Runner's World Sprint Triathlon Plan for First-Timers - 8 Weeks
8 weeks - $34.99
If you’re a runner heading to your first triathlon, this eight-week plan is for you. Runner’sWorld and tri coach Dara Wittenberg have created this program specifically for runners preparing for a sprint triathlon (a quarter-mile swim, 12-mile bike, and 5-K run). It’s designed to help you maintain the running endurance you already have, and help you to develop the swimming and cycling strength you need for the race. Most weeks include one day of rest, two days of biking, two days of swimming, and two days of running. Your swims will include pool and open-water workouts. As you get closer to the race, you’ll have brick workouts (combination workouts) so that you get plenty of race-day rehearsal. You’re ready for this plan as long as you can swim one lap of a pool (50 meters) nonstop and bike for 30 minutes without resting.
After purchase, your plan will be available in your own private online training log account. You'll enjoy these benefits and more:
Sample workouts:
Workout #1 : Other
REST
Welcome to week one of the Runner's World Sprint Triathlon Plan. This plan was designed by triathlon coach Dara Wittenberg and the editors of Runner's World. It is designed to help runners take on their first sprint triathlons. Each Monday, you'll get a note about your training for the week ahead. And each day, you'll receive an e-mail reminding you about the workout for the day. As you train, tap into our online community, where you'll find tips on training, nutrition, and injury prevention, and you can connect with other runners. Your workouts are designed around the following levels of effort: EASY: Recovery or conversational pace. MODERATE: A base-building pace; challenging but not so hard that you can't comfortably maintain it for a long time. TEMPO: The hardest effort or fastest pace you can hold for an hour. HARD: The hardest effort or fastest pace you can possibly maintain for 20 to 30 minutes. Your training program kicks off with a rest day. Mondays are always reserved for rest so you can recover from the previous week and save your energy for the week ahead. Ideally, you won't exercise at all on these days. But it's okay to do a no-impact activity like yoga, pilates, or stretching. Whatever you do, just take it easy. If you want to add time to any of your workouts, do it on an easy day. Don't extend any run by more than one or two miles, and don't add intensity to your runs or you will be too tired to work hard and focus on form for the bike and the swim. Try to follow the exertion guidelines for each workout so you can live to train well another day. Have technical questions? Write to rodale@peaksware.com To get coaching and access to RW Experts on training, nutrition, and injury-prevention, join the Runner's World Challenge. Find out more at runnersworldchallenge.com.
Welcome to week one of the Runner's World Sprint Triathlon Plan. This plan was designed by triathlon coach Dara Wittenberg and the editors of Runner's World. It is designed to help runners take on their first sprint triathlons. Each Monday, you'll get a note about your training for the week ahead. And each day, you'll receive an e-mail reminding you about the workout for the day. As you train, tap into our online community, where you'll find tips on training, nutrition, and injury prevention, and you can connect with other runners. Your workouts are designed around the following levels of effort: EASY: Recovery or conversational pace. MODERATE: A base-building pace; challenging but not so hard that you can't comfortably maintain it for a long time. TEMPO: The hardest effort or fastest pace you can hold for an hour. HARD: The hardest effort or fastest pace you can possibly maintain for 20 to 30 minutes. Your training program kicks off with a rest day. Mondays are always reserved for rest so you can recover from the previous week and save your energy for the week ahead. Ideally, you won't exercise at all on these days. But it's okay to do a no-impact activity like yoga, pilates, or stretching. Whatever you do, just take it easy. If you want to add time to any of your workouts, do it on an easy day. Don't extend any run by more than one or two miles, and don't add intensity to your runs or you will be too tired to work hard and focus on form for the bike and the swim. Try to follow the exertion guidelines for each workout so you can live to train well another day. Have technical questions? Write to rodale@peaksware.com To get coaching and access to RW Experts on training, nutrition, and injury-prevention, join the Runner's World Challenge. Find out more at runnersworldchallenge.com.
Workout #2 : Bike
BIKE: DRILLS + 20-MINUTES MODERATE
4 drill sets (see below) 20 minutes @ moderate The bike drills will help you warm up while working on your stroke so that you become more efficient and get more out of each pedal push. Doing the drills at the beginning of the workout makes it easier to execute them perfectly without fatigue affecting your form. CYCLING DRILL SET:Do each of these exercises for 30 seconds, resting for one minute in between: SPIN-UPS Lower the resistance until you hit the max cadence you can maintain without bouncing. INDIVIDUAL LEG TRAINING With only small resistance, have one leg doing all the work.
