Picking a plan when I don't have any races this summer

Training
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Hey friends,

New to TrainerRoad, but very excited to dive in. I’ve got a pretty long background timewise, but I’ve hit the point where I realized that just riding a bunch has sorta plateaued.

I’ve got an IM under my belt, and just did two 50s (running) this spring. Thing is, I’m not THAT fast, and I’m ready to put the work in to change that. LSD run pace of appx 10:00, FTP guessing at about 175 (6ft, 160lb, 30M). Ramp test tomorrow.

My goals this summer are to get faster, point blank. I might throw a race in for fun, but consider my 2019 to be just one long workout. I may be moving cross country anyway, so I’m resistant to signing up for anything.

So here’s the deal: Do I go with a triathlon base, or more of just a cycling plan? I understand that obviously there are compromises, so maybe the answer is just, “well what do you want to be faster at,” but I’d love to learn what y’all think. And then, is there any opinion as to what distance of a tri plan to select, if I go that route? I was thinking maybe the half, just to get a bit of higher end stuff in there, vs quit so much Z2? But ultimately I am open to absorbing the group’s knowledge.

TLDR: I want to get faster and I’m a triathlete; should I pick a tri plan even if I don’t have any races coming? If so, what distance? I have 8-10mos.

Thank you!

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Hi there and welcome to TR!

You can go many ways, i would suggest you consider how much relative focus on the bike you want and if you want a pre-made plan or assemble stuff yourself.

As for the integrated tri plans: All plans will make you faster but if you are looking to do long distance tri I wouldn’t consider the sprint plans. The time commitment of a HIM or IM plan is serious, so you’ve got to bring the time to benefit from them.
If you look for an integrated plan, going with Oly or HIM LV or MV is probably not a bad starting point.

On the other hand, Sweet Spot Base and Short Power Build are a nice combination to elevate your bike skills to a new level. I have previously integrated bike-only plans with my own run/swim workouts, but you could also add them from a triathlon plan.

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That makes sense, thank you much!