Overview: Can I Have Two Training Plans on TrainingPeaks?

TrainingPeaks is a powerful platform designed to organize workouts, monitor progress, and optimize coaches’ and athletes’ workflows. A common question from athletes and coaches is whether it is possible to run two training plans simultaneously within TrainingPeaks for a single athlete or across a team. The short answer is: yes, you can manage two training plans in a way that fits real-world needs, but the implementation requires understanding the architecture of plans, blocks, and calendars, and applying clear rules to avoid conflicts. In practice, two concurrent plans are often used for distinct goals or events—such as a base-building phase aligned with a marathon and a separate peaking phase for a triathlon—while still keeping a single athlete’s calendar coherent. The key is to choose an approach that preserves data integrity, ensures accurate load tracking, and makes it easy for the athlete to follow the correct workouts on the correct dates. This section outlines the core concepts, common use cases, and practical constraints so you can decide whether two plans are the right solution in your context.

Core concepts you’ll leverage include plans as templates or blueprints, blocks as structured phases within a plan, workouts as the atomic units of training, and the calendar as the execution layer where workouts appear. Understanding how these pieces fit allows you to design a dual-plan setup that minimizes overlap, reduces confusion, and supports clear communication between coaches and athletes. While TrainingPeaks supports robust coaching workflows, it also requires disciplined setup when two plans must operate in parallel. This section provides a practical framework you can apply immediately, including decision criteria, step-by-step setup, and strategies to review and adjust as you collect data from training cycles.

In the real world, a two-plan approach is most effective when you document intent and create guardrails. For example, you might label Plan A as the “Base/Endurance” pathway and Plan B as the “Speed/Specific Preparation” pathway, then use calendar tagging and clear color-coding to distinguish workouts. You’ll also rely on reporting metrics such as CTL (Chronic Training Load), ATL (Acute Training Load), and TSB (Training Stress Balance) to ensure you are advancing toward both goals without overloading the athlete. The practical payoff is a scalable workflow that enables consistent progress across multiple goals while preserving data quality and communication clarity.

Key takeaways:

• Two plans can be managed within TrainingPeaks, but typically require careful planning and clear separation of timelines.
• Use plan templates, blocks, and calendar overlays to avoid conflicts and maintain readability for athletes.
• Establish explicit rules for when each plan is active and how workouts are reflected in the calendar.
• Leverage tags, color-coding, and reporting to monitor progress toward both goals simultaneously.

Understanding Plan Architecture

To implement two concurrent plans effectively, you must first internalize how TrainingPeaks structures content. A Plan is a higher-level container that can include multiple Blocks, each representing a phase (for example, Base, Build, Peak). Within blocks, you define workouts with specific durations, intensities, TSS targets, and recovery recommendations. The calendar then reveals these workouts on specific dates. When you want two separate paths, you have two primary architectural strategies: (1) separate plan instances for the same athlete, and (2) a single master plan with two branches or blocks that you switch between depending on the timeline. Both approaches have pros and cons.

Strategy (1) is straightforward: create Plan A and Plan B as independent plans, assign the athlete to both, and ensure that only the active plan’s workouts appear in the athlete’s calendar at any given time. Strategy (2) is more elegant for ongoing multi-goal athletes: you create one master plan with two branches or parallel blocks, each containing its own workouts and schedule. You then control which workouts are visible or emphasized via tags, filters, or calendar overlays. The right choice depends on your coaching style, the athlete’s needs, and the complexity you’re prepared to manage. Regardless of the approach, you should implement strict naming conventions (e.g., “Base-Marathon 2025” and “Speed-100k Prep 2025”), ensure synchronization of calendars, and verify that TSS and recovery metrics map correctly to each plan.

Practical tips for architecture:

• Document the intent of each plan in the plan description and use consistent naming conventions.
• Color-code workouts by plan and use calendar overlays to visually separate paths.
• Set clear start and end dates for each plan to minimize overlap and confusion.
• Establish a weekly review ritual to compare plan progress against performance metrics.

Two Plans Use Cases

Real-world use cases illuminate how two concurrent plans can be practical and valuable. Case 1: An endurance runner trains for a spring marathon while simultaneously maintaining a separate endurance base for a summer ultramarathon. Case 2: A cyclist prepares for a spring gravel race and, in the same year, targets a late-season road race, with distinct training blocks for base, build, and peak phases. Case 3 involves a coach managing two athletes with different priorities—Athlete A focuses on triathlon workouts, while Athlete B concentrates on a cycling event—each requiring a tailored plan. In all cases, the key is to delineate goals clearly, ensure the training load is distributed to avoid overreach, and maintain transparent communication with the athlete about which workouts to perform on any given day.

Practical insights from these scenarios:

• Outline the event calendar for each plan and align workouts with specific targets (e.g., FTP testing windows, long runs, race rehearsals).
• Use a shared calendar view if coaching multiple athletes so you can spot overlaps and conflicts early.
• Prepare contingency plans for missed workouts, with quick adjustments to either plan without breaking the entire schedule.

