Category: Coaching

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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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How to Train for a Mountain Run When You Live in Flat Country

By Coach Sarah

At the end of last year, I dabbled in a couple of shorter trail runs (around 25km). I was in it for the scenery, the enjoyment, and a bit of a challenge—without focusing too much on specific training. My longest runs were about 25km on the flat, with no hill work at all (mainly because… we live in flat country!).

Surprisingly, things went pretty well. I podiumed in my solo event at Wonderfalls in August (1100m of elevation—which, by the way, I highly recommend if you’re looking for an incredible trail event), and a month later I was a late call-up for a team at the Surf Coast Century. We ended up winning the female category, with my leg being 28km and 700m+ of elevation.

I love running off-road. There’s something about trails that makes it so much more enjoyable than always being on the road. You can switch off from the watch, immerse yourself in nature, and take on the challenge of the terrain. It’s freeing. If you don’t run trails much, I can’t recommend it enough.

After those two events, I knew I wanted a bigger challenge in 2026. With a few locals always raving about Buffalo Stampede, I decided to give it a crack—locking in the marathon distance: 42km with 1600m of elevation. But what arguably makes it tougher is the 2600m of descending. There’s not much flat, flowing trail to settle into!

When I started planning my training, the big question was: How do you prepare for that kind of course when the biggest “hill” in town is the Twin Towns bridge?

Looking at the calendar, I knew I’d realistically only get 3–4 proper hilly runs in before race day—and that would have to be enough. I wasn’t willing to sacrifice multiple weekends travelling 1–3 hours just to find hills.

So instead, I focused on what I could control.

I banked kilometres. Built time on my feet. As much as I could, when I could.

That meant long runs, double run days, and back-to-back long runs. Some treadmill work. Minimal interval training to reduce injury risk while my volume was high. I also supplemented with swimming for fitness and recovery, and cycling for additional endurance and strength—without the constant impact of running (plus, I still enjoy the occasional triathlon!).

When I could, I added in some strength work, along with regular infrared sauna and ice baths for recovery. And, of course, prioritised fuelling well to support performance, recovery, and adaptation.

In the final 10 weeks leading into the race, I built some really solid consistency:

  • 668km total (avg. 67km/week)
  • Smallest week: 35km | Biggest week: 106km
  • Four runs over 3 hours
  • 1 run 300m vert, 1 run 700m vert, 1 run 1400m vert
  • 4 x short treadmill hill runs, 1 stair run
  • Plenty of 2–2.5 hour runs
  • Longest run: 44km (on the flat)
  • Toughest session: 4 hours in Bright (30km with 1400m elevation)

Come race week, I felt as prepared as I could be. The body felt great—no niggles. Energy and mood were high, and I was excited (and a little nervous!) to take on the course, including the infamous Dingos Ridge.

And wow—it lived up to its reputation.

Just under 7km from bottom to top, taking me nearly 1 hour 20 minutes to climb. That tells you everything you need to know about the pace!

Overall, I felt strong all day. The body held up, and fuelling was good—although I probably could have eaten more. With so much technical descending and steep climbing, it’s hard to focus on anything other than the trail right in front of you.

Could I have gone faster with more hill training? Absolutely.
Do I regret not doing more? Not at all.

I felt prepared, capable, and most importantly—I enjoyed the experience, no matter how tough it was.

I went in with a goal of sub-5:30 and crossed the line in 5:16, placing 6th in F40–49. Challenged, accomplished, and already thinking about what’s next.

So if you’re looking for a race that’s less about speed and more about how you handle the terrain—this is one to add to your calendar.

Coaching Takeaways: You Don’t Need Hills to Train for a Hilly Race

If you’re living in flat country but eyeing off a hilly event, here are a few key lessons from my experience:

  • You don’t need perfect conditions—just consistency.
    You might not have access to hills, but you can control your weekly volume and time on feet. That matters more than you think.
  • Time on legs is your biggest asset.
    Long runs, back-to-back days, and building durability will prepare your body to handle the demands of climbing and descending.
  • Train smart to stay injury-free.
    When volume is high, you don’t need a lot of intensity. Keep intervals minimal and focus on staying consistent week to week.
  • Use cross-training to your advantage.
    Cycling and swimming can build endurance and strength without the added impact—helping you go longer and recover better.
  • Strength matters (especially for descents).
    Even a small amount of strength work can make a big difference when your legs are taking a pounding downhill.
  • Get specific when you can—but don’t stress if you can’t.
    A few hilly runs closer to race day are helpful, but they’re not the be-all and end-all.
  • Fuel and recover like it matters—because it does.
    High training loads require proper fuelling and recovery to adapt and perform.
  • Mindset is everything.
    You might not feel “perfectly prepared,” but trusting your training and embracing the challenge goes a long way.

