Build Phase – Final Layer of Foundation

The final layer of foundation (build phase). Many athletes will enter into a training plan around 8 – 12 weeks from their target event. If that’s you, and you haven’t been consistently training for at least four or more weeks, I recommend you replace this block with one of the “base phase” training plans. If you’ve been training consistently for four or more weeks either on the Endurance Training Hub or by yourself, you can get right into it.

Your build phase is the start of the event-specific training. During the next four weeks, you’ll be lifting your training load slightly and targeting the specific demands of your event. I.e. sustained threshold, ultra-duration, hills, sweet spot.

The Three Points of Note

1. Be flexible. You’re still a little way out from your target event, so a missed session here or there, it is completely fine. As is doing different endurance sports. Got a 2hr run on the plan, but your friends want you to go riding, no problem.
2. Racing. The build phase is a great time for racing. You now want to find out your strengths and weaknesses concerning your target event. Racing will allow you to work on your weaknesses in the preparation phase. Keep racing to less than 2hrs for now. Unless you’re training 15+hrs a week, racing for longer than 2hrs will require a few days of recovery, which is time better-spent training at this stage.
3. Recovery and body maintenance. You’re going to be asking a lot from your body over these next few weeks and months, so it’s worth investing a little bit back into yourself: sports massage, yoga, self-massage equipment. Making body maintenance a habit now will make it less of a chore later when you’re under a heavy training load.