Coronavirus Endurance Training Tips

Free expert advice, training plans, home workouts and more

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Has your event been cancelled or postponed due to COVID-19? 

Here we provide advice and resources to help you continue training for triathlon, IRONMAN, duathlon, cycling and running. Even though your event may now feel a long way off, training consistently all-year-round is the ‘golden ticket’ to successful racing.

Three key measures we're taking:

1. Free advice

We will continually share help-articles, videos and guides – to help you adjust your own training at this time (read our top FAQs below).

2. Free resources

We will provide resources for free, including Dryland Swim Plans to be used with your existing triathlon plan, Strength & Conditioning guides and simple PDF training plans.

3. Flexible training

Brand new: freely swap between all 800 of my premium plans as your situation changes, plus Premium TrainingPeaks and email coach support for one low monthly fee.

1. Free advice

In this section we’ll summarise our most frequently asked questions and keep updating it as things progress. We’ve also created a Coronavirus Training Advice page over on our MyProCoach Help Center – or you can also browse and search our entire library of over 150 training articles over there too (you don’t need one of our plans).

FAQ’s

    1. Maintain your fitness with one of our Fitness Maintenance plans. They are designed to keep you fit, with slightly less training – ideal when you have no immediate races planned.
    2. Choose a longer length of plan for a gradual build towards a race later in the year.
    3. Look for an alternative target, such as a Virtual race, a personal solo effort or an organised socially distanced event and continue to train to race as normal.

Training is one of the best things you can do. It will help you stay motivated as well keep you fit and healthy. Once normality and racing opportunities return, you will be more ready to race, than if you let training slip. It is important to keep in mind the bigger and longer-term picture of training and racing. Consistently training will boost your future performances. 

Times like these call for innovative solutions to keep you fit, healthy and motivated. Virtual racing can be performed within any environment available to you at this time. That might be around your local park, on your bike trainer or treadmill.
Whether you choose to race competitively against other virtual racers, or simply enter to stay motivated and achieve short-term personal goals. The training and racing activities you take on now, will go a long way to support your longer-term goals.
Zwift and RGT Cycling have a well-established schedule of race opportunities for cyclists, and IRONMAN has a Virtual Club where you can find virtual events. 

What should I do…

The strength and conditioning workouts in our training plans include a PDF with instructions, images and videos and shows you how to perform the exercises at home with minimal equipment. 

Our plans have two or three scheduled swim workouts each week. You can replace these with dryland swim strength, run or bike workouts. Aim to select the discipline to bring you the most gains according to your own abilities. Swapped workouts should not impact how well you carry out your planned workouts. If unsure, please get in touch with our coaching team.

  • Take your swim sabbatical as an opportunity to build overall strength as well as focus on swim specific exercises and core strength: check out our full Swim Strength exercise guide with videos.
  • You can also check these videos from Global Triathlon Network; Strength Workouts and Dryland Band and Swim Cord Workouts.
  • Consider our Indoor Triathlon Plans (see ‘Flexible Training’ below).
  • Improve your running and bike fitness by adding one or two sessions each week.

You can follow your bike sessions on an indoor trainer. Our workouts export easily to software such as Zwift and Garmin, for you to follow your workouts on-screen. 

If you don’t have an indoor trainer, then replace your bike workouts with home strength workouts – and occasional easy-intensity, short runs (to avoid injury). Choose exercises from your Strength and Conditioning PDF that focus on muscle groups key for riding.

Also check this video from Global Triathlon Network for more on this: Strength for Cyclists.

If running outdoors becomes restricted and you don’t have a treadmill, replace your run workouts with cycling workouts (of a similar type) – or strength and conditioning workouts. Choose exercises from your Strength and Conditioning PDF that focus on muscle groups that are key for running.

You can also check these videos from Global Triathlon Network for more on this: Strength for Running and Six Exercises to Run Faster.
When you can re-commence run training, you may need to scale back the volumes and intensities. Aim to gradually progress these by about 8 to 12% each week until you can realign with your plan.

If you’re using a TrainingPeaks plan, most can be used multiple times for free (including ours). You can realign your plan in your calendar to be in peak shape for your new race date. Here is how to do that:

  • In the Calendar view within TrainingPeaks, you will see a Training Plan Library tab on the left with a logo that looks like a book or file.
  • Click on this, and you will see a list of any training plans you have bought.
  • Remove your training plan that you applied (you won’t lose completed workouts).
  • You can then re-apply choosing to end on the nearest Sunday to your new race date.
  • Once you have done this, you will be able to see all your workouts.
  • Double-check the plan aligns correctly with your race date.

Take the opportunity to work on specific areas to make fitness gains. You may find it helpful to add in some coached swim sessions, take some long rides to improve endurance fitness, head to the track or hit the gym to boost strength. 

Learn more in our help centre: Coronavirus – How to Adjust Your Plan for Cancelled/Postponed races

When restrictions are lifted, you may have had a break from one or more of your disciplines. To recommence training, you will need to scale back to avoid injury. Gradually progress volumes and intensities by about 8 to 12% each week until you can realign with your plan. Don’t rush back and put yourself at risk of injury, it’s just not worth it.

