The plans were built with the appreciation that some runners may wish to fit plans together into a sequence, or a “season”. Here are examples of how plan types might be fit together or sequenced:
Example 1:
Testing (2 weeks) ➔ General Build plan ➔ Race-specific plan (5K, 10K, HM, FM) ➔ Race recovery block plan ➔ Maintenance plan ➔Race-specific plan (5K, 10K, HM, FM) ➔ Race recovery block plan
Example 2:
Testing (2 weeks) ➔ Race-specific plan (5K, 10K, HM, FM) ➔ Race recovery block plan ➔ Race-specific plan (5K, 10K, HM, FM) ➔ Race recovery block plan ➔ Maintenance plan
Example 3:
Testing (2 weeks) ➔ Race-specific plan (5K, 10K, HM, FM) ➔ Race recovery block plan ➔ Maintenance plan ➔ Race-specific plan (5K, 10K, HM, FM) ➔ Race recovery block plan
Note: since all plans end with either testing or a race, a testing block is not required prior to a new plan when immediately following another plan that ended with either testing or a race (assuming that auto-CP is reasonably optimized and valid).
When sequencing plans together, count the weeks backward from the end-of-season ‘A’ race to the present. Then factor in the prescribed weeks for each plan to be sequenced together.
Generally, when finishing a plan, one has been training at a higher volume than at the beginning of the next plan.
Stepping back in volume and rebuilding (ideally with a new / higher CP garnered at the end of the prior plan) is not necessarily associated with a step back in fitness. Runners are often reluctant to cut back volume and rebuild - especially after finishing a race-specific plan. However, that is often what they need. And guess what? You don't lose fitness as you might fear.
That said, one may wish to modify a new plan to account for their higher training tolerance.