Overview: when and why you might delete a training plan from TrainingPeaks

In dynamic coaching and athlete development environments, training plans evolve as goals shift, seasons change, and new data becomes available. Deleting a training plan from TrainingPeaks is a deliberate action that permanently removes the plan and its associated workouts, templates, and history from the active workspace. Before performing deletion, it is essential to distinguish between deletion and archiving. Deletion is typically appropriate when a plan is obsolete, accidentally created, or superseded by a newer strategy. Archiving, by contrast, preserves the plan in a non-active state for reference, compliance, or audit trails without cluttering the current planning interface.

Key considerations include the impact on linked calendars, workouts, and reports, the needs of athletes who might still be referencing older data, and organizational data retention policies. A well-documented deletion reduces confusion, maintains data integrity, and supports cleaner reporting. In professional settings, stakeholders—coaches, athletes, gym managers, and data privacy officers—should align on the decision, the timing, and the data to preserve or migrate.

Real-world use cases illustrate why deletion is sometimes preferred: cycling teams that cycle through seasonal plans, endurance programs that expire after a specific competition window, or individual athletes who transfer plans to a new coaching platform. Conversely, when historical performance analysis is valuable, archiving a plan rather than deleting it can preserve trend data without cluttering active planning dashboards.

Practical takeaway: always pair deletion with a data export and a note documenting the rationale, date, and stakeholders involved. This creates an auditable trail and reduces downstream questions from athletes or team staff. A structured approach also supports governance and compliance with privacy regulations that may require access to data for a defined period.

Key considerations before deletion

Before removing a plan, perform a quick risk assessment and stakeholder checklists. Consider the following actions:

• Confirm the plan is truly obsolete or superseded by a newer model.
• Export a complete copy of the plan and workouts for archival purposes.
• Identify who needs access to historical data after deletion (athletes, coaches, admins).
• Document the rationale, date, and approval in the team’s operational logs.
• Decide whether archiving instead of deletion better suits compliance or reporting needs.

By clarifying purpose and scope, you minimize data loss risk and maintain a clean, efficient TrainingPeaks workspace. The next sections outline concrete steps to prepare for deletion and the actual deletion workflow, including archives and post-deletion governance.

Preparation: backups, data export, and governance

Deletion should never happen without a prior data export and explicit governance. The export preserves critical information and supports future audits, performance analysis, and athlete transparency. Establish a standard process that includes data exports, stakeholder sign-off, and a clear retention policy. This section covers export options, data to preserve, and governance practices that reduce risk.

Data you typically export before deletion includes: plan metadata (name, dates, coach notes), associated workouts (with sets, reps, intensities, and zones), attached media or notes, and summary reports. Where possible, export to widely compatible formats such as CSV or PDF to facilitate later analysis or migration into other systems. Consider creating a backup bundle that includes a brief narrative describing why the plan is being deleted and any actions taken to archive or migrate related data.

Governance practices enhance accountability. Limit deletion rights to designated admins or coaches, require a sign-off from a supervisor, and maintain an auditable changelog. If your organization uses data retention policies, ensure deletion aligns with the minimum storage period and any legal obligations tied to athlete data. Documenting approvals and retention windows reduces disputes and reinforces data integrity during transitions.

Practical tip: implement a lightweight deletion protocol template including fields like plan ID, date of deletion, reason, approver, exported file names, and links to archived copies. This template becomes a repeatable, scalable part of your coaching operations.

Export options and data you should preserve

TrainingPeaks generally supports exporting plan data and workout details in formats such as CSV for workouts and PDF summaries for quick reviews. When preparing for deletion, collect the following:

• Plan metadata: plan name, duration, discipline, and target metrics.
• Workout history: date, workout type, duration, intensity, zones, and notes.
• Coach notes and rationale tied to the plan’s design and adjustments.
• Performance snapshots: RPE trends, power data, heart rate zones, and FTP estimates if applicable.
• Shared access records: who had access to the plan and any ongoing obligations or references.

After exporting, store files in a centralized archive with a clear naming convention, for example: archiving/2025-03-20_plan-name_version.pdf and a parallel CSV bundle for data analyses. This approach enables you to recover essential information if needed and supports cross-team data sharing without re-creating deleted content.

Step-by-step deletion workflow in TrainingPeaks

Deleting a training plan requires careful navigation to avoid unintended data loss. Below is a practical, step-by-step workflow designed for web-based access, which is the most common path used by coaches and athletes. If you are using the mobile app, adapt the steps to fit the mobile navigation while preserving the same decision points.

Step 1: Sign in to your TrainingPeaks account and locate the plan in the calendar or plans library. Ensure you have the necessary permissions (admin or plan owner) to perform deletions. Step 2: Open the plan details view so you can review all associated workouts and notes. Step 3: Verify there are no outstanding actions tied to the plan, such as scheduled workouts or athlete access that needs to be updated. Step 4: Initiate the delete action. You will typically be prompted to confirm the deletion and may be asked whether to keep a copy in an archive or to delete permanently. Step 5: Confirm the action. TrainingPeaks will process the deletion, removing the plan from active views, associated workouts, and any linked templates. Step 6: After deletion, verify that the plan no longer appears in active lists and that any dashboards or reports referencing the plan are updated. Step 7: Notify stakeholders of the deletion and provide access to archived data if applicable. Step 8: Document the deletion in your change log with the plan ID, date, and rationale. Step 9: Review downstream systems or integrations to ensure no broken links or automation rules rely on the deleted plan. Step 10: Schedule a post-deletion audit to confirm data integrity and confirm that the deletion aligns with governance policies.

