It doesn't matter whether you are a professional athlete or a weekend warrior, you deserve to have an experienced, results-proven coach. Do not accept anything less. My plans are structured to build your overall fitness, endurance, muscular endurance (the ability to swim, ride or run at race pace) and economy (the oxygen consumption required for a given pace.) Each plan helps you along the training process so you can cross the finish line to meet your goal and be successful. You may notice some of the training plans are familiar because they appeared in Triathlete magazine or one of my books Training Plans for Multisport Athletes, Triathlon Training Basics, Bicycling for Women or Training Plans for Cyclists. You can use the magazine or the books to compliment the online version of the training plan. In many cases, the online plan includes new workouts, so the details of online daily workouts may not match the print version. To download the free training information, select the plan and then use "FreeInfo" (without the quotation marks) as your coupon code. You can download all the documents to review before purchasing any training plan.They will all be available by clicking on the paper clip on the first workout day.
You are currently riding three to five days per week. These days can be indoor cycling, outdoor cycling or some combination of both. At minimum, you are cycling two days per week for 45 to 60 minutes and a third day is longer, 75 to 90 minutes. You are accustomed to having some intensity above Zone 2 in your workouts and the first week of training seems well within your current capability. If your cycling has not had intensities in higher training zones, but your endurance matches the time scheduled in the plan, you can follow the training and lower the prescribed intensity levels to meet your current capabilities.
The optional workouts shown on Mondays and Sundays are for athletes that are used to riding four or five days per week. If you find yourself pinched for time or feeling tired, the optional workouts can be eliminated.
This plan can be used for team members training for an Olympic distance triathlon. The training plan is similar to the one in "Triathlon Training Basics."
You are currently riding three days per week. These days might be indoor riding, outdoor riding or some combination of both. The first week of the plan shows the first ride begins with a 30- to 45-minute ride on Monday, a 45- to 60-minute ride on Thursday and a 45- to 60-minute ride on Saturday. A range of times is given to accommodate some individual differences. The weekday rides do not build much, however, the long weekend rides build to between 1:30 and 1:45.
PROFILE This plan is designed for someone wanting to get into cycling or get back into cycling after a long lay off or perhaps you are new to endurance cycling. You are a busy person and can only devote three days per week to training. You need to see results quickly or you get discouraged.
Right now you are not cycling or doing any aerobic exercise. You will devote three days per week to cycling. If the days you can exercise are different than the ones shown on the plan, you can move the workouts to fit your personal needs. If possible, separate exercise days by a day off.
Use the rating of perceived exertion column the “Training Intensity” document to gauge your exercise intensity. Find the supporting documents you need to help you with this plan in the right column of this main page.
in the right column of this page.
GOALYour goal is to go from a current state of fitness hibernation to completing a 30-mile ride in six weeks. Your event can be self-designed or you can shop for an event that is hosted by someone else. An event search on Active.com will help you find the perfect event.
The plan is written for someone that will average between 12 and 14 miles per hour for the 30 miles. Your event ride time is estimated to be between 2:10 and 2:30.
This plan is also available in the book, Training Plans for Cyclists
published by VeloPress.
This 12-Week training plan is designed for the beginning cyclist that is looking for a plan to follow to get fit. This plan begins with three, 30-minute rides and builds to a goal-ride of 24 to 30 miles on Saturday of Week 11. Week 12 is a rest week with a 5-mile time trial included to benchmark your fitness.
Each week of the plan has three cycling workouts, one equipment or technique tip, a nutrition tip and