I have no plan.

Wise man say, "If you fail to plan, then plan to fail."

That's how I used to do things.  Once I got a detailed plan, I found that I was a lot more consistant with my training.  I missed less workouts and saw much more improvement.  It just made things so much more structured for me and made it a lot harder for me to just say "I feel a little tired today, I'll just do a short easy run"

2007 and 2008 I used a coach.

For 2009 I decided to save myself $125 a month and to self-coach with a plan. I bought "Training Plans for Multisport Athletes" and have been using a Half Ironman training plan from there.

I do what the training plan calls for weekly- but I do it my own way. I have the long bikes and run sessions as laid out, but everything else I have fit it into MY schedule and what I know I'll do.

I have to have a plan. If I don't- I'll easily miss swim and run workouts. I also won't ramp my running up properly. I would be all over the place.

I need structure, or else I get lazy.

But hey, if just doing what you feel like works for you... then so be it. I'm sure it makes training more enjoyable.

I don't either.  When I started, I looked at them but I was somewhere between "beginner" and "intermediate".  I didn't see a "newb who is in better than average shape but new to endurance training".  I made my own.  It started out like this:

Monday  - weight training Chest and Triceps, abs
Tuesday - Swim A.M.   Run P.M.
Wed       - Bike
Thurs     -  Swim A.M   Run P.M.
Frid        -  weight training Back, Biceps, shoulder, abs
Sat        -   Bike
Sun       -   Swim and Run or mix of all three

I eventually removed the weights because quite frankly, I don't need it.  Due to time constraints and increased distances and the required time to complete them, I started splitting things up based on what my personal life dictates, muscle soreness and what I feel needs improved.  Now it's more commonly like:

Monday  - Swim
Tuesday - Run
Wed       - Bike
Thurs     -  Swim
Frid        -  Run
Sat        -   Bike
Sun       -   Whichever or a combo depending on time, weather, etc.

Bottom line is that I don't feel like I've been slacking.  I still have 4-5 weeks out from an OLY and I know I can do all the distances now.  These last 4-5 weeks are not so much working on distances as much as they are pushing harder to do the distances faster.  If I had to do the OLY today, I think it would take me 3.5 hours.  My goal is to do it under 3.

I'm sure someone will jump all over it and claim that it's wrong but I have to do what I have to do, when I can do it.  ;-)

Being fairly new to all of this(just completed my first sprint last weekend), I notice alot of you train 7 days a week. You don't ever get overtrained or feel rundown?
I have posted this before, but I come from the competitive weightlifting world and 4 days a week is max. or you will overtrain very quickly.
I have incorporated the tri training in with my heavy lifting and got it to around 5 days a week. Still trying to get it all figured out.

Heavy lifting = high intensity workouts which means a high need for recovery. 

Triathlon training means a focus on endurance and lots of low-to-moderate (with a smattering of high) intensity workouts and a much more 'manageable' recovery requirement.  That may, or may not, call for rest days in a 'typical' week.

I have no plan. But I've been a serious athlete since I was 5. I know how my body responds to training, I love to push workouts hard, and I just love training period (even more than races). I have weekly, monthly, and yearly volume goals but on a daily basis my workouts depend totally on the weather, my schedule, what I want to do, and where my body is in the fatigue cycle.

A more structured approach may give me better results but I just don't work that way. I tend to do whatever I want, whenever I want with everything. And I totally make it up as I go.

Depends on what time of year it is.  If I am training for a particular race I will have a plan.  Having a plan helps me achieve better race goals.  Having a plan also helps with planning day to day affairs with my wife.  I can give her my plan for the week and we can make plans on what would be the best night to have company for dinner, or what night is best to go shopping for something.  If it is the off-season I will do whatever strikes me that day.  Having no plan helps make it fun and avoid mental burnout.

well if your plan is not to have a plan, you have a plan?

i have no plan other than my own.


monday - swim
tuesday - run
wednesday - swim  (maybe bike too)
thursday - run (maybe bike too)
friday - swim (maybe run too)
saturday - bike
sunday - bike or run or off

btw, i have done 2 sprints, and plan on an oly in ~5 weeks.

Depends on your goals. I have no plan, other than each week, I try to get in 3 runs, 3 rides, and at least one, 25 minute swim.

But my goals are: Don't die in a race. Go out, and have fun.

Hey Detroit Dan! I have no plan either, man!

I'm usually a pretty anal guy too, but I've had a look at some of the plans, and I don't think I could stay committed to something that specific. I like the flexibility of drafting up my schedule on a week by week basis being mindful of how I'm feeling, and what I'm trying to accomplish before the race date.

My week this week.
Mon: Run/Swim
Tues: Weights/Bike
Wed: Golf, beer, chicken wings!!
Thurs: Run(race pace)/Swim or bike
Fri: Weights/Swim
Sat: Long Bike/brick (light short run)
Sun: Long run/Swim race distance

Or some variation of the above depending on other influences.

Like some have said, there is a lot of life happening between me and my workouts, and flexibilty is a must. I couldn't imagine a specific schedule that tells me I must do this workout at this time in a certain sequence when I feel like crap. Sells alot of books I guess. Then again, I'm dabbling in sprints and olympic distances right now, and might need to re-think things when I start the iron distances.

My race day mantra has been to relax and have fun. My very first race I came in third in my age group, and my second race I popped into 2nd in my age group, so I think I'll stick to my "plan" for now even if during my next race, an olympic, I come in last.......well maybe I'll think about it! ; )_

just my .02!!

