18 weeks. 50 athletes. One Big Island.
In 2018 Dr. Dan Plews crossed the line in Kona in 8:24:36 - an age-group course record that still stands today. This is the exact training framework he used to do it, rebuilt for you, capped at 50 athletes, and coached personally by Dr. Dan Plews 18 weeks into the Ironman World Championship.
The blueprint exists. 8:24 at Kona in 2018.
2026 is your year to follow it.
Join the Squad for $25USD/week. We have 50 spots available. Once they're gone, they're gone.
THE PROMISE
This isn't a downloadable plan you read once and file away. It's a structured 18-week build with two coaches in your corner, a private squad you train alongside, and the heat-adaptation science that separates the athletes who survive Kona from the athletes who race it.
THE STORY - WHY THIS PLAN EXISTS
I've spent two decades as a sport scientist and coach helping athletes hit their best on the Big Island — and in 2018 I went and did it myself, taking the overall age-group win and setting a course record that's still standing all these years later.
People kept asking me: what did you actually do? What was on the calendar? How did you periodise it? How did you prepare for that heat?
This squad is the answer. It's the plan I built for myself, refined over the years with everything I have learned coaching athletes to Kona since, and opened up to a small group of dedicated age-groupers who want to chase their own day on Ali'i Drive.
THE TRAINING LOAD — WHAT YOUR WEEK LOOKS LIKE
This plan is built for athletes who can commit 15–20 hours per week across the 18 weeks. Here's the rough weekly shape:
Swim — 13,000 to 15,000 metres, roughly 5 hours per week
Bike — 10 to 12 hours per week (range depends on indoor vs. outdoor riding)
Run — 4 to 6 hours per week, covering 40–70km
Volume is periodised across the 18 weeks — you won't be at peak load every week. Recovery and intensity are programmed in the right places, not just bolted on.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
Everything you need to get to the Kona start line in the shape of your life:
The full 18-week training plan - periodised swim, bike and run sessions, built around the same framework that took me to the course record. Designed for athletes training 15–20 hours per week.
The EndureIQ LDT103 Heat Training Course - Our flagship course on heat adaptation, included free. Kona is won and lost in the heat. This is how you train your body to handle it.
Live webinars with Dan and Coach Aaron Geiser - regular group calls where we break down the next block, answer your questions, and adjust where it matters. You're not on your own.
Private squad community - train alongside the other 49 athletes on the same journey. Accountability, race-day nerves, the lot - shared with people who get it.
Coach access for individual adjustments - life, injury, work, travel. We help you flex the plan so the plan keeps working for you.
Race-week guidance - taper, travel, acclimation, pacing, fuelling, cooling.
Structured Training
Structured training plans based on the best methodology for optimal balance of stress and recovery to help you maximize performance.
Structured Workouts
Specifically structured and progressive workouts that target the key areas of your physiology which are crucial for success in triathlon.
Performance Tracking
Upload and sync your personal training data to our performance management dashboard for detailed analysis and individualized progression tracking.
WHO THIS IS FOR
This squad is the right fit if you:
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Are racing Ironman World Championship Kona (or building toward it) and want to go well, not just finish.
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Can realistically commit 15–20 hours a week to training across a 18-week block.
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Have a solid Ironman base already - this is a championship build, not a first-timer plan.
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Want direct access to coaches, and training analytics via TrainingPeaks.
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Take heat preparation seriously and want the science behind it, not guesswork.
It's probably not for you if you're new to long-course racing, you can't reliably commit the weekly hours, or you want a fully bespoke 1:1 coaching relationship.
YOUR COACHES
Dr. Dan Plews Sport scientist, coach, and 2018 Ironman World Championship overall age-group winner. Kona age-group course record holder (8:24:36, still standing). PhD in applied physiology, twenty years coaching elite and age-group athletes to the top of the sport. Coached Chelsea Sodaro to her 2022 Ironman World Championship title at Kona. Dan brings the same evidence-based methodology and race-specific expertise to every athlete he works with. Founder of Endure IQ.
Aaron Geiser has spent two decades coaching triathletes and endurance athletes, driven by a genuine passion for the sport as both an athlete and a coach. Under his guidance, athletes have achieved age-group wins, podium finishes at National and World events, Ironman and 70.3 World Championship qualifications, and course-best splits across swim, bike, and run. Aaron's coaching blends personal connection with science-based training, using metrics and data to help every athlete adapt, optimise, and reach their potential.
WHY ONLY 50 MEMBERS?
Limited to 50 members. 50 is the number where Aaron and I can actually know you, see your data, answer your questions on the webinars, and make this feel like a squad rather than a mailing list. Bigger than that and the coaching access we promise stops being real. So 50 is the cap. When the spots are gone, the doors close until the next cycle.
THE INVESTMENT
$25 USD per week for the full 18-week build.
That includes the complete training plan, the LDT103 Heat Training Course, TrainingPeaks access, live webinars with Dan and Aaron, the private squad community, and coach access throughout
ADD ON SWIMSMOOTH TO ELEVATE YOUR TRAINING
The SwimSmooth Experience
SQUAD STORIES:
"The SQUAD is the perfect opportunity for me to tap into the knowledge and experience Dan has about training and preparing for long distance triathlons. I feel I am much more educated on the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of training planning and specific sessions, even compared to individual coaching I have had over the last couple of years. Each training targets a specific adaptation and is clearly explained including fueling requirements which is very useful for me as I am following a LCHF approach since 2019. Dan also integrates the latest insights from human performance research into the plans, that way I am confident that I don’t leave any stones unturned when it comes to preparing for my best race possible. For me the SQUAD feels like the best fit high performance training team you can join from everywhere around the globe."
