a lot of time before your next race, so it’s a great idea to take a break and reset before jumping back into structured training. That way, you’ll start fresh—both physically and mentally—so you’re ready to put in quality work.
We don’t schedule time off for you, but we recommend athletes take at least 1 to 3 weeks off after their season. That can mean totally stepping away from the bike, doing some easy spins, or just riding for fun—whatever helps you feel recharged.
When you’re ready to start training again, I’d recommend running through Plan Builder and setting “Increasing FTP” as your goal. With ample time before your event, you can focus on increasing your FTP before getting into more specific training closer to your event. Plan Builder will build you a training plan that will improve your ability to hold higher power for longer by focusing on efforts at and around threshold and building your ability to sustain them.
As you get closer to your A race for this upcoming season, I’d suggest you go through Plan Builder again and target your event-specific goals. Starting a plan that targets your A race/goal about 12-16 weeks in advance is a solid strategy.
Here are some resources that you might find hellpful:
Let us know if you have any questions—happy to help!
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Thanks Sarah, that’s really helpful!
I checked out the “Increase FTP” option and I like the way it analysed my training history - will be great when the triathlon plans can do that too 
It came up with 3 rides a week. I assume I’d be good to slot in some runs and swims around those?
Ahh, brilliant! I’m excited to see how you get on!
Right now, Plan Builder focuses on cycling activities when recommending your training plan volume, so it doesn’t automatically factor in running or swimming. That said, given your consistency in both sports, you should be able to integrate some runs and swims alongside the three recommended rides per week.
The key will be monitoring your recovery—keep an eye on how many red and yellow days appear on your Calendar and, most importantly, how your body feels. If you start struggling to complete your cycling workouts, it might be worth reassessing your running and swimming volume to maintain the right balance.
Looking forward to hearing how it goes! 