Building MY Annual Training Plan
In my previous blog, Planning Early for Your Triathlon Racing Season Is the Key to Success, I shared why early preparation sets the foundation for better performance and a more enjoyable season. In this follow-up, I want to show you what that planning actually looks like in practice — by walking you through my own Annual Training Plan (ATP), my race classifications, and how each training phase fits together.
What is Annual Training Plan?
It’s the big-picture blueprint of your entire season. It’s where you map out your races, define your key events, set your training volume, and structure your phases so everything builds progressively toward peak performance.
Think of the ATP as the roadmap that ensures every week, every workout, and every block of training has a purpose.
When building an ATP, one of the first decisions is how to classify each race:
A Races – Your highest-priority events. Everything in your season builds toward these races. You taper, peak, and arrive fresh.
B Races – Important tune-up races. You put in a good effort but don’t fully taper for them. They help benchmark progress.
C Races – Low-stakes events, often used for training, testing, or sharpening skills. No taper, minimal disruption to training.
This simple classification system is essential for structuring your season without burning out or peaking too early.
My 2026 training plan based on the races I’ll compete in.
My 2026 Season Training starts mid November 2025
Preparation Phase (4 weeks)
A gentle entry into structured training — technique, easy aerobic work, strength, mobility.
No races. Just building momentum.
Base 1 Phase (4 weeks)
Laying aerobic groundwork with low-intensity volume and foundational skills.
No races.
Base 2 Phase (8 weeks)
More volume, more consistency, and the first moderate-intensity efforts.
➤ B Race: Half Marathon Amstelveen Netherlands
A great way to test running progress and aerobic durability.
Base 3 Phase (4 weeks)
Strength endurance, muscular resilience, and more sport-specific work.
No races — focusing on building depth before intensity increases.
Build 1 Phase (4 weeks)
Introducing race-specific work and higher-intensity intervals.
➤ B Race: Almere Bike Time Trial, Netherlands
Perfect for measuring cycling fitness before bigger events.
Build 2 Phase (4 weeks)
Intensity sharpens, sessions become more race-focused.Since I live in Netherlands we don’t have any hills to practice. This will be a nice challenge and test for my A race after.
➤ B Race: Ironman 70.3 Mallorca-Alcudia Spain
A key mid-season test to gauge fitness and race execution.
After the race I will fly to Ardennen, Belgium to join Team Training camp, to get more hills practice than I would get in Netherlands to prepare myself better for my upcoming A race.
Peak Phase (2 weeks)
Reduced volume, increased freshness, race-specific sharpening.
Race Week — A Race #1
🎯 Ironman Klagenfurt, Austria (A Race)
The primary goal of the first half of the season.
Transition week
Rest and recovery — essential before starting the next training cycle.
After the first A race and a short 1 week transition, I begin a second structured progression toward my final A race.
Base 2 Phase (2 weeks)
Rebuilding aerobic consistency.
Base 3 Phase (4 weeks)
More focused volume and strength endurance.
➤ B Race: DTS HlMRMEER, Netherlands
A solid test race heading into more intense training again.
Build 1 Phase (4 weeks)
Dialing in race-specific work.
➤ C Races:
Triahlon Epe, Netherlands - Team competition
DTS Ouderkerk, Netherlands
These serve as controlled training opportunities without disrupting progression.
Build 2 Phase (4 weeks)
Sharpening fitness and intensity ahead of the final peak.
➤ C Race: DTS Amsterdamse Bos, Netherlands
Another session-quality race for speed and execution.
Peak Phase (2 weeks)
Resting, absorbing the training, and preparing to perform.
Race Week — A Race #2
🎯 Ironman 70.3 Poreč, Croatia (A Race)
The final highlight of the season.
Closing Thoughts
Planning early is powerful, but planning smart is even better. By using ATP, defining ABC race priorities, and structuring the year into purposeful phases, I create a season with direction, balance, and room for both performance and enjoyment.