4 drill sets (see below) 20 minutes @ moderate The bike drills will help you warm up while working on your stroke so that you become more efficient and get more out of each pedal push. Doing the drills at the beginning of the workout makes it easier to execute them perfectly without fatigue affecting your form. CYCLING DRILL SET:Do each of these exercises for 30 seconds, resting for one minute in between: SPIN-UPS Lower the resistance until you hit the max cadence you can maintain without bouncing. INDIVIDUAL LEG TRAINING With only small resistance, have one leg doing all the work.
Workout #3 : Swim
SWIM INTERVALS
4 drill sets (see below) Try not to rush the drills--swimming is the most technical and form dependent of all three sports and requires patience. SWIMMING DRILL SETS Swim 25 meters of each of the following drills for one set, resting as long as needed in between sets: SIDE KICK Freestyle kick on your right side with your right arm extended forward and the left by your side. After every 12 kicks, take a stroke and rotate to your left side while extending the left arm. Alternate sides every 12 kicks. FINGERTIP DRAG Bring your fingertips along the surface of the water during the recovery cycle of every stroke. Keep your arm relaxed, as if yiour forearm is just hanging under your elbow. FIST DRILL Swim with both hands closed into fists. Keep your arm slightly bent at the elbow and move as much water underneath your body as possible. THUMB SCRAPE As your hand returns to your side at the end of each stroke, graze your thigh with your thumb. SEMI-CATCH UP Freestyle with your right arm extended. Wait until the left arm almost completes its stroke before starting a stroke with the right. Alternate extending each arm.
4 drill sets (see below) Try not to rush the drills--swimming is the most technical and form dependent of all three sports and requires patience. SWIMMING DRILL SETS Swim 25 meters of each of the following drills for one set, resting as long as needed in between sets: SIDE KICK Freestyle kick on your right side with your right arm extended forward and the left by your side. After every 12 kicks, take a stroke and rotate to your left side while extending the left arm. Alternate sides every 12 kicks. FINGERTIP DRAG Bring your fingertips along the surface of the water during the recovery cycle of every stroke. Keep your arm relaxed, as if yiour forearm is just hanging under your elbow. FIST DRILL Swim with both hands closed into fists. Keep your arm slightly bent at the elbow and move as much water underneath your body as possible. THUMB SCRAPE As your hand returns to your side at the end of each stroke, graze your thigh with your thumb. SEMI-CATCH UP Freestyle with your right arm extended. Wait until the left arm almost completes its stroke before starting a stroke with the right. Alternate extending each arm.
Workout #4 : Run
RUN: 20-MINUTES MODERATE
4 strides 20 minutes @ moderate 5 minute warmup @ easy Warm up by doing 4 x 100-meter strides, walking 60 to 90 meters in between strides. Focus on keeping a high turnover and a midfoot landing, while maintaining the fastest pace you can hold with good form. Once the strides are complete, run for 20 minutes at a moderate effort, trying to maintain the form you were working on during the strides. Cool down by running easy for five minutes. Resist the urge to try to maintain your usual running volume when you start training for the triathlon. No matter how fit you are, your body will need time to adapt to two new sports. If you want to add more running miles, do the swim and the bike workouts first so you have plenty of energy and feel fresh for the two new sports.
4 strides 20 minutes @ moderate 5 minute warmup @ easy Warm up by doing 4 x 100-meter strides, walking 60 to 90 meters in between strides. Focus on keeping a high turnover and a midfoot landing, while maintaining the fastest pace you can hold with good form. Once the strides are complete, run for 20 minutes at a moderate effort, trying to maintain the form you were working on during the strides. Cool down by running easy for five minutes. Resist the urge to try to maintain your usual running volume when you start training for the triathlon. No matter how fit you are, your body will need time to adapt to two new sports. If you want to add more running miles, do the swim and the bike workouts first so you have plenty of energy and feel fresh for the two new sports.
Workout #5 : Bike
BIKE: DRILLS + 20-MINUTES MODERATE
10-minute warmup @ easy 4 drill sets 20 minutes @ moderate Warm up for 10 minutes spinning at an easy cadence in the small chain ring (what your pedals attach to), then do four reps of each of the drills below. Follow this with 20 minutes of cycling at a moderate effort. During this ride, work on bike-handling skills: Steer with your hips, not your hands, and practice looking through each turn to where you are going while you keep your outside pedal down. You can finish your first triathlon with a bike you probably already have. You can always upgrade if you decide you want to do more events. Ride the lightest bike you can find, and make sure the frame fits you well. A specialty cycling shop can help make sure you get the right fit. You can use a bike with simple flat pedals, or use pedals with toe clips and straps. But clipless pedals and cycling shoes with cleats will give you more power per stroke. CYCLING DRILL SET: Do each for 30 seconds, resting for one minute between: SPIN-UPS Lower resistance until you hit the max cadence you can maintain without bouncing. INDIVIDUAL LEG TRAINING With only small resistance, have one leg doing all the work.
