Documentation AI Training Plans

AI Training Plans

GoAnd.Run training plans are not templates. They are built from scratch for you (by Claude AI) using your current fitness, your race goal, and how you actually train. Every session has a purpose, every week has a focus, and the whole plan evolves week by week based on how things are going.

Built for you

Generated from your fitness metrics, race goal, training history, and schedule.

Periodised

Structured phases from base building through to taper, with built-in recovery weeks.

Adaptive

The plan adjusts after every weekly check-in based on how you're actually responding to training.

Personalised Plan Generation

When you generate a plan, the AI assembles a complete picture of where you are as an athlete before writing a single session. The result is a plan calibrated to your actual starting point, not an average runner's.

What the AI considers

Current fitness metrics

Recent weekly volume, estimated threshold pace, and training load trend from your Strava activities.

Race goal

Distance, target finish time, race date, and how many weeks are available before the start line.

Training preferences

Available training days, preferred long run day, S&C sessions, and any days that need to stay clear.

Race history and personal bests

Recent race results and PBs across distances, used to cross-check the goal time and set appropriate training paces.

Generation takes 20–60 seconds. The plan is processed in the background: the AI writes every session across every week in a single pass. You will be notified when it is ready. Do not refresh the page while it processes.

Plan Structure

Every plan is periodised, divided into phases that build on each other in a logical progression towards race day. The phases and their length are determined by how many weeks you have available and what type of race you are targeting.

Training phases

1

Base / Transition

Establishes aerobic foundation. Easy volume, relaxed long runs, and an introduction to the training structure. No hard quality sessions yet.

2

Build

Progressive volume increase alongside the introduction of tempo and interval sessions. The longest and hardest block of the plan.

3

Sharpen

Volume starts to come down while intensity stays high. Race-pace sessions appear. The goal is to arrive at the taper feeling fit but not fatigued.

4

Taper

Significant volume reduction in the final 1–3 weeks. A few short quality efforts are kept to maintain sharpness. Your body banks the fitness built over the preceding months.

5

Race

Race week. Light shakeout runs, no new stress, and a full day of rest before the race.

Recovery weeks

Every 3–4 weeks, the plan includes a scheduled recovery week. Volume drops by roughly 20–30% and there are no hard quality sessions. Recovery weeks are not optional extras: they are where adaptation happens. The AI builds these in automatically and will always protect them when adapting the plan.

80/20 polarised training

The plan follows a polarised approach: approximately 80% of running time at easy, conversational effort (Zones 1–2) and 20% at high intensity (Zones 4–5). Very little time is spent in the grey middle zone. This is how elite distance runners train, and the research behind it is compelling for age-group athletes too.

Detailed Session Prescriptions

Every session in the plan is fully prescribed. There is no guesswork about what to do, how hard to go, or why the session is scheduled on a particular day.

Structured workout breakdown

Each session is divided into a warm-up, main set, and cool-down, with specific distances or durations for each part.

Exact pace targets

Paces are drawn from your personalised training zones. You will see a target like "4:45–5:00 /km" rather than a vague effort description.

Coaching notes

A short explanation of why each session matters and what to focus on. Understanding the purpose of a session helps you execute it correctly.

Strength & conditioning days

When "Generate personalised S&C workouts" is enabled in your preferences, the plan includes dedicated strength session days (shown in fuchsia) instead of a rest day. From the session page you can generate a full structured S&C workout (exercises, sets, reps, and coaching cues) tailored to your phase and equipment. See the S&C Workouts section in the AI Coaching guide for details.

Example session note

"This tempo run targets your lactate threshold: the pace you could sustain for roughly an hour in a race. Holding 4:50–5:05 /km for the main set keeps you at Zone 4 without blowing up. Focus on a smooth, controlled effort rather than chasing pace. This is a key fitness session for your half marathon goal."

Pace Zones

All training paces in your plan are derived from your personal pace zones, which are anchored to your threshold pace. Two athletes training for the same race at the same goal time may have very different zone ranges based on their current fitness.

The six pace zones

Zone 1: Recovery

Very easy

Active recovery pace. Used after hard sessions and on easy days when accumulated fatigue is high. Never feels like exercise.

Zone 2: Aerobic Endurance

Easy, conversational

The foundation of all endurance training. Where the majority of your running volume sits. Builds aerobic capacity and fat metabolism without accumulating significant fatigue.

