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As a new Squad athlete, we realize the programming in Today’s Plan can feel a little overwhelming. We recognize there are a lot of options for you to choose from in Today’s Plan and it's difficult to know when to apply the appropriate race build for your different events. It’s important to note we intentionally designed the Tri Squad programming in this way to accommodate a variety of athlete’s needs, abilities, and desires. The programming is highly flexible to meet you where you are today and customizable to evolve with you as you grow as an athlete.
To make the Squad program work for you, ask yourself what category you fit in:
- A triathlete who loves the details and wants to be immersed in the journey: The athlete who might not be obsessed with winning or chasing podiums, but does want to improve, and as a part of the journey they love the tech, metrics, toys, and analysis that comes with the sport. A part of the passion is digging deep into your own training plan and playing with software and training toys.
If this sounds like you, you have a treasure trove of race builds at your disposal and will have fun driving your performance journey with these resources. However, remember that even in this, you'll only use race builds a couple times a year for your main A-races.
- A triathlete who just wants to execute: A big difference. Results driven and wanting to improve while thriving in life, but has little time, energy, or desire to over-read, play with the software, or dig into metrics.
If this sounds like you, simply follow the Baseline Plan. You can ignore all of the other Race Plans available to you in Today’s Plan. The Baseline Plan is powerful and delivers proven results.
Some of our most successful athletes have achieved great things on Baseline, including multiple age group world champions. The Baseline Plan is specific and progressive and gets 90% of people 95% of the way there.
How do I maintain focus on the Baseline Plan or handle smaller races through the season? Commit to stick on the Baseline plan and synch with our Tri Squad rhythm. After you have added your races, simply apply the Race Off the Baseline plan on the Monday of the week of your races. This build includes a recovery week, and then it seamlessly transitions back into the Baseline Plan. No more thought needed!
Are there exceptions to these rules? Yes. Read more about when to apply a plan here.
Other FAQs:
- Why are there so many Race Builds? There are lots of options of Race Builds to serve nearly every type of triathlete, even the most obsessive. The race plans cater to almost every need, including the level of athlete and distance of events. This translates to a robust library that can be a little overwhelming at first glance.
- Are Race Builds critical to my performance? Here is a tip -- straight from Matt Dixon -- not really! “What?!” you might say, but it is true. While we appreciate that many athletes enjoy the specific countdown to events, and some advanced athletes require that next level of specificity, the vast majority of Squad athletes will perform and improve using the Baseline program throughout the season. The only add-on would be a simple race week and recovery drop in around events. Don’t believe us? See the note above - Almost every Tri Squad athlete follows the Baseline Plan for 9+ months of the year.
For any athlete, if you want coaching advice and customization, great! We are here to help. A coach can build your specific lead-in to your A race or help you adjust your week or offer a fresh perspective on your training and strategy.
Purchase a discounted consultation HERE.