10-minute warmup @ easy 4 drill sets 20 minutes @ moderate Warm up for 10 minutes spinning at an easy cadence in the small chain ring (what your pedals attach to), then do four reps of each of the drills below. Follow this with 20 minutes of cycling at a moderate effort. During this ride, work on bike-handling skills: Steer with your hips, not your hands, and practice looking through each turn to where you are going while you keep your outside pedal down. You can finish your first triathlon with a bike you probably already have. You can always upgrade if you decide you want to do more events. Ride the lightest bike you can find, and make sure the frame fits you well. A specialty cycling shop can help make sure you get the right fit. You can use a bike with simple flat pedals, or use pedals with toe clips and straps. But clipless pedals and cycling shoes with cleats will give you more power per stroke. CYCLING DRILL SET: Do each for 30 seconds, resting for one minute between: SPIN-UPS Lower resistance until you hit the max cadence you can maintain without bouncing. INDIVIDUAL LEG TRAINING With only small resistance, have one leg doing all the work.
Workout #6 : Swim
SWIM INTERVALS
2 drill sets 5 x 50 meters @ easy with 30 second recovery 50 meters @ easy After the drills, swim 5 x 50 meters easy, resting for 30 seconds between, then cooldown with 50 meters easy. It's important to get plenty of practice doing bilateral breathing; on race day you'll need to be able to breathe evenly to both sides. If you don't, you'll likely develop a strong side and a weak side. If you become equally strong on both sides, on race day you won't have to worry about whether there are waves on your strong or weak side. Really focus on rotating evenly to both sides today. Notice which side you have a hard time breathing on. SWIMMING DRILL SET: Swim 25 meters of each of the following drills, resting as long as needed in between: SIDE KICK Freestyle kick on your right side with your right arm extended forward and the left by your side. After every 12 kicks take a stroke and rotate to your left side while extending the left arm. Alternate sides every 12 kicks. FINGERTIP DRAG Bring your fingertips along the surface of the water during the recovery cycle of every stroke. Keep your arm relaxed, as if your forearm is just hanging under your elbow. FIST DRILL Swim with both hands closed into fists. Keep your arm slightly bent at the elbow and move as much water underneath your body as possible. THUMB SCRAPE As your hand returns to your side at the end of each stroke, graze your thigh with your thumb. SEMI-CATCH UP Freestyle with your right arm extended. Wait until the left arm almost completes its stroke before starting a stroke with the right. Alternate extending each arm.
2 drill sets 5 x 50 meters @ easy with 30 second recovery 50 meters @ easy After the drills, swim 5 x 50 meters easy, resting for 30 seconds between, then cooldown with 50 meters easy. It's important to get plenty of practice doing bilateral breathing; on race day you'll need to be able to breathe evenly to both sides. If you don't, you'll likely develop a strong side and a weak side. If you become equally strong on both sides, on race day you won't have to worry about whether there are waves on your strong or weak side. Really focus on rotating evenly to both sides today. Notice which side you have a hard time breathing on. SWIMMING DRILL SET: Swim 25 meters of each of the following drills, resting as long as needed in between: SIDE KICK Freestyle kick on your right side with your right arm extended forward and the left by your side. After every 12 kicks take a stroke and rotate to your left side while extending the left arm. Alternate sides every 12 kicks. FINGERTIP DRAG Bring your fingertips along the surface of the water during the recovery cycle of every stroke. Keep your arm relaxed, as if your forearm is just hanging under your elbow. FIST DRILL Swim with both hands closed into fists. Keep your arm slightly bent at the elbow and move as much water underneath your body as possible. THUMB SCRAPE As your hand returns to your side at the end of each stroke, graze your thigh with your thumb. SEMI-CATCH UP Freestyle with your right arm extended. Wait until the left arm almost completes its stroke before starting a stroke with the right. Alternate extending each arm.
Workout #7 : Run
RUN: 40-MINUTES MODERATE
10 minute warmup @ easy 25 minutes @ moderate 5 minutes @ easy After a 10-minute warmup, run easy for 25 minutes at a moderate effort. Cool down with five minutes of easy running. Because you're training for three sports, go for quality over quantity. You won't need all the easy base-building runs you'd do for a marathon or a half-marathon. You'll get plenty of aerobic training during the bike and the swim workouts. Most of your runs should focus less on just logging mileage and more on building strength and speed.
