70.3 Training Plan: No intense stuff

RPE 3-4 is not easy. There is a huge gap between an easy bike and intense bike workouts. Easy is when you just cruise along and can carry on a conversation with someone while intense is when you are gasping for air and about to puke. Your long rides should be somewhere in the middle. You can talk but not get out a full sentence without having to pause to breath. Your HIM bike pace should not be intense unless you intend to walk 13.2 miles. A lot of people refer to HIM pace as "sweet spot" pace. Your breathing is somewhat labored, you break a good sweat and it is a pace you can carry for 3 hrs but leaves you with legs that can carry you for the run....far too many forget about that run part while on the bike. You will know it when you find it!!

First, I'd say it depends on what your goals are, as well as what your anticipated race pace actually is. Then again, maybe the latter doesn't even matter, since that's all relative...

I can say that for my first HIM, which incidentally was the one I was best trained for, I probably averaged somewhere in the 16-17 mph range for my long rides. My race pace, which was on a very hilly course, was about 19 mph. Point being, I did not train at my race pace. In fact, I can't imagine doing all of those training rides at 19 mph, that seems insane!

Honestly, I did all of these training rides at a pace that felt good for me for that particular day. Now, if you're really trying to dial into a specific goal, this may not be the best advice, but if you're not in it to win it, I'd say push it some, but don't kill yourself. Good luck!

IMO, the base you have built also has a huge impact. If you are training at an easy pace that is close to your aerobic threshold (at or just below), your body will learn to burn fat more efficiently, which is huge for events that last 3+ hours. I would stick with an easier pace on longer rides. That said, it's also worth throwing some intensity in on other rides, if for no other reason than remember what "hard" riding feels like.

Just because you found a plan on the interwebs...it doesn't mean it's any good OR it doesn't mean it's the right plan for you specifically.

Most of my HIM long rides are done at or above my targetted power for the race. HIM, I'll target around 80-82%%, and most long rides will be somewhere between 75-85% for the bulk of the ride, with some time spent closer to 90%. It's not always fun, and there are days where I can't hit the targets, but it does work. If you can spend a 4hr training ride at a higher output than you plan for on race day, that makes your targets and goals much more achievable on race day itself - it also helps to account for the fatigue you've just built up during the swim. A lot of people tend to forget to factor in the effort of ~40min in the water, and the impact that has on you.

RPE3-4 is not easy.

If it's easy, you need to crank up your RPEs.

It's not so hard that you can't go on after 5 minutes, but it's hard enough at 3-4 that you should be pretty uncomfortable the entire time you're in that effort zone.

Try Trainerroad "sweet spot" rides for a pretty good idea of this.

I tried the beginner HIM from BT a few years ago for my first HIM. While it was adequate to get me to the finish line, looking back at it now it seems very light on cycling in both duration and intensity. But keep in mind it is a "beginner" training plan, designed for one size fits all.

I don't even use a specific plan anymore, I just train based on the techniques I've researched and tried that seem to work for me (and from what I gather most people on these sites). I work on raising my FTP using specific interval workouts (i.e. 2x20) on the trainer a few times a week and a longer zone 2 ride on the weekends. Zone 2 is not supposed to be "easy" on the bike.

There have been a couple different phases in my training in the last couple of months, and I found it interesting what each produced. When I started doing my long rides a couple months ago, it was after the first half of my training plan which was pure base building. With one week exception, there was no high-intensity strength work on the bike, just a slower, more even build. The plan also involved a heavy run focus, with the same base building. Those first few long rides I felt good - certainly better than last season, but there was still some moments on the climbs where it was a struggle to keep where I was supposed to be power wise. Then, about a month and a half ago, I entered 4 weeks of really big interval work, in all 3 disciplines. Shorter, as in 45 minutes to 1:15, workouts that left me trashed at the end. 4 weeks of those 5 days a week., the 6th day of the week was alternating a long run at recovery pace and a long ride, pace agnostic, just time based. I can tell you that even though I was supposed to be just riding, ignorant of pace or time, I was killing those rides.
Point is, the intervals gave me for the power, and the long rides gave me the mental toughness, the position comfort, etc. I think intervals are SUPER important.

x2 on the beginner HIM from BT. The cycling portions seemed light. I modified the plan as I went along.

Oops - didn't realize you were using a 1-10 scale and not a 1-5 scale for RPE. I'd say RPE should feel pretty easy, but I'm not sure it's a great idea to do most of your training exclusively at RPE3. I'm a lot closer to RPE6-8 and that's going actually by powermeter computed zones.