Article · 9 min read · 2 Oct 2026
Peaking for the Open without burning out
How to structure the eight weeks before the Open so you arrive sharp rather than drained.
Most athletes don't lose the Open in February. They lose it in December, when they stack intensity on intensity and arrive at 26.1 with nothing left in the tank.
Peaking is not about doing more. It is about doing less of the right things, with more intent. In the final eight weeks we bring volume down, keep the good intensity, and get specific about the movements and time domains the Open likes.
Weeks 8 to 5: build. Keep your aerobic work, and add one test-style piece a week. Weeks 4 to 2: sharpen. Trim the accessory work by around a third and rehearse your pacing. Final week: freshen up. Short, brisk, confident sessions only.
The aim is simple: walk onto the floor feeling like you still have something in reserve. That is usually when the best scores show up.