Setting Up and Managing Two Concurrent Plans

Once you’ve decided on an architectural approach, the next step is a deliberate setup. The aim is to create a robust, navigable system that minimizes confusion for the athlete while preserving data integrity for the coach. This section provides a practical, step-by-step workflow for creating two parallel plans, syncing calendars, and maintaining clarity across the athlete’s training year.

Step-by-step guide to setting up two concurrent plans (approach 2: master plan with branches):

1. Define each plan’s goal, timeline, and primary metrics (e.g., TSS targets, weekly volume, quality sessions).
2. Create a master plan named with a clear year and goals, e.g., “Master 2025 – Marathon Base + 2025 Gravel Build.”
3. Within the master plan, create two blocks or branches: Block A (Base/Endurance) and Block B (Speed/Specific Prep). Each block has its own week-by-week structure, workouts, and recovery windows.
4. Tag and color-code workouts by block. Use distinct tags (e.g., base, speed) and assign colors in the plan metadata to visually separate timelines.
5. Assign the athlete to the master plan and ensure calendar visibility rules are set so only the relevant block is emphasized during a given period.
6. Set up calendar filters, so you or the athlete can toggle between “Base” and “Specific Prep” views without conflicting workouts.
7. Review weekly load with CTL/ATL metrics and adjust as needed to prevent excessive spikes or fatigue during transitions between blocks.
8. Document changes and maintain a change log so both coach and athlete understand why adjustments were made.

Best-practice tips for implementation:

• Use calendar overlays to preview how both plans will look in the coming weeks, reducing surprises.
• Limit dependencies between plans unless necessary; otherwise, you risk cascading delays across both timelines.
• Incorporate built-in recovery weeks or deload blocks to cushion transitions between plan phases.
• Regularly export workout data for offline review and to share with the athlete during check-ins.

Account Roles and Permissions

Managing two concurrent plans often involves collaborative workflows between athletes and coaches. Access control is critical to prevent inadvertent edits that could compromise the plan integrity. In TrainingPeaks, you can define roles such as Coach, Athlete, and Admin, with varying levels of permissions. For dual-plan setups, consider the following:

Role-based guidelines:

• Coaches should maintain full editing rights for both plans, including creating, duplicating, and adjusting workouts across blocks.
• Athletes typically need edit rights only for their current active plan or for adding personal notes, with restrictions on altering plan structure.
• Use archived or read-only access for historical plans to protect past data while allowing review and learning from previous cycles.

Practical steps:

• Set up distinct user groups for Plan A and Plan B to control access at the plan level.
• Document who is allowed to switch active views or enable overlays to avoid accidental plan swaps.
• Maintain a change log for plan-level edits to support accountability during reviews.

Best Practices for Coaches and Athletes

When managing two concurrent plans, best practices focus on clarity, data integrity, and proactive communication. The goal is to ensure that both plans contribute to the athlete’s overall progress without causing confusion or fatigue. This section outlines actionable guidelines, checks, and routines that successful coaches use daily.

Key guidelines:

• Clarify which plan drives which goals and maintain separate performance targets for each plan to avoid ambiguity.
• Establish a weekly cadence for syncing data: review workouts completed, adjust upcoming sessions, and reassess load targets.
• Use automated alerts for missed workouts, fatigue signals, or anomalous performance data to catch issues early.
• Regularly reconcile the two plans against the athlete’s overall season plan to ensure alignment with long-term objectives.

Practical tips for workload management:

• Track TSS and volume per plan separately, then monitor combined load on a weekly basis to avoid overtraining.
• Schedule peak workouts at appropriate times in each plan to prevent overlap of high-intensity sessions.
• Build in recovery weeks or micro-deloads that serve both plans when necessary to maintain resilience.
• Communicate clearly with athletes about which workouts are the priority for the week and why.

Case Studies and Practical Scenarios

Case studies provide tangible insights into how two concurrent plans can be used effectively. Case 1 describes a master plan that supports a marathon base while maintaining gravel race readiness. Case 2 explores dual goals for two athletes in a team setting, where each athlete follows a distinct path within a shared coaching framework. In Case 1, the athlete benefits from synchronized long runs in the base block while the specific prep block keeps intensity at a manageable level to preserve freshness for race-specific workouts. Case 2 demonstrates how the coach uses separate blocks, color-coding, and clear weekly priorities to prevent confusion and ensure accountability. Each scenario highlights the importance of planning, communication, and data-driven adjustments to achieve success in both streams of training.

Implementation takeaways from these cases:

• Explicitly map workouts to plan goals and ensure athletes understand their role in each plan.
• Use a robust review process to assess progress, adapting blocks to maintain balance across plans.
• Employ data-driven decisions using CTL/ATL/TSB to guide transitions and recovery windows.

Tools, Automation, and Advanced Tips

Beyond the core features of TrainingPeaks, coaches and athletes can leverage automation, imports, and advanced workflows to streamline dual-plan management. This section covers practical tools and techniques to save time, reduce manual errors, and keep plans synchronized with real-world events.

