Great question and this will likely look different for each one of you. So let’s look at your options.
- You could follow your training until right before your ‘race specific’ training block (the two weeks before your taper phase). This will allow you to peak from an endurance perspective. After a recovery week (or recommended, a full week off), you could then reset and redo several of your training build cycles again. You will take a step backwards in terms of overall volume. However this is where you can start working within the workouts to fine tune them, which is much easier to do when you are not worrying about just ‘completing’ the workout or overall volume.
- To gain some experience at race pace efforts, you could do one week (or both weeks) of race specific to gain perspective on how you do with tempo pacing and fine tune your pacing. Any work with fine tuning pacing will always be beneficial. The first of two race specific weeks is retesting for your bike and run LT. Many of you will need to retest for them anyways. Then it’s up to you if you carry on for week two to gain further pacing experience or refocus (ie taking a recovery week or full week off and then redoing your training build cycles).
That said, race pace efforts can test your immune system. This is what helps us fatigue you, and after tapering and resting, have you race ready. Thus if you take this course, please do so very carefully, prioritizing sleep, healthy nutrition, etc., so you can keep your immune system as strong as possible. This is key right now to being able to defend against Covid-19.
While none of this is ideal, remember the whole point of a training program is to learn and grow as a triathlete. There is seldom a perfect race day. Something will come up that is unplanned. It is how you respond that matters and determines the ultimate success of your race. The same principles apply to what we are doing in this training program. You are learning how to respond to what is thrown at you, as this is the best learning you can gain. The DCTC or myself, as your coach, will not be able to race for you. So the ultimate goal of a successful finish is not one that we can ever guarantee. However we can do our very best to have you as ready as possible for what might come your way, the ‘perfect’ race day or for a season derailed by a pandemic!