Bottom line: Don’t let where you live limit what you think you’re capable of. You can absolutely train for a hilly race—even from the flattest of towns. 🙂

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First Time Ironman to Kona Qualifier

When Kerryn came to us 12 weeks ago to help her with the final part of her build to her first Ironman, our goal was to ultimately hear the words at the finish-line “YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!” And not only did Kerryn hear those magical words, the follow day it was followed with “YOU’RE HEADING TO THE WORLD CHAMPS!” “I still can’t believe that!” she said after she qualified.

Kerryn had a fantastic 3 months leading into Busso. We’d done enough to feel confident and capable, but not too much that we over cooked it. We logged some big training days (and weeks) in preparation, trialled and dialled in nutrition, done the heat prep and planned for all the ‘what if’s’ that can happen in an Ironman race day…

“Completing Ironman Western Australia in Busselton was one of the most physically and mentally demanding things I’ve done but also equally the most rewarding. It was capped off when I received a qualifying slot for Kona…I still can’t believe that!

Overall, for me, it was about finishing my first ironman and ideally hoping to do it in 12.5-13 hours. I found the windy conditions tough, so to sneak in at 12 hours 58 minutes was a relief! It was my first ever marathon and I wasn’t sure how I’d go doing it off the back of the swim and ride. I’m proud to have run most of it. I realised it was going to be touch and go on the last few km to get under 13 hours, so I told my brain and legs to shut up and ignore the pain I was feeling so I could pick the pace back up! Running along the famous foreshore past the crowds in that last km is something I’ll always remember and I felt like I was flying! ?

Thanks to Sarah for your coaching support over the past months to help me achieve this goal. I’ve learnt a lot from you.

I’m looking forward to the next chapter and training for Kona… but also looking forward to  a little break and eating icecream! I also now appreciate what the ‘post-Ironman walk’ feels like!” ~Kerryn

Swim: 1:38
Bike: 6:27
Run: 4:37
Overall: 12:58.11

Congrats again Kerryn, welcome to the IRONMAN club! And here’s to another Ironman build next year! ;-p

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First Time Ironman nailed it to a tee!

“Sarah – you believed in me this entire journey and we blardy did it!” – Matt

When most individuals set themselves a goal of completing their first Ironman, as a coach, I generally always give the advice of ‘first and foremost, the goal is to complete the Ironman, from start to finish, in as best shape possible.’ For most, that is enough, for many, even that won’t happen. Ironman is a long day. For most, anywhere from 10-15hours is where their day will finish. And for many, it will incorporate walking.

But when you are someone with natural ability, with an engine built on a swimming background, the willingness to do the hard yards and an eagerness to get the most out of himself, I knew this was going to be more than ‘just finishing’.

So starting his Ironman campaign in June, local to Echuca Moama, Matt Brooks set about the task of first racing in just his second Half Ironman at Sunshine Coast in September where he nailed the target goals we set and came in in 4:52.

As another ‘general rule of thumb’. If all things being equal, double your Half Ironman time and add 30min (give or take) and it can give you a rough guide on what an ironman time may predict. So for Matt, a rough prediction for him was a 10hrs:15min. He told me he would be stoked with that.

But as his training progressed, I knew we would be working on a faster time, as he continued to train, absorb the training load and improve. Matt was knew to cycling and so another few months in the legs and he was only going to get stronger. Plus the work we were doing with his race nutrition and hydration plan – including a sweat test which confirmed what we already knew – he was a prolific sweater! This was going to be super important going in to a race like Busso.

Fast forward to the weekend at Ironman Western Australia 2024, and Matt was so well prepared. His training went relatively stress free, he ticked off session after session, wekk after week. He trained mainly solo – which is no mean feat! And worked on keeping his body healthy and injury free during that time. Which is imperative to an Ironman build!

My main message going into the race: Ride your own race!
We knew Matt was going to get out of the swim at the pointy end of the field, but I also knew there would be a lot stronger riders around him. So it was imperative for him to settle in and ride his own race. To not get swept up in the moment and with others. And he stayed true to the plan and this paid dividends to his whole race overall!