Automation and integration ideas:

• Use calendar exports and imports to share a consolidated schedule with athletes who maintain personal calendars outside TrainingPeaks.
• Automate alerts and reminders for plan transitions, ensuring athletes are prepared for upcoming blocks or deload periods.
• Leverage workout templates to standardize common sessions across plans, making it easier to copy or adapt workouts without error.
• Utilize plan notes, tags, and metadata to provide context for workouts across both plans, improving clarity during check-ins.

Best-practice tips:

• Document all plan-switch criteria and maintain a visible decision log for accountability.
• Periodically audit plan overlaps and confirm that the athlete’s recovery windows align with training targets.
• Encourage athletes to flag any conflicting guidance between plans promptly to prevent compounded errors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I run two training plans for the same athlete at the same time?

In practice, you can manage two concurrent plans for the same athlete by using a master plan with parallel blocks or two distinct plan instances. The key is to avoid calendar conflicts and ensure that the athlete follows the intended plan for the current phase. To enable this, establish explicit rules for when each plan is active, how workouts overlap (or do not overlap), and how data from both plans is interpreted in aggregate. Start by defining goals for each plan and mapping workouts to those goals with clear labels. This approach works well in scenarios such as base-building for multiple events, multi-goal athletes, or a temporary coaching arrangement where distinct targets must be pursued simultaneously. Regular communication and weekly reviews are essential to prevent fatigue and ensure alignment with overall performance goals.

How do I duplicate or clone a plan in TrainingPeaks?

Duplicating a plan is a common workflow when you want a fresh template for a new season or a parallel goal. In Coaching mode, you typically access the Plans tab, select the plan you want to reuse, and use the Duplicate function to create a new plan instance. You can then rename the copy, adjust start dates, and modify blocks or workouts without altering the original. When duplicating, review linked workouts, templates, and any shared athletes to ensure that references to dates or events are updated correctly. After duplication, verify that the new plan aligns with your target event calendar and that any automatic alerts or metrics tracking are correctly configured for the new timeline.

Will two plans interfere with each other in the calendar?

Interference is a common risk when two plans run in parallel. The most effective mitigation is to segment the calendars by plan or to use overlays and filters that clearly distinguish which workouts belong to which plan. Color-coding and explicit naming help prevent misassignment of workouts on crowded weeks. Regular synchronization of the calendar, including manual checks during changing conditions, reduces the likelihood of conflicts. A disciplined approach to planning—breaking down weeks as either base-focused or race-focused—and explicit use of recovery weeks minimizes overlap and ensures both plans progress without compromising athlete wellbeing.

Can a Coach manage two plans for different athletes at once?

Yes. TrainingPeaks supports multi-athlete coaching workflows, enabling a coach to manage several plans concurrently. The key is to maintain clear separation of athletes’ data, permissions, and plan structures. Use distinct plan names, athlete tagging, and per-athlete dashboards to keep contexts separate. Regular client check-ins and automated reporting ensure each athlete receives personalized guidance while you maintain an organizational overview. If you work with a large roster, consider batching review sessions and using standardized templates to scale the process while preserving the quality of coaching feedback.

What about data privacy and collaboration when using two plans?

Data privacy is critical when multiple plans exist for a single athlete or across a team. Ensure you have explicit consent for data sharing and that access permissions are set to restrict editing rights appropriately. Document who can view, edit, or duplicate plans, and use audit trails to track changes. For teams, implement a clear data governance policy, including how performance metrics are aggregated and reported. When combining two plans, keep only necessary data visible to the athlete and shield sensitive metadata unless required by the coaching process.

How can I accurately track progress with two plans?

Tracking progress requires separating metrics by plan while aggregating them to provide a holistic view. Use plan-level CTL, ATL, and TSB targets to monitor load per plan, then compute combined metrics for an overall trend. Build dashboards or reports that display both plan-specific data and an integrated summary to support decision-making. Regularly compare planned versus actual workloads, adjust intensity and volume accordingly, and use retrospective reviews to understand how dual-plan training influenced performance outcomes over time.

Are there limits or costs associated with running two plans?

Costs and limitations depend on your TrainingPeaks account type. In general, coach and team accounts offer more flexibility for managing multiple athletes and plans, while individual accounts may have restrictions on how many plans you can actively manage. Review your subscription tier for plan quotas, user seats, and sharing capabilities. If you anticipate heavy dual-plan usage, consider upgrading to a coaching-focused plan that supports multi-plan management, additional athletes, and advanced reporting. Always confirm current limits with TrainingPeaks support or your account representative before implementing a dual-plan workflow to avoid surprises.

What are the best practices to avoid conflicts when using two plans?

Best practices to avoid conflicts include establishing explicit activation windows for each plan, using clearly distinct workout labels, and maintaining separate calendars or overlays for visibility. Regularly review planned versus completed workouts, and implement a weekly or bi-weekly synchronization ritual to catch overlap early. Document decision criteria for plan switches and ensure both plans align with the athlete’s broader goals and recovery needs. Finally, keep communication open with the athlete, providing rationale for transitions and ensuring they understand which plan is driving their current week’s workouts.