FIVE THINGS TO FOCUS ON NOW FOR SPRING 70.3 SUCCESS
Long-time Quintana Roo employees, Hunter and Calvin, are preparing for IRONMAN 70.3 Chattanooga in our "Joes to Pros" series. To set them up for success, we asked Coach Conrad Goeringer of Working Triathlete to explain what athletes like them should be focusing on over the next few months.
Conrad Goeringer: With about 18 weeks to go until spring 70.3 races, this is the phase of training where preparation and habits take shape. The work done now sets the ceiling for what’s possible later in the season. Below are the five things that matter most right now.
1. Build a Foundation
If winter training 18–20 weeks out from a long-course race can be distilled to one priority, it is building a foundation that can support everything that follows. This phase centers on developing durable fitness through frequency and sensible workout structure.
Consistent, moderate training during this period builds the underlying infrastructure required for later success. Aerobic capacity improves, mitochondrial density increases, and connective tissues adapt to repeated loading. These adaptations are cumulative and depend far more on frequency rather than on sporadic big training days.
Most of the work during this phase should occur at aerobic intensities, roughly Zone 2 in a five-zone model, with small amounts of work above Zone 3 to maintain neuromuscular sharpness and movement quality. This balance allows fitness to improve while keeping recovery demands manageable.
Athletes who move too quickly through this phase often experience early gains but struggle to sustain progress as the season unfolds. A well-built foundation, on the other hand, allows race-specific intensity to be absorbed smoothly later in the year and helps prevent the mid-season plateau that so many athletes encounter.
Some of my favorite workouts this time of year are simple and repeatable. Short hill repetitions, such as 8×30 seconds, foster neuromuscular efficiency. Moderate-duration rides with brief blocks of light tempo reinforce aerobic strength with minimal recovery costs. In the pool, form-focused aerobic swims prioritize rhythm and efficiency so that fitness can be built later on good stroke technique.
2. Clean Up Technique & Improve Movement Quality
This phase of training is one of the best opportunities to clean up technique across all three disciplines. When overall training stress is still controlled, athletes are better positioned to make meaningful, lasting technical changes. As volume and intensity increase later in the season, technique tends to drift back toward old habits. For that reason, the work done here matters more than it might feel in the moment.
In the swim, this is the time to prioritize video analysis and technical refinement. In swimming, economy almost always trumps fitness, especially for long-course athletes and adult-learners. Rather than chasing speed, the focus should be on timing, rhythm, and efficiency. Small improvements in body position, hip rotation, and stroke timing can dramatically reduce the cost of swimming at race pace and, in many cases, lead to faster swimming at the same effort.
On the bike, this phase is ideal for dialing in position and comfort. A proper bike fit, improved pedaling smoothness, and consistent time spent riding in the aero bars all pay dividends later when volume and intensity rise. The objective is to make efficient posture and steady, controlled power delivery feel natural rather than forced.
On the run, the emphasis is on economy. This is the phase to address over-striding, reinforce effective glute engagement and hip extension, and establish consistent, deep belly breathing. Small, intentional adjustments to posture, cadence, and arm swing, when warranted, can meaningfully improve efficiency. Practicing these mechanics deliberately, particularly through form checks late in long runs, helps ensure that technique holds together when the run gets long or the pace increases on race day.
Some of my favorite form-focused workouts during this phase are simple but intentional. On the run, cadence intervals paired with individual cues, such as driving the elbows back or imagining a balloon gently lifting the upper body, can subtly improve posture and efficiency without overthinking mechanics. On the bike, cadence variation intervals with an emphasis on smoothness and control help develop better neuromuscular coordination and pedal economy. In the pool, stroke-specific drill progressions interspersed with swimming (e.g., sets of 25 drill, 25 swim) allow athletes to attack their unique limiters, bridging the gap between drills and real swimming.
3. Establish a Repeatable Training Rhythm
Consistency is built through structure, both in training and in recovery. At this stage, the focus should be on finding a rhythm that fits real life and can be sustained week after week.
A well-designed plan reduces friction. Everyone’s schedule is different, so athletes need to be honest about their availability, identify an appropriate weekly volume they can repeat consistently, and build a week where sessions flow logically from day to day. When training is organized this way, it becomes part of the routine rather than something that may or may not happen. That stability reinforces consistency, allows fitness to accumulate, and supports the higher training demands that come later in the season.
4. Build Strength to Support the Work
Strength training plays an important role at this stage of the season by enhancing physical resilience, supporting increasing swim, bike, and run training loads, and improving overall movement quality.
Well-applied strength work improves force transfer, reinforces sound movement patterns, and helps athletes maintain form as fatigue accumulates late in workouts and races. It also supports connective tissue health, which becomes increasingly important as overall training load rises. When strength is addressed early and consistently, athletes are better prepared to handle higher run frequency, longer rides, and increasing race-specific demands. Weak systems tend to fail under load, and strength training is one of the most effective ways to reduce that risk.
The most effective strength work during this phase is simple and repeatable. Foundational movements, single-leg stability, posterior chain strength, and trunk control should form the backbone of the program. These sessions should fit cleanly alongside swim, bike, and run training, supporting the overall workload rather than disrupting it.
Two well-placed sessions per week are sufficient to build meaningful durability and resilience. A typical session might include multiple sets of single-leg squats, Romanian deadlifts, pull-downs or rows, push-ups, calf raises, and basic core/trunk work such as planks. Executed consistently and with good intent, this type of work provides exactly what endurance athletes need at this stage of the season.
5. Keep Training Enjoyable and Sustainable
Enjoyment matters at every stage of the season because it supports consistency and long-term engagement. Intrinsic enjoyment comes from feeling competent, seeing steady progress, and understanding the purpose behind the work. When athletes connect to the process, training fits more easily into daily life and becomes something they return to willingly.
Training with others can add accountability and energy without increasing stress. Joining a club or team, varying environments, and mixing up routes or venues all help maintain interest and momentum. Keeping sessions purposeful also plays an important role. When training begins to feel overwhelming, it’s often a signal that structure or expectations need adjustment.
Working with a coach can be especially valuable during this phase. A good coach provides perspective, helps shape training around real-life constraints, and ensures the work being done aligns with long-term goals. That guidance reduces friction, builds confidence in the process, and allows athletes to focus on execution rather than constantly questioning direction.
Conclusion
Strong seasons are built long before race day, in the unglamorous weeks where habits, technique, and consistency are established. Refining movement, establishing rhythm, developing strength, and staying engaged in the process create the conditions for effective race-specific training later in the season.
Conrad Goeringer is an IRONMAN Certified Coach based out of Nashville, TN. He is the founder of Working Triathlete and author of the book The Working Triathlete. His passion is helping athletes of all levels and with all schedules achieve their endurance goals. Reach out to learn more about coaching packages and for a free consultation.
