Try - A - STANDARD Triathlon Training Plan

An easy to follow programme for someone who is wanting to have a go at a STANDARD DISTANCE Triathlon, which comprises of the a 1500m swim, 40km cycle, 10km run.
You should be able to swim at least 100m straight in the pool, cycle at least 45 minutes non-stop and run or walk for at least 30 minutes.

If you are after a more formal Triathlon Training Plan consider either our Subscription Membership or Custom Coaching Plans.  For more information click HERE

This 8 week plan will have you ready to do a Standard (Olympic) Distance Triathlon.  Through the weeks you will become fitter, more confident, more skilled and you will certainly have a lot of fun.  There is a fairly gentle progression in the volume and intensity, as the consistency of the training is the most important thing for you.

You shouldn't get to the end of the week feeling too tired and fatigued, you should just have that satisfying sensation you get from increasing your fitness.  If you feel you are struggling to keep the training load going, try slowing down a bit, and double check that you actually are training at the intensity specified in the plan.  There is no hurry to ramp things up as this will be happening in due course.  Be patient and trust that the training you are doing is getting you fitter and stronger.  You will get the greatest gains by simply being consistent in achieving the sessions as they have been prescribed. 

Listen to your body throughout the program.  It is important to be totally in tune to how you are sleeping, what your mood is like, are you coming down with a cold or flu?  The best rule of thumb is that if you wake up in the morning, drained, tired and dreading the thought of training today then take the day off!  Trust us, you aren't going to suddenly lose all this great fitness you have built.  If you have more than 4 days off training then you need to reduce the volume of the next 4 days by 25% and cut out all intensity over Zone 2, just tick along.  Don't feel you need to catch up sessions, this is a quick way to get sick again or injured, just accept that you missed that session and move on....only look forward, don't look back. 

You will see after a few weeks into the plan some different sessions start, which have some intervals included.  These are very important as they gradually shift the focus of the session to either leg speed or muscular endurance which is required to progress your strength and aerobic fitness.  Make sure you follow the directions properly in these sessions as doing them wrong risks pushing you too hard and may result in injury.  If you're unsure of what you are capable of then err on the side of caution and hold back on the intensity or the number of repeats you can do.  Remember the important thing is to get to the start line uninjured, in great health and knowing what you are capable of achieving.

We recommend as the weeks pass by to bring more hills into your "Steady" and "Long Runs", but keep within reason here, too many hills may fatigue you too much for the following training sessions.  Gradually increase the length and number of hills in these runs.  Don't be tempted to run harder up hills, just keep your effort even and if you are using a Heart Rate monitor then try to avoid going more than 5 BPM over what you would do on the flat.  If you have to walk up the hill in parts to keep your Heart Rate down then do so, you will find that as your fitness improves you won't be walking as much.  You don't want to be getting to the top of the hill completely puffed and unable to get back to your normal running pace.  Keep your easy runs to a relatively flat course.  

Race day will be over before you know it.  Just remember, in order to give yourself the best possible chance in the race keep a little bit in reserve for the final portions of each leg.  You certainly don't want to go out too hard at the start of each discipline only to fall short before the finish.  Remember to soak up the atmosphere around you.  Everyone is cheering for you, be an inspiration to them.

We recommend reading our article 'Training Zones Explained' to gain some understanding of what your training zones are and how to know you are getting them right.