2. Free resources

Free 8- and 12-Week Training Plans (PDFs)

Available for triathlon and running, these basic plans are designed to get you in peak shape for a target event. They will help you stay on track, with a simple, short-term focus, while life feels uncertain and compromised. Just click the “Free Download” button on the following training plan pages:

Free Dryland Swim Plans for use with Phil’s Triathlon plans

These TrainingPeaks plans can be used in conjunction with your current triathlon plan. They feature 2 or 3 dryland swim workouts per week, designed to replace your scheduled pool and/or open water swims.

Dryland Swim Plans for use with Phil’s Triathlon Plans.

3. Flexible training

MyProCoach™ UNLIMITED Athlete

We have created a new, more flexible service called MyProCoach™ UNLIMITED AthleteYou can swap between all 800+ MyProCoach plans, choose to include TrainingPeaks Premium and benefit from ongoing email coach support.

  • Swap plans at any time: Is your event cancelled or postponed? Finding your plan too hard or too easy? Signed up for a different event? Or simply want to start fresh? We’ll happily swap your plan whenever you want.
  • Certified Coach support: On top of full help-centre & FAQ support (with videos), our coaches will quickly reply to any training questions via email or Facebook messenger.
  • From $4.85 per week
  • 30-day moneyback guarantee
  • Learn more here >>

Fitness Maintenance Plans on TrainingPeaks

These plans (up to 24 weeks) were designed for end-of-season recovery and fitness maintenance. But they are also ideal for maintaining your fitness when life throws you a curveball. They’re hosted on the TrainingPeaks platform, which means you’ll benefit from workouts you can export to your devices and follow on-screen.

Indoor Triathlon Plans

We have designed two training plans designed specifically with indoor-training options and tips so that you can maintain your training. These plans are also featured on the TrainingPeaks plan store homepage.

Good luck and stay healthy
Phil Mosley (Coach & Founder)
Phil Mosley (Coach & Founder)

Phil is a recognised expert in the field, having featured on many endurance sports publications. He founded MyProCoach in 2010 to sell premium training plans complete with email coach support for triathlons, duathlons, running & cycling.

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Planning Your Off-Season

You can start our Off-Season (Fitness Maintenance) plans anytime you like.

They’re designed to help you maintain a good level of fitness when you’re not specifically targeting an event, such as, during the off-season, or anytime you’re taking a break from racing.

Planning For Your Event

For the best outcome, input the date for your “A” target race and the tool will default to a plan that will fill that gap nicely. If you want, you can then adjust the plan length to start it on a different day.

Note that you can still work in other, smaller races during your plan too!

The longer plans start easier and progress more gradually. This has a bearing on the difficulty level you choose. For example, a 12-week plan starts off at a higher level than a 36-week plan because with 12 weeks left there’s not as much opportunity to build up slowly.
Short Medium Long
Duration
4-12 weeks
14-24 weeks
27+ weeks
Required fitness level
Higher
Moderate
Lower
Training phases
2~4
5~7
8+
Fitness tests
1~2
3~4
5+
Our Standard and Masters plans are designed to get you ready for your target event, while our Off-Season plans allow you to recover from a tough season but still maintain your well-earned fitness.
STANDARD MASTERS OFF-SEASON
Approx. age
Under 40
Over 40
Any
Recovery weeks
Every 4 weeks
Every 3 weeks
N/A
Strength sessions
1-2 per week
2 per week
1-2 per week
Likely goal
Train for event
Train for event
Maintain fitness
This table provides a brief overview of which level might be right for you, to help you get the most out of your plan. You should also note your current fitness levels and how many times you have done this event before.
BEGINNER INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED
Experience
Little to none
1-3 years
3+ years
Time to train
Limited
Moderate
Ample
Likely goal
To finish
At least top half
Competitive
All our plans are available either for sale directly on the TrainingPeaks Store (where you can also see screenshots of sample weeks), or you can subscribe as an Unlimited Athlete to be able to swap freely between all of them, among other benefits outlined below.
BUY SUBSCRIBE
Price
$24 to $159 per plan
From $24 per mth
Flexible, structured training
TrainingPeaks training app
Coaching videos, articles & FAQs
Email coach support

During plan only

Anytime
Swap freely between all 900+ plans
Help setting up your training zones
Coach fortnightly engagement check
Discounted TrainingPeaks Premium (optional)
30-day moneyback guarantee
We're Sorry To See You Go!

Please confirm your cancellation below and one of our team will process it as soon as possible (stopping all future payments). Your subscription will still continue until the end of your current billing cycle (your “next payment date”) and there is nothing else you need to do.

Don’t worry, you will always be able to access your completed workouts and your TrainingPeaks login credentials will stay the same. Also, if any payments happen to come out before we cancel your subscription, we’ll simply refund them.