Hi all, I’ve been using TR on and off for the past few years as a training aid while following outside plans (like from online or a coach). I’ve decided to move to using TR for my cycling training plan full time as I prep for next year, with my main focus being 70.3 racing. (I’ll also do some Olympic distance racing and middle distance road racing (100km-100mi) as well, though those are less important.) This will be my 3rd season of tri and cycling training - mainly just looking to continue getting faster/stronger at these sustained 2-4 hour efforts.
My question is — which of the specialty phases should I choose based on these goals? I don’t want to use the half-distance plan as I already have separate swim/run programming from an outside source. Based on the descriptions and research, I’ve narrowed it down to three options:
- TT (40k), Climbing RR, and Gran Fondo
Using plan builder, the base and build phases are straightforward and all suggest doing General Base 1/2/3 followed by Sustained Power Build. However, the specialty phases differ (obviously), and I can’t decide which would be most effective for the racing I’m interested in. The interval days are the key diffference:
- TT (40k): 2 intervals days both focused on sustained threshold work near FTP
- Climbing RR: 1 VO2 Max day, and 1 threshold day
- Gran Fondo: 1 threshold day & 1 SS day
Any suggestions on which of these three I should choose would be great! FWIW: I’ll be doing a MV Masters plan to manage with the rest of my training. Currently at an FTP of ~3.5-3.6 W/kg, ~10hr/wk over the past year (first full year of consistent tri training), planning to do ~12hr/wk this spring in prep for next year, 24M.
Hey @nmeyer41,
Welcome to the forum! 
We’re glad to have you back on TR. 
For highly sustained work I’d definitely recommend the 40kTT plan as it’s the most specific to that type of effort.
It does this mostly through threshold workouts though, so if you want more variety or feel the need to do work below threshold if that’s what better matches the demands of your event, I’d say the Gran Fondo plan is also a really good option. In that plan, you’ll get some traditional VO2 Max work as well as some Sweet Spot which could be great for 70.3 training.
The 40K TT plan can be quite a lot to handle. 
I used this plan as a form of cross-training for a spring half-marathon last winter, and the repeated Threshold workouts can be mentally and physically fatiguing, so just make sure you’re checking in with yourself often if you go that route.
We’ve got the right tools in place to get you through it, of course, but it’s worth noting that of all the TR plans I’ve done in the past, this one did feel difficult in its own way. Maybe it was all the running though – who knows? 
Either plan could work really well for you, and since you’re following a Masters plan, maybe the 40k TT plan is the way to go. 
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my vote is also for TT plan. I’ve matched 56 mi splits from 25 years ago using the TT plan
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It sounds like the TT plan and the Gran Fondo plan would be more aligned to 70.3 type racing than the Climbing RR plan then. Of these two, does it make more sense to only drill threshold work (TT) or split between threshold and closer-to-race-pace SS efforts (Fondo)? From a specificity standpoint, it seems like the Fondo plan would be more ideal, though maybe focusing on only threshold work would still provide the same improvement to race efforts. Curious about thoughts on this.
I think the other plans assume more of a standard bike race format - sit in the pack and draft, then respond to surges, attacks, climbs etc; whereas the TT plan is definitely focused on a non-drafting solo effort holding essentially the same pace the whole way