Zone 3: Aerobic Power

Moderate, steady

Marathon race pace territory. Useful in specific contexts but overused by many runners; spending too much time here reduces the benefit of both your easy and hard sessions.

Zone 4: Threshold

Comfortably hard

Tempo and threshold pace. The highest intensity you can sustain for 20–60 minutes. Tempo runs and cruise intervals target this zone. Raises your lactate threshold over time.

Zone 5: Anaerobic Endurance

Hard, interval pace

VO2 max territory. Used for track intervals and hard repetitions. High quality sessions that should be used sparingly, typically no more than once a week.

Zone 6: Anaerobic Power

Sprint, maximum effort

Short maximal efforts: strides, hill sprints, and finishing kicks. Used sparingly to develop raw speed and neuromuscular sharpness.

Setting your zones

Zones can be configured manually in Zone Settings using a threshold pace you know from a recent race or time trial. If you are not sure of your threshold, the AI can estimate zones from your race history and workout data when generating your plan.

Dynamic Plan Adaptation

This is what separates GoAnd.Run from a static PDF training plan. After each weekly check-in, the AI reviews how the week actually went and updates the remaining plan if needed. Your plan is not fixed at generation; it evolves with you.

What triggers an adaptation

Effort and fatigue rating: a high fatigue score alongside a harder-than-expected effort suggests the load may be too high. The AI may reduce the following week's volume or move a hard session.

Injury or niggle reports: if you flag a sore achilles or tight hamstring, the AI can substitute impact-heavy sessions and temporarily remove intensity until the issue resolves.

Actual vs planned volume: if you ran significantly less than planned for two consecutive weeks, the plan is recalibrated so the build towards race day remains achievable rather than unrealistic.

Requested adjustments: you can explicitly ask the AI to adapt the plan for a specific reason (busy travel week, a goal race added to the schedule). The AI will adjust around your request.

Adaptation is not automatic. The AI only reviews and updates the plan when you submit a weekly check-in. The more honestly you report on how training is going, the better the adaptation.

On-Demand Session Adjustments

Weekly check-ins adapt the plan at a macro level, adjusting future weeks based on how things are going. Session adjustments work at the micro level: replacing a single day's session when you cannot do what is planned. The two systems complement each other without conflicting.

How the AI decides what to suggest

The AI receives the original session, your reason for needing a change, the full week of sessions, any activities you have already completed this week, your athlete profile, and your recent session feedback. It uses this context to generate a replacement that fits naturally into the week without disrupting the training balance.

Intensity is never increased. The replacement session will always be equal to or easier than the original. This is a safety-first design principle: the athlete is asking for help, not a harder session.

Pace zones are personalised. The replacement uses the same pace zones as your plan: actual min:sec/km values from your threshold, not generic effort descriptions.

Volume is recalculated on accept. When you accept an adjustment, the week's planned volume is automatically updated to reflect the new session distance.

Adjustment vs adaptation

Session Adjustment

Replaces one session on one day. Triggered on demand from the session page. Does not affect other days or future weeks.

Plan Adaptation

Rewrites multiple future weeks. Triggered automatically by the weekly check-in. Changes volume, intensity, and session distribution across the remaining plan.

One request at a time. You can only have one active adjustment request per session. If one is already pending or generated, you will need to accept or reject it before requesting a new one.

Weekly Check-in

The weekly check-in is your direct line to the AI coach. It is a short form completed at the end of each training week; it takes two minutes and drives both the weekly review and any plan adaptations.

What to fill in

Effort rating

How hard did the week feel overall? 1 is barely noticeable, 10 is the hardest week of your life. Be honest. This is the primary signal the AI uses to assess load.

Fatigue level

How tired are you going into the weekend? A high fatigue score at the end of a relatively low-volume week is a warning sign the AI takes seriously.

Injuries or niggles

Any tightness, soreness, or pain, even if minor. Early reporting gives the AI the chance to act before a niggle becomes a problem.

Plan adjustment request (optional)

Tell the AI if you need something changed. For example: "Away for work next week, can only run Tuesday and Thursday" or "Feeling strong, happy to push the volume."

What happens after you check in

1 A weekly review is generated, summarising the week and providing guidance for what comes next.
2 If adaptation is needed, the AI rewrites the affected remaining weeks of the plan.
3 The updated plan is available immediately on your plan page. The review explains any changes that were made.