Here at TriForce we don’t rely on generic training plans, computer generated plans or cookie cutter methods.  We 100% tailor your training to YOU and your life, including factors such as:

  • Your current fitness
  • Your goal races
  • Your personal schedule and time available to train during the week vs. weekends
  • Your experience level in the three sports
  • Your injury history
  • And, importantly, your personal robustness

Canned training plans or one-size-fits-all coaching often ignore some of these factors, setting you up for failure.

Today, let’s dive into one critical aspect: robustness.

 What is a Robust Triathlete?

Robustness refers to your ability to bounce back and recover quickly from training, stress, and races. It’s about how often you get sick, injured, or hit extended “bad patches” of fatigue or poor performance.

Your level of robustness (or resilience) is a critical factor in how your training should be structured. If your training plan—or your coach—doesn’t account for your personal level robustness, you could be setting yourself up to fail.

What Category Do You Fall Into? High, Low, or Average Robustness?

Robustness varies among athletes, and while we can improve it by focusing on sleep, nutrition, and recovery, some athletes are naturally more resilient than others. So, what kind of triathlete are you? Let’s take a look:

Highly Robust Triathlete

  • You recover quickly—feeling almost fully recovered a week after an Ironman or marathon.
  • You handle big training loads and rarely hit “bad patches” of fatigue or poor performance.
  • You can “get away with” breaking training rules, like stacking hard days or ramping up volume too quickly

Low Robustness Triathlete

  • You frequently hit “bad patches” of training that can last 1-2 weeks or longer.
  • You experience big swings in motivation and energy, especially during peak training.
  • You’re prone to getting sick or injured and don’t bounce back quickly after races.
  • Once you hit a peak, it’s difficult to maintain that level, often burning out quickly.

Average Robustness Triathlete

  • Most athletes fall somewhere in between. You recover from races and hard training at an average rate, and while you may experience occasional fatigue, a few easy days or a recovery week usually gets you back on track

Coaching Highly Robust Triathletes

Highly robust athletes are relatively rare, and they’re fun to coach. They can handle higher loads, faster ramps, and more challenges. If you coach them like a low or average robustness athlete, you’ll hold them back. However, don’t get complacent—just because they’ve “broken the rules” without issue in the past doesn’t mean they’re invincible.

When I think of a robust athlete, I always think of former TriForcer and Ultraman World Champion Rob Gray, whose legendary resilience was key to his success. Rob could bounce back from stress and training loads faster than most athletes, which taught me early on that coaching highly robust athletes requires a different approach—if you train them like a “regular” athlete, they won’t reach their full potential.

 

 

Coaching Low Robustness Triathletes

Low robustness athletes need a more cautious approach, but they can still achieve incredible success. I’m a low robustness triathlete myself, yet I’ve qualified for Kona many times, went 8:56 at Ironman Arizona, and won my age group at multiple Ironman races. Pete Jacobs, a professional triathlete known for his low resilience, won the Ironman World Championship in Kona.

The key to coaching low robustness athletes is consistency and prevention—avoiding the fatigue, injury, and sickness that can derail progress. 

Tips for Low Robustness Athletes:

  1. Easy Days Must Be Easy
    Stick to your target heart rate on recovery days. Even moderate efforts can add up and lead to fatigue, so keep your easy days truly easy.
  2. Watch Your Ramp Rate
    Be mindful of how quickly you increase volume. Consider periods of consolidation—holding steady with training volume for a few weeks and allowing your body to adapt before ramping up again.
  3. Avoid Hero Sessions
    Don’t push for personal bests in training. Stick to your planned intensity and be okay with backing off if needed. Save the testing for race day.
  4. Underload, Don’t Overload
    Plan fewer “quality” sessions and space them out. Low robustness athletes may only be able to handle one interval session and one long workout per week for a particular sport. Build your training around these key sessions and keep the rest low-stress.
  5. Know Your Triggers
    Pay attention to what has caused problems in the past. If certain workouts consistently lead to fatigue or injury, avoid them. Adapt your training to what works best for you.
  6. Take Recovery Seriously
    Build proactive recovery into your plan and take extra rest when needed. If you feel a fatigue patch coming on, skip a hard workout rather than pushing through and risking a crash.

Conclusion

Your triathlon training plan should be customized to your current fitness, goals, available time, athlete history, and personal robustness. Ignoring these factors could set you back, but by recognizing your level of resilience and adjusting accordingly, you can stay consistent and keep progressing toward your goals.