"Just Do It" 12-Week Base Plan (Nils Goerke) 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
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 72 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 5
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.
300 m | 8x variable on / 1 min easy | 4x variable on / 1 min easy | 8x variable on / 0 min easy + 2 more steps
300 meters/yards warm-up swim (alternating 25 meters/yards backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle) 8 rounds of 50 meters/yards (12.5 meters/yards maximum sprint, 37.5 meters/yards easy) with 30 seconds rest 4 rounds of 100 meters/yards (25
18 min @ 60% | Ramp from 60% to 85% | 6x 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.
10 min @ 70% | 7x 1 min on / 1 min easy | 5 min @ 70% | 7x 1 min on / 1 min easy + 1 more step
The goal of the hill runs is to improve your sub-distance performance and enhance anaerobic capacity.
300 m | 6x variable on / 0 min easy | 6x variable on / 1 min easy | 4x variable on / 0 min easy + 4 more steps
300m warm-up swim 6 sets of 50m (25m freestyle start + 25m freestyle) with 20'' rest 6 sets of 200m (50m GA1+ + 100m GA1 + 50m GA2) with 30'' rest 4 sets of 50m backstroke with 20'' rest 200m breaststroke 4 sets of 50m single-arm butterfly
30 min @ 70% | 3 min @ 60% | 3 min @ 75% | 3 min @ 80% + 4 more steps
MIT - SweetSpot Training: 4x10 min @85% FTP; Cadence = 55 rpm (5 min rest) Perceived exertion: 6-7 out of 10 Effect: Improvement of metabolic efficiency, enhancement of lactate transport, and potential increase in fractional utilization.
60 min @ 75% | 15 min @ 90%
Calm base run with final acceleration This run primarily serves to optimize fat metabolism, as well as to finalize the development of pace endurance.
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.