Offseason Plan (Nils Goerke) 4 Weeks is a 4-week triathlon plan. This article combines the actual plan description with a example week from the stored workout entries.
What this plan is built for
The importance of the offseason is still underestimated by many athletes. The longer you have been involved in triathlon and the more intensively you have trained in the past, the more important the offseason becomes. Not only for the body but also for the mind, mental freshness, and motivation.
You should refrain from training any of the three disciplines for at least 2 weeks or even take a complete break from sports. If the last season was very long and you have participated in many competitions, a break of up to 4 weeks is also acceptable.
In any case, you should fully recover from any injuries. This means that you may have to skip a discipline in the offseason plan if you have not completely healed from an injury in that discipline.
Training logic and load
The block has a narrow focus. Its effect comes from concentrated stimuli and deliberately lighter days between them. 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 22 scheduled entries across 4 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 4
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.
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40 min @ 75% | 5x 0 min on / 1 min easy
The goal is to optimize fat metabolism and to perfect running technique in a fatigued state with the strides at the end.
300 m | 0 min @ ?% | 50 m | 50 m + 34 more steps
300 meters/yards warm-up swim, P:20 6x50 meters/yards freestyle: 25 meters/yards technique drill, 25 meters/yards easy, P:15 4x150 meters/yards freestyle: 100 meters/yards easy, 50 meters/yards build-up, P:20 4x100 meters/yards freestyle: 5
16 min @ 60% | Ramp from 60% to 85% | 5 min @ 60% | 6x 1 min on / 1 min easy + 5 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.
40 min @ 75% | 5x 0 min on / 1 min easy
The goal is to optimize fat metabolism and to perfect running technique in a fatigued state with the strides at the end.
2 h @ 60%
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.