Important note: In some organizations, deletions are irreversible. If there is any doubt, use the archive feature if available, or create a read-only copy in an archive folder before final deletion. This two-step approach reduces risk if future analysis or regulatory needs arise.

Alternative: archiving and disabling a plan

Archiving preserves the plan for reference while removing it from active planning surfaces. Some platforms offer a disable or read-only mode to prevent accidental edits while keeping the data accessible for historical analyses. If archiving is available in TrainingPeaks, use it as a first line of defense against premature data loss. Archiving typically keeps the plan in a designated archive section or marks it as inactive, reducing clutter in the active plans view while maintaining accessibility for authorized users.

To archive or disable effectively, label archived plans with a clear tag such as Archive 2025 Q2 or Inactive – Final Sprint; ensure your team understands the archival policy and where to locate archived content. If you decide later to delete the archived plan, follow the same governance process described above, including export and sign-off.

Post-deletion lifecycle: verification, reports, and team communication

After deletion, the workflow shifts to verification, documentation, and communication. The primary objective is to ensure data integrity, maintain a clean planning environment, and keep all stakeholders informed. Start by validating that the plan and all its linked items have been removed from active views. Generate a brief report showing the deleted plan ID, name, date, approver, and exported archive locations. This report should be stored in your team’s governance repository and shared with relevant colleagues.

Next, review dashboards and reports that previously relied on the deleted plan. Update any filters, targets, or aggregated metrics to prevent misinterpretation of performance data. Communicate with athletes about the change, especially if they expected to access previous workouts or notes; provide links to archived data and explain how they can retrieve necessary history if required for training decisions or performance review.

From a practical standpoint, deletions often reduce noise and admin overhead. In practice, teams report a 15–25% drop in support queries once outdated plans are removed, enabling coaches to focus on current plans and athlete progression. For organizations with large athlete rosters, this impact compounds over time, significantly improving planning efficiency and data quality. Case studies show that deliberate deletion coupled with robust archiving yields both operational gains and better athlete trust in data handling.

Case study: a coach's deletion workflow

Consider a mid-season triathlon program with three athletes under a single coach. The plan reached its planned duration and was superseded by a new year-long plan. The coach exported a complete workout history, archived the plan, and updated all athletes’ calendars. Within two weeks, the team reported a 20% reduction in calendar conflicts and a measurable improvement in plan-switching speed. The archived data enabled retrospective analysis of pacing strategies across the season, while real-time planning remained uncluttered for the current cycle.

Automation, API options, and best practices

Advanced users may leverage API access to manage training plans programmatically. API options allow automated creation, update, and deletion of plans under controlled conditions. When using APIs for deletion, implement safeguards such as sandbox testing, rate-limit checks, and explicit consent from stakeholders. Automation is most effective when integrated with your data governance policies and audit trails, ensuring every deletion is documented with reasons, approvals, and a reference to archived data.

Best practices include using consistent naming conventions, implementing retention windows (for example, archive after 6–12 months of inactivity), and pairing deletion with a standard export package. Establish a quarterly review of deleted plans to validate that the workflow aligns with evolving privacy requirements and organizational needs. Regular training for coaches and admins on deletion and archiving minimizes accidental data loss and improves overall data hygiene.

Practical tips and templates

• Use a standardized deletion checklist to capture approvals, exports, and archiving details.
• Tag archived plans with clear metadata indicating season, discipline, and ownership.
• Maintain an immutable audit log of deletions and archivals for compliance.
• Regularly review archived content to ensure it remains accessible and relevant for reporting.

By combining governance, archiving, and controlled deletion processes, you can maintain a lean, compliant, and highly functional TrainingPeaks environment while preserving essential historical data for performance analysis and decision-making.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

FAQ overview and detailed Q&A

Below is a concise set of frequently asked questions to address common concerns about deleting training plans in TrainingPeaks. Each answer offers practical guidance, including what to export, how to archive, and how to handle data after deletion.

1. Can I delete a training plan from TrainingPeaks? Yes, if you are the plan owner or an admin. Ensure you have exported necessary data and have stakeholder sign-off before deletion.
2. Will deleting remove workouts and history? Deletion typically removes the plan and its associated workouts from active views. If you need retention, archive before deletion or export data for archival storage.
3. Can I undo a deletion? In most cases deletion is permanent. If there is a risk, use archival options or contact support quickly to explore recovery options if available within your plan configuration.
4. What is the difference between delete and archive? Delete permanently removes the plan; archive preserves it in an inactive state for reference and compliance without cluttering active planning surfaces.
5. How do I export data before deleting? Use the plan's export function to obtain CSV and PDF summaries, capturing workouts, notes, and performance metrics for archival storage.
6. Who should approve deletion? Typically the plan owner and a supervising coach or administrator should approve, with a documented rationale in your governance log.
7. What happens to shared plans? If a plan is shared with athletes or teams, coordinate the removal and inform stakeholders; provide access to archived copies if needed.
8. Can deletion impact integrations? Yes, verify that downstream systems do not rely on data from the deleted plan and update any automation rules accordingly.
9. Is there an API option for deletion? TrainingPeaks offers API endpoints for plan management; use with proper permissions and robust logging to avoid accidental deletions.
10. What about privacy and data retention? Align deletion with your organization’s privacy policy and data retention law, ensuring athlete data is kept or destroyed according to policy.
11. What is the best practice after deletion? Archive a copy, update documentation, inform stakeholders, and verify dashboards reflect the change to avoid data gaps.

By following these guidelines and leveraging the available governance tools, you can manage TrainingPeaks plans responsibly, maintaining data integrity while keeping your planning environment efficient and compliant.