Training plans- How close to follow?

My training is largely MIUAIGA, though I do have a general idea what each week will look like, what I should be working on for the week, etc.  On the other hand, if I were following a plan, I think I'd try to stick pretty closely to it.

I would say that reasonable deviations would include moving training sessions, so long as you don't create a situation where you are doing too many key sessions too close together, adding some mileage to a session, so long as your body can handle it, adding in some easy recovery runs or bikes (again, so long as these don't mess up your key sessions), and adding in swims.

Don't do very many straight 4K swims.  You are better off breaking those up into intervals.  One or two straight 4Ks is enough -- you are really just proving to yourself that you can do it more than anything.

Best of luck at B2B!  It's a great race.

(By the way, thanks for your recent comment on my B2B report, which I noticed just the other day -- yes, I drank water exclusively for 2 hours after my first 'mistaken' swallow of Heed.  I think it helped.)

Doug & Michael-  THANKS for your thoughts!

Good to hear experienced IM athletes taking a different approach to swim vs Fink's 2 long swims/wk. I'm below ave swimmer & find my stroke sometimes deteriorates at end of long (3+k) session.  Physically I can do more than 3k, but am afraid I risk ingraining bad habits.  I think my peak form (sorry as it is) is only good for ~1mi at this point.

My normal summer riding will have me well above Fink plan time investments.  Run will likely be at or above plan, too.  On basically no taper I ran PR HM 2d ago then rode 83mi yest which included 50mi spirited group ride with multiple hard long pulls (z3-4 HR into 15mph wind).  My R hamstring is not happy today so I'll rest (Mon is Fink Rest Day anyway).  I really need to dial back & follow the Plan's intensity levels (mainly Z1-2).  Still 19+ weeks to go.