Duathlon Short Distance Peak Plan 12 Weeks with 3 Competitions is a 12-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
Now it’s time! The winter weeks of the Base and Build phase are over, and the Peak phase, meaning the competition phase, is upon us.
If you have mostly completed the last two phases, you are now optimally prepared for the upcoming sessions. Your VO2max should have significantly increased, your training load should have slightly decreased, and you should be especially well-prepared for the upcoming longer and more intense sessions (both mentally, as well as muscularly and in terms of your ligaments/tendons).
The next 12 weeks are designed around three main competitions. We aim to give you enough rest after the race so that you can use the competition as a stimulus for your form. However, it is crucial that you listen to your body – in the first few days after the first race, "less is more"! So make sure to give yourself plenty of rest.
Training logic and load
In the peak phase precision matters: key sessions count, but freshness and clean execution decide the outcome. 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 130 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 8
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.
45 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.
40 min @ 75% | 4x 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.
Perform a 30-minute athletic / stability training session. Typical exercises may include: - Lunges - Squats - Superman - Push-ups - Leg raises - Forearm plank - Side forearm plank - etc.
1 min @ ?% | 1 min @ ?% | 1 min @ ?% | 1 min @ ?% + 1 more step
This session is designed to prepare the body for the race on the weekend: The intervals should be run faster than the targeted race pace, and the rest should be consciously kept relaxed.
25 min @ 55% | 3x 4 min on / 4 min easy | 10 min @ 50% | 4x 1 min on / 2 min easy + 1 more step
Time: 1h31 with 3 EB loads (depending on how you feel and do not overdo it!) + 4 short VO2max intervals Perceived exertion: 6 out of 10 Effect: Today you can create a bit of tension in your muscles again.
20 min @ 80%
The transition run should be completed immediately after cycling. No more than 10 minutes should pass after cycling before starting the run.
Perform a 30-minute mobility/Blackroll session. Warm up with a mobility routine focusing on: - Hip flexors - Gluteus/Buttocks - Hamstrings - Achilles tendon + Calf - Ankles - Lower back - Shoulders - Chest muscles Following the mobility, sp
1 min @ ?% | 1 min @ ?% | 1 min @ ?%
Session to prepare for the competition: Easy jog focusing on "clean technique and ease" with 3 x 30 seconds at race pace or slightly faster, with 1 minute of easy jogging in between each effort.
10 min @ 55% | 3x 3 min on / 3 min easy | 3x 1 min on / 4 min easy | 10 min @ 50%
This workout comes directly from the training plan.
This workout comes directly from the training plan.
70 min @ 90%
This workout comes directly from the training plan.
10000 m
This workout comes directly from the training plan.
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.