Day: April 30, 2026

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Preparatory Phase – Key Training Fundamentals

Last week we spoke about the Preparatory (General Base Preparation) Phase of a Training Program. If you missed it, you can read more here.

This week we expand on the key fundamentals we focus on during this block.

These principles underpin everything we do at this time of year. They are not just “boxes to tick” — they are the foundation that supports long-term performance, durability, and consistency. Our focus is simple: building strong, resilient, and well-rounded athletes.

Key fundamentals we focus on during this Phase

1. Resilience

This phase is intentionally designed to be lower stress and more controlled.

Sessions should be approached with patience and discipline — not chasing numbers or performance metrics every day. The ego needs to take a back seat here.

We have time on our side, so this is about:

  • Building consistency
  • Improving recovery capacity
  • Allowing the body to adapt positively to load

Learn to absorb training now, so you can express fitness later.

2. Strength

Strength is a critical pillar for endurance athletes.
We aim to focus on:

  • Tendon and muscle resilience
  • Joint stability and mobility
  • Range of motion and movement quality
  • Injury prevention and durability

We’ve already begun laying the foundation in this area, and we will continue to progressively build on it into next month and beyond.

3. Metabolic Efficiency

This refers to the body’s ability to utilise fat as a fuel source during aerobic work.
This aligns closely with our low-stress endurance training.

For some athletes, this may include:

  • Completing selected aerobic sessions in a fasted state
  • Minimising fuelling during longer low-intensity sessions

However, it is equally important to:

  • Refuel properly post-session
  • Maintain overall energy availability across the day

If you’re unsure how this applies to you, please reach out for guidance.

4. Aerobic Capacity

This is about building the size and ceiling of your engine through controlled high-intensity work.

Typically, this includes:

  • Short intervals (generally under 3 minutes)
  • High-intensity efforts with full commitment
  • Sessions designed to challenge oxygen uptake (VO₂ max development)

This work sits at the opposite end of the spectrum to our aerobic endurance sessions.

Note: this type of training is only introduced when a solid endurance base is in place. Some athletes will not yet see this in their program, and that is intentional.

5. Strength Endurance

This is the bridge between pure strength and endurance.
It focuses on producing force under fatigue and includes:

  • Low cadence, high resistance bike work
  • Hill reps and strength-based running
  • High torque efforts where muscular demand is prioritised over cardiovascular pace

Everyone will see some form of this work in their program, as it plays a key role in durability and performance.

Putting it all together

If you consistently:

  • Complete hard sessions hard
  • Complete easy sessions easy
  • Respect the purpose of each session
  • Trust the structure of the program

Then you will progress.

More importantly, you will arrive at your race preparation phase fit, strong, resilient, and ready to perform.

This is where seasons are truly built — not in the final 8–10 weeks before a race, but right now.

Stay consistent, trust the process, and keep building the base that everything else depends on.

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Understanding your training – The Preparatory Phase

A lot of triathletes are about to – or already have, started to move into the Preparatory Phase, often referred to as the General Base Phase, of their training cycle. This is an important time of year and a valuable opportunity to focus on the key fundamentals that set up success later in the season.

While there is still a strong focus on improvement, the overall training load and intensity are typically lower than during build or race-specific phases. Think of this block as building the engine, strengthening the chassis, and laying the foundations for harder work to come.

This phase generally lasts 8–12 weeks, depending on your goals, experience, and race calendar.

Key Focus Areas of the Preparatory / General Base Phase

During this phase, training is designed to develop the following areas:

  • Creating consistent habits and routines
    Regular training, recovery, sleep, and nutrition habits that support long-term progress.
  • Technical development
    Improving swim efficiency, bike skills, run mechanics, transitions, and movement quality.
  • Strength and durability
    Building resilience through strength work, mobility, and injury prevention habits.
  • End-of-range / top-end stimulus
    Small touches of speed, cadence, power, or higher-end efforts to maintain neuromuscular sharpness.
  • Aerobic development
    A strong emphasis on low-intensity aerobic work (often low heart rate / MAF style training) to improve endurance and efficiency.
  • Lower overall life stress
    Compared with race season, this phase often allows a more manageable balance between training, family, and work commitments.

All live training sessions, coaching conversations, and weekly programming are built around what is most appropriate for this phase of the year. It is very different from race-phase training, so it’s important to understand that not every session is meant to leave you exhausted.

Understanding Session Structure

Progression can happen through a number of different ways within a training program. This can include:

  • More repetitions
  • Longer durations
  • Increased intensity
  • Reduced recovery periods
  • Improved technical execution
  • Greater consistency week to week

When you understand the purpose behind each session, it becomes easier to trust the process and execute it properly.

When you are asked to go easy, make sure you do. Easy sessions help absorb training, build aerobic fitness, and prepare you for the harder sessions.

When you are asked to go hard, commit to it.

Many athletes struggle because they train too hard on easy days and not hard enough on key days. If you can master the balance between easy and hard, you unlock a much higher level of athletic potential.

Flexibility and Scalability

You will also notice that sessions often include room for adjustment. This is intentional.

Training should be structured, but also flexible enough to account for real life. On any given day, you may need to scale a session based on:

  • Fatigue
  • Work or family commitments
  • Stress levels
  • Recovery status
  • Illness niggles or soreness
  • Weather or time limitations

Scaling may mean:

  • Shortening duration
  • Reducing intervals or repetitions
  • Lowering intensity
  • Changing terrain or mode of session

Always begin with the intention of completing the session as prescribed. But if circumstances require adjustment, make the smart decision, complete what you can, and communicating with your coach afterwards is the key to ensure you and your coach are on the same page.

Final Coaching Thoughts:

“The Preparatory Phase is where great seasons are built. It may not always feel glamorous, but consistency during this block creates the fitness, strength, and confidence that race performances are built on later in the year.”

Trust the process, stay patient, and keep stacking good, consistent weeks together.

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