12 Weeks Base + Build Plan "My First Gran Fondo > 100km" is a 12-week cycling plan. This article combines the actual plan description with a example week from the stored workout entries.
What this plan is built for
This 12-week plan is designed to prepare you for your first Gran Fondo >100km. The goal is to cross the finish line feeling happy and healthy. The plan mainly consists of easy, aerobic "LIT" sessions aimed at improving your base endurance. These are among the most important sessions, completely independent of your base fitness and years in cycling, representing the key training kilometers. Ride these sessions more relaxed than intense, because only by building a solid aerobic foundation will the later HIT and MIT sessions in the plan sharpen your form as desired.
The weekday sessions are intended for the indoor trainer, while the longer LIT sessions on the weekends can be enjoyed outdoors on gravel or a road bike. Depending on the weather, indoor sessions can also be moved outside, or outdoor sessions can be moved indoors. Just make sure to adjust the sessions accordingly. You don’t need to replicate long outdoor sessions 1:1 on the trainer. Shorten them a bit for the trainer; for a 2-hour ride outside, 70 minutes on the trainer is sufficient. Conversely, extend the trainer program for the road. If intervals are included, simply extend the warm-up and cool-down.
Have fun, whether on the road or on the indoor trainer at home :-)
Training logic and load
The emphasis is durable base fitness, clean technique, and a rhythm you can repeat for several weeks. The important part is not upgrading easy days into hidden hard days. The workout data shows which sessions are structured and which ones are intentionally simple.
The plan contains 37 scheduled entries across 12 weeks. The sequence matters as much as the total hours: hard, technical, or long workouts only work when the surrounding days allow you to absorb them.
Example week: Week 6
This week is not a generic template. It is built from the actual training plan entries, and the workout charts use the stored workout data.
No scheduled workout in this real plan week. Use the day to absorb the load and arrive fresh for the next session.
60 min @ 60%
LIT Training. Rate of Perceived Exertion: 3-4 out of 10 Effect: Mitochondrial biogenesis, improved local oxygen extraction, and an increase in fat metabolism.
No scheduled workout in this real plan week. Use the day to absorb the load and arrive fresh for the next session.
No scheduled workout in this real plan week. Use the day to absorb the load and arrive fresh for the next session.
18 min @ 60% | Ramp from 60% to 85% | 5x 1 min on / 1 min easy | 5 min @ 60% + 2 more steps
Training Goal: Introduction to HIIT training. The aim is to increase your VO2max.
No scheduled workout in this real plan week. Use the day to absorb the load and arrive fresh for the next session.
20 min @ 60% | 5x 6 min on / 4 min easy | 15 min @ 70%
Training goal: Base endurance sessions make up the largest part of triathlon training.
How to read the workout charts
The chart is based on the workout data: longer segments take more width, higher intensities sit higher, and harder work is marked with stronger colors. For swim or distance-based segments, the graphic represents the planned sequence rather than GPS data.
Practical execution
What to watch
- Execute the key days precisely instead of making the easy sessions faster.
- Use the plan description as context: equipment, fueling, mobility, and realistic threshold values are part of the training.
- When life or fatigue adds pressure, trim secondary work first and keep the most important session stable.
Training effect
Executed well, the plan improves your ability to absorb the intended stimulus repeatedly. Depending on sport and phase, that means more aerobic stability, better pace durability, stronger technique under fatigue, or more confidence at target effort.