10 minute warmup @ easy 25 minutes @ moderate 5 minutes @ easy After a 10-minute warmup, run easy for 25 minutes at a moderate effort. Cool down with five minutes of easy running. Because you're training for three sports, go for quality over quantity. You won't need all the easy base-building runs you'd do for a marathon or a half-marathon. You'll get plenty of aerobic training during the bike and the swim workouts. Most of your runs should focus less on just logging mileage and more on building strength and speed.
Workout #8 : Other
REST
This is week two of triathlon training; after this week there will be six weeks until race day. Your schedule is similar to last week. You'll focus on form and increase the bike intensity and swim distance. If this is your first triathlon, your first goal should be to have fun and finish strong. Even if you're an awesome runner, you'll be competing in two new sports. Your success at the finish line will be primarily determined by how conservatively you pace yourself during the swim and the ride. Studies have shown that triathletes who swam at a pace that's slightly slower than their time-trial pace had faster times on the bike and the run. You want to maintain a moderate effort in the swim and a tempo-level effort on the bike, keeping a high cadence of 85 RPM or higher. This will help you save your strength for the run. Your workouts are designed around the following levels of effort: EASY: Recovery or conversational pace. MODERATE: A base-building pace; challenging but not so hard that you can't comfortably maintain it for a long time. TEMPO: The hardest effort or fastest pace you can hold for an hour. HARD: The hardest effort or fastest pace you can possibly maintain for 20 to 30 minutes. Have technical questions? Write to rodale@peaksware.com To get coaching and access to RW Experts on training, nutrition, and injury-prevention, join the Runner's World Challenge. Find out more at runnersworldchallenge.com.
This is week two of triathlon training; after this week there will be six weeks until race day. Your schedule is similar to last week. You'll focus on form and increase the bike intensity and swim distance. If this is your first triathlon, your first goal should be to have fun and finish strong. Even if you're an awesome runner, you'll be competing in two new sports. Your success at the finish line will be primarily determined by how conservatively you pace yourself during the swim and the ride. Studies have shown that triathletes who swam at a pace that's slightly slower than their time-trial pace had faster times on the bike and the run. You want to maintain a moderate effort in the swim and a tempo-level effort on the bike, keeping a high cadence of 85 RPM or higher. This will help you save your strength for the run. Your workouts are designed around the following levels of effort: EASY: Recovery or conversational pace. MODERATE: A base-building pace; challenging but not so hard that you can't comfortably maintain it for a long time. TEMPO: The hardest effort or fastest pace you can hold for an hour. HARD: The hardest effort or fastest pace you can possibly maintain for 20 to 30 minutes. Have technical questions? Write to rodale@peaksware.com To get coaching and access to RW Experts on training, nutrition, and injury-prevention, join the Runner's World Challenge. Find out more at runnersworldchallenge.com.
Workout #9 : Bike
BIKE: DRILLS + 30-MINUTES MODERATE
5 minute warmup @ easy 6 drill sets 30 minutes @ moderate effort Warm up with five minutes of spinning at a cadence of 80 rpm or faster in the small chain ring (what your pedals attach to) then do six reps of the drills below. Follow the drills with 30 minutes of riding at a moderate effort. You'll go fastest on a nice road bike, but you can use just about any bike for your first tri. The most important thing is that the bike fits properly. An ill-fitting bike can hurt your knees, waste your energy, and leave you injured. When you're on the bike, with your leg extended, there should be a slight bend in your knee. You should have a slight bend in your elbow when your hands are on the brake hoods. If you start to experience pain or numbness in your shoulders, hands, or wrists, the reach to the handlebars may be too long. CYCLING DRILL SET:Do each of these exercises for 30 seconds, resting for one minute in between: SPIN-UPS Lower resistance until you hit the max cadence you can maintain without bouncing. INDIVIDUAL LEG TRAINING With only small resistance, have one leg doing all the work.
5 minute warmup @ easy 6 drill sets 30 minutes @ moderate effort Warm up with five minutes of spinning at a cadence of 80 rpm or faster in the small chain ring (what your pedals attach to) then do six reps of the drills below. Follow the drills with 30 minutes of riding at a moderate effort. You'll go fastest on a nice road bike, but you can use just about any bike for your first tri. The most important thing is that the bike fits properly. An ill-fitting bike can hurt your knees, waste your energy, and leave you injured. When you're on the bike, with your leg extended, there should be a slight bend in your knee. You should have a slight bend in your elbow when your hands are on the brake hoods. If you start to experience pain or numbness in your shoulders, hands, or wrists, the reach to the handlebars may be too long. CYCLING DRILL SET:Do each of these exercises for 30 seconds, resting for one minute in between: SPIN-UPS Lower resistance until you hit the max cadence you can maintain without bouncing. INDIVIDUAL LEG TRAINING With only small resistance, have one leg doing all the work.