THE RESULT: A sub 10 hour Ironman!

Based on the training and the conditions on the day, check out my predictions v’s Matts actual. Impressive!

PREDICTED:
Swim: 55-60min
Bike: 5:10-5:20hrs
Run: 3:25-3:35hrs

ACTUAL:
Swim: 1:01:59, 4th AG
Bike: 5:08:31, 22nd AG
Run: 3:30:45, 14th AG
Overall: 9:55:21, 15th AG

Full results here.

“I couldn’t have imagined a better first Ironman experience. I was so nervous about the weather and conditions, with heavy chop in the swim and crazy headwinds and rain on the bike and run… But I stuck to our race plan and just enjoyed the entire day! We can’t do it without the volunteers who are literally the best. And the support from home has been overwhelming so thanks to everyone and particularly Coach Sarah – you believed in me this entire journey and we blardy did it!” ~Matt

Congrats Matt – you deserved that result wholeheartedly!!

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Finding the right Coach for you

Searching for a new Coach can be a daunting experience; whether you are new to the sport of triathlon, or a seasoned triathlete. Many triathletes look for a Coach for structure and accountability that will ultimately lead them to performance gains, others are simply looking for guidance and support, to learn more about their chosen sport. No matter your reason, a Coach is an investment, so the decision on a Coach should be well thought out to ensure you find the right Coach for YOU, to ensure your performance, health and ultimately enjoyment of the support all go hand in hand.

The Coach’s Role
The role of a Coach can be varied based on what it is you are looking for and trying to achieve, along with your training history/past experience. When an athlete first starts out in triathlon, the Coachs role may be more focused on guiding, educating and supporting the athlete through the learning and developing phase to help develop the basic training fundamentals, principles and methods for training and developing a strong, robust and healthy body to undertake training load. As an athlete develops, the Coaches role would shift to ensure the athlete is continuing to practice and develop certain skills/technique, along with improving their knowledge, awareness and understanding of the program itself and the key fundamentals. It is important that a Coach continues to educate athletes through this phase to avoid over reaching/over training and burn out. As an athlete then continues to progress, a solid understanding of exercise physiology, the functions of workload, training fundamentals, principles and methods must be applied. And this is where a Coach should have up-to-date education and/or research in the areas of physiology, anatomy, nutrition and even sports psychology. This coupled with real life experience, lays the foundations for a quality Coach and a Coach that can develop an athlete from the ground up to reaching their optimal performance.

Finding the right Coach for you

Now that you have a better understanding of the role of a Coach, its time to establish what you are looking for in a Coach. This is where most athletes don’t know where to begin, I have listed 10 questions you can ask yourself before you go in the search of a new Coach. This will ensure you are clear on what you are looking for.

1. Why do you want a Coach?

Sounds like a simple question, but many don’t actually know WHY. So start by making a list on why you feel you want a Coach. This may change once you go through this process, and may also change as you continue your journey in the sport, but make a start and then come back and revisit i tat the end. Ask yourself the following questions: -Are you someone who needs the support of someone for motivation and goal setting? -Are you someone who needs structure, routine and a periodised program to follow?-Are you someone who is returning from injury or wants to avoid minimise the risk of injury?-Do you want to learn more about the sport from experts in their field? -Do you want to develop technique and skills specific to the sport? -Do you want to maximise your time spent training through purposeful and specific sessions/program? -Do you want help to decipher all the noise that is in the triathlon world? Remember it is an investment and you will be trusting your training to someone else, so its a decision you want to get right.

2. What is your budget?

A Coach is an investment, start your search with a budget in mind. However we often find athletes underestimate the value and cost in coaching, so as you proceed through your search, you may find that you will modify your original budget OR your expectations on the level of coaching service you can afford.The cost a Coach will generally depend on a combination of the coaches history/experience/successes and the type of service they offer. A highly successful proven coach, providing an individualised specific program will often charge more that of a new coach offering the same service, or a highly regarded coach providing less of a coaching service. So this is where it is important to determine what you are looking for in a coach and how that fits in with your budget.

3. What experience does the Coach have?

Do some research on the experience of the Coach. How many years have they been involved in the sport? How many years have they been coaching? What type of athletes do they coach? What coaching successes have they
achieved? What is their expertise? A Coach that has vast and proven experience at successfully coaching athletes has a bigger knowledge base to draw upon than someone who has only coached a small handful of people, so take this into consideration. Also remember – just because someone achieves a high level of personal success in the sport, doesn’t mean they automatically make a great coach or could be the right fit for you.