I'm pretty new to all this, but I don't follow any kind of specific plan.  My work schedule varys wildly from week to week.  I generally don't have more than about two weeks notice on my days off, and to top it off some days at work I don't do a damn thing physically, and some days I'm walking/hiking at a vigorous pace for 9-10 straight hours.  I've learned the hard way that a regimented cookie cutter training plan = overtraining for me and leads to disaster.

I've moved to a much more flexible training schedule.  I have a general idea of what I need to do in a given week, and know what my long workouts will be.  I schedule them for my days off whatever they may be, and do my best to fit everything else in depending on what I have to do for work and everything else I have going on.

i first followed a  plan over the fall/winter to train for a half marathon.  i mostly did it just because i wanted to make sure i didn't do too much too fast and get injured.  i think i did every run but two - i followed it to a 'T'!  however, just run training was  a lot easier, since i was still swimming and biking, but i would just throw those in whenever.  in april or so, i started working with a coach.  . most of the time it is fine, but it does kind of suck when life gets in the way and you feel like you HAVE to get the workout in - especially when i travel and when i am gone on the weekends (gone atleast two weekends a month, typically). 

however, my goals are ambitious and my plan reflects that.  after i finish my second half ironman on 8/16, i am going to take some time off from working with a coach, and just focus on having a lot of fun!

you will find people that are extremely fast that both follow a plan and that do not.  however, it appears that most of the fastest triathletes on here work with a coach or atleast follow a plan of some sort. 

my job is pretty intense.  so the combo of training + dealing with my job makes a rest day necessary for me, otherwise i get physically and mentally just run down.  there are also several times in the year when i'm on call and awake for 30 hours straight about 4-6 times a month during that period.  i absolutely absolutely need rest days from training (and life in general) when i'm also dealing with that.  

sometimes my body feels like it's an "old" 31 ... i have a few nagging little injuries that can flare up when i do too much, so my goal is to keep those flares to a minimum.  

yeah, my quickie post to say yes, i need a rest day each week, has gotten a little long-winded.  sorry.   

No real plan here either. When I have a goal race I just train a little harder. I do this stuff for fun. Following a plan would take some of that away and make it seem like work.

I've been semi-structured (having a written plan I made myself), superstructured (had a coach) and now complete unstructured (no plan, but do what I feel like depending on weather and my mood of the day). I would lie if I said that a plan doesn't help, but sometimes, it's really nice to whatever you feel like at that moment; it definately has put the fun back into training (had lots of issues last year when I had a coach... completely stressed out at work, ITB problems, and just general dislike for any physical activity).

As I'm progressing back into being fit again, I've started to plan each week at least, still keeping two days a week completely open to whatever I want.

This week:
Monday am run & pm do what I feel like
Tuesday am stretching and meditation & pm long run
Wednesday am run & pm light biking
Thursday am strength & pm fast group ride
Friday am off & pm do what I feel like
Saturday am long bike ride
Sunday long run

I'm also one of the no-planners.  I have a general idea of what I need to do each week depending on where I am in my training cycle (how far away the next race is) and what my weaknesses are.  I keep things flexible though and, if I have more opportunities to swim or go for long bike rides in a given week, I take them.  I bought that giant Triathlete Magazine plans for triathletes at every level book and it made my head swim.  Part of what I enjoy about triathlon is that, fundamentally, it is very simple (swim fast, bike fast, run fast).  If I tried to stick to a plan come hell or high water, or had to adjust the plan to accommodate the weather, changes to my work schedule, things that come up, etc., I'd probably get frustrated and stop training (too much of a hassle).  By keeping things flexible and attuned to what I can do/need on any given day, I'm enjoying my training and keeping the rest of my life in pretty good balance.  I say if the no-plan lifestyle is working for you (sounds like it is) and you're enjoying yourself, don't feel the pressure to adopt a plan just because it seems like everyone else (and it really does seem like everyone else) is following one.

I was training for an Aug. race, but my swimming wasn't ready so I stretched it to October. I find that if I write it on my calendar weekly I keep to my schedule better than if it is just in my head. If I plan longer than the week ahead, my schedule seems to change too much. Granted, I haven't done my race yet, but on weeks when I don't write it down, it just doesn't happen! I also text my schedule to my workout buddies. It keeps me focused for the week and allows friends to join me if they have the time. I try for 3 swims (my weakness), 2 bikes, 2 runs, 1 session of track work. I try to fit in weights if there is time...that is very sporadic for me!

I have a plan.
I enjoy crossing things off.

I use a plan from a book, but I consider it a list of workouts to do that week. I then take the workouts and move them around to fit in with life and other commitments. I don't pay any attention if a plan says to do something in the morning or the evening. I plan out each week based on what workouts I need to do, and I place these workouts in my calendar around my other activities.

If I didn't need a plan, I wouldn't race, either. I mean, if I were the kind of person that just woke up in the morning and decided to work out, then I wouldn't even be in this sport. I race because I need a goal. I need a goal so I will have to do specific work to achieve it. In order to do that, I have to plan.

But kudos to you if you can go without one!

I'm so glad to see so many people making their own flexible plans! I keep thinking I ought to follow a plan but certain things just don't seem to fit so I make adjustments. I like to do my long runs on Sundays because that seems to work best for me. Most plans with a long run on Sunday show swimming on MWF but I always do an ocean swim with a group on Thursdays. So my usual plan tends to look like this... but often with some variation:

M: bike
T: run (often track work), swim
W: weight training, bike
T: swim, run(trails)
F: bike or run or weights
S: yoga and/or bike or rest
S: long run