Greetings from Las Playitas, on the island of Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands. Las Playitas is a true triathletes’ dream, with the most amazing 50m pool and open-water swimming, biking, running, and strength training. I’m here on the last day of my first-ever “tra-cation” (training vacation) during which I’m continuing my “Don’t Violate the Law of Insanity” plan for 2025 (as described in this article). Heavy lifting, joining a master’s swim group, backing off my running, and focusing on high cadence in my cycling are just a few of the changes I’ve been making during this 2025 prep period.

Another way I’m pursuing this goal came from my ongoing work with Lisa Tertsch, the Paris Olympic gold medalist, and Ruth Astle, the 3x Ironman winner. At their level, everyone is doing all the basics of being one of the best in the world. A major goal in our work for both is to look for ways to push their limits in training so they can then push their limits on race day. This goal can be accomplished in two ways: volume and intensity.

We all like to think that we are pushing our limits (when appropriate), but it has been my experience, both as a triathlete and a mental coach, that when we think we are pushing to our limits, our limits are farther away than we think. And our ability to truly find those limits is essential to being the fastest triathlete you can be.

Now, a disclaimer here before I continue. If you do triathlons simply to stay fit, participate and finish, or to be a part of the amazing community, this article may not be relevant to you. But, if your goal is to see what you are truly capable of, to find out how fast you can go, and even to see how you stack up against the best in your area, in the U.S., or even in the world, then I’m going to say, without immodesty, that this article should be a must-read for you.

Because I’m still in my build phase of the 2025 prep period, this trip focused on pushing the limits of my training volume.

At-home Volume Build

While at home since beginning my off-season training, I’ve already upped my weekly volume from about ten hours to around 14 hours a week.

I have accomplished this increase by doubling my weekly swim yardage and time. In the past, I swam 3x/week, averaging around 2000 yards per workout, for a total of 6000 yards per week. During the 2025 prep period, having joined a master’s swim group, I’ve been swimming 4x/week, averaging more than 3000 yards per workout, for a total of more than 12,000 yards per week. I’ve also increased my strength training from 2x/week, for around 35 minutes per workout, to 3x/week for about 60 minutes per workout.

I also picked up some time by only running twice each week to this point (running is my strength, so less urgency to build early). My biking has stayed fairly constant with two 60-minute spins during the week and up to a three-hour ride on weekends.

Canary Island Volume Build

I must admit that part of my increase in volume during this trip was motivated simply by wanting to squeeze every bit of the experience out of the trip. I was also inspired by Lisa, who races the same distances as I do, yet trains far more hours (admittedly, she’s 26 years old and one of the best triathletes in the world, but I like to dream big).

My primary impetus though was to push my volume and see what my body could handle. In my at-home training, which still averaged about two hours a day, I was in a state of constant fatigue and couldn’t quite imagine increasing my volume substantially.

Here was my training schedule for the last eight days:

Monday, 1-13-25: 1-hour lap swim (3281y), 1-hour strength workout, 1:30-hour ride (18.5 miles), 20-min, OWS (1200y; very rough water). I must admit that, at the end of the day, I thought, “How am I going to keep this up?!?!).
Tuesday, 1-14-25: 1-hour lap swim (2734y), 2-hour ride (28.3 miles), 15-minute brick run (1.65 miles).
Wednesday, 1-15-25: 1-hour lap swim (2953y), 1-hour strength workout, 1:14-hour ride (19.3 miles).
Thursday, 1-16-25: 1-hour lap swim (2570y), 1-hour strength workout, 1:02-hour ride (16 miles), 27-minute brick run w/8x20s pick-ups (3.07 miles).
Note: My camp was supposed to only last six days, but my body was feeling good and I was enjoying myself so much that I decided on Thursday to extend my trip two days to really push my limits.
Friday, 1-17-25 (recovery day): 1-hour strength workout, 38-minute bike (8.87 miles), 20-minute OWS (1127y).
Saturday, 1-18-25: 3:06 road ride (42.3 miles), 20-minute OWS (1124y).
Sunday, 1-19-25: 1-hour lap swim (2515y), 1-hour strength workout, 1:45-hour ride (27.7 miles).

Final 7-day Data:
Total training volume: 22:25 hours
TSS: 965
Swim: 6:34 hours (18541y)
Bike: 10:57 (161 miles)
Run: 42 minutes (5 miles)
Strength: 4 hours (heavy lifting)

Bonus day: Monday, 1-20-25 (I finished big!): 2:56 bike ride (41.3 miles), 40-minute run (4.54 miles), 20-minute OWS (1077y).

Lessons Learned

The most basic lesson I took away from this week was how resilient my body was to the added demands. For sure, I was really tired at the end of each day. At the same time, to my pleasant surprise, I woke up every day with good legs able to put in another hard day. This response was especially noticeable given that I rode my bike every day.

Another affirming lesson I learned from the week was that the added volume didn’t cause or aggravate any injuries. As any triathlete of a certain age knows, it is the little, nagging injuries that can be a major obstacle to consistent training. Yet, my body responded well (admittedly the low running volume may have helped here).

Still another lesson was the affirmation of the importance of rest and nutrition to support the high volume. I was very diligent about getting extra sleep and taking in substantially more calories. I also only had one helado (ice cream) all week. And the nightly visits to the hot tub on the roof of the house I rented with views of the village and ocean sure were physically and mentally rejuvenating.

Though I certainly wouldn’t (and probably couldn’t) maintain this training volume for long, I left Las Playitas feeling tired, but not exhausted, and in a very positive emotional space (a key indicator of overreaching vs. overtraining). And, with only about six weeks before my first race, I’m excited to transition to the next stage of my 2025 prep period.

This volume block marks the 1/3 point in my season-long “push my limits” commitment. After a recovery week, I plan to shift to pushing my limits in the intensity phase of the pre-season. Of course, the final piece of my “pushing my limits” puzzle is to take the new limits I established in my training volume and intensity, and to translate that to my races.

A Few Final Thoughts

I realize that not everyone has the opportunity to take a week off from work, family, and life and push their limits, but you can stay right at home (and for a lot less money) and set and accomplish the very same goals. It starts with a commitment, continues with a plan, requires the effort, and concludes with the results.

After a 2024 triathlon season in which I felt I had plateaued, I committed to my 2025 “Don’t Violate the Law of Sanity” plan for one simple reason: To see if I could get stronger and faster this season. Okay, there is more than one simple reason. Admittedly, I’m doing it to see if I can close the gap between myself and the guys who beat me last year, and to be more competitive at Nationals and Worlds. But the deepest reason I’m pushing my limits this year is to challenge myself to see what my limits really are. In fact, that’s why I do triathlons. I may not always achieve my competitive goals, but when I cross the line, I want to look back and say to myself, “I left it all out there.” At the end of the day, that is all I (and we) can do. And I’m sure you would agree, that this is where the real meaning, satisfaction, and joy from triathlon comes from (as well as the amazing community of people!).

Lastly, I’ll write a follow-up article when I’m deep into the intensity phase of my pre-season training in which I’ll explore the pure suffering that is required to push your limits during high-intensity workouts. I can’t say I’m thoroughly excited about that possibility right now, but I’ll get there and be ready when the time comes.