4. What is their Coaching Philosophy?

Research what their Coaching Philosophy is, and understand whether this philosophy sits well with you. Be open and honest, and ask questions. There is no single coaching formula that works for everybody, but you do need to have buy into the coaching philosophy of your Coach.This may also require additional research if you don’t know what different coaching philosophies look like. And if you ask the question, and they cannot answer, then I would rethink whether that Coach is the right coach for you.

5. What Coaching principles/methods do they coach by?

Again, there is no one right way to program and there is certainly more than one way to achieve the same result, but understanding what the Coaching principles, methods and program foundations of your Coach are will allow you to understand how your program will work and gauge whether it will be the right method for you. But ensure the program / coaching has your needs met and work around your life, including a balanced approach to achieving your goals and to ensure your longevity in the sport.

6. The Coaching Relationship A Coach/athlete relationship is extremely important

You want to be able to gel with your Coach so you can put your trust in them, and they can gain the most from you. Think about the relationship you want to have with your Coach and determine what is important to you on their style and qualities. Do you want a Coach that provides tough love/is a hard task master? Someone approachable and open? Do you want constant support? What communication style works for you? What kind of personality do you work well with?Make a list on what is important to you and make sure your Coach ticks these boxes.

7. How much contact do you want with your coach?

This is a big one, as different coaches offer different contact levels. This could be either face to face / group sessions, communication through email/phone/skype. It could be daily, weekly, monthly. The feedback you receive from a coach is just as important as the feedback you provide to your coach. So understand what amount of communication/contact you want with your coach as this will dictate the type of coaching/program you ultimately choose.

8. Do you want to be part of a Club/Squad/ Group Training?

Group sessions are a great way for athletes to receive instruction from coaches, meet new people, learn the fundamentals of triathlon training and push themselves in a group environment. Often athletes will follow the same or similar training program at sessions, with a coach guiding them through the session. Coaches may offer technique advice, modify the plan to meet the athletes individual needs, or at times it is up to the athlete to understand what is right for them and make their own modifications. If you are looking at group training, ensure you ask questions around coach/athlete ratios, what coaching is provided at the sessions, times and locations, what feedback is given and any additional costs involved to ensure you know what to expect. This often is a great way for athletes to start out in the sport, but often as athletes develop they opt to move to a more individualised coaching/program model. Oran athlete on an individualised program may opt into certain sessions (ie swim sessions) for coach/technique feedback in certain areas.

9. Do you want an individualised specific program designed for you?

There is a big difference in the offer of an individualised/personalised specific program versus group training. An individual program is tailored to your personal needs and will therefor include heart rate, duration and pace parameters suitable to your goals and current fitness level. It considers your strengths and weaknesses – therefore varying the type and frequency of these sessions (ie You wont find 2-3 x Swim, Bike, Run per week, all year round). It includes constant communication and feedback between coach and athlete and would include discussions about how you feel, your mental state, stress levels, your recovery techniques and current nutrition / sleep habits. You will expect to pay more for this type of coaching service compared to group training sessions. So if you are looking at an individual specific program, ensure your definition is the same as the Coaches. A fully individualised plan will be more expensive than a plan slightly modified template program, or a program given at group training sessions.

10. What are the Coaches expectations of you as an athlete?
It is important to understand what expectations your coach has of you. This can be things like: Type and amount of communication/feedback, protocols around injury/illness, time frames around notifying of events/races, adherence to training program etc. So ask your potential coach – what do they expect of you as an athlete, this will ensure that you are on the both page up front.

Here are some further questions to ask your potential Coach:

  • What is their Coaching specialty/expertise What are their qualifications/education?
  • What TYPE of program will be delivered? (ie individualised, template, group sessions)
  • How do they deliver the program? How do they facilitate communication / feedback?
  • What can you expect from them as a Coach?
  • What education do they provide their athletes for continual improvement?
  • What practitioners (if any) do they work closely with their athletes?

Once you have done your homework, get in contact with a few coaches that tick the boxes for you, and remember to keep in mind what commitment you want to make – both in time and money, and what you hope to get out of it.

Don’t be afraid to ask (more!) questions about how they will help you achieve your goals–no matter what your goals are. They are YOUR goals, so you must be happy with your decision.

And if you would like to organise a FREE coaching consultation, reach out to find out whether CPC is the right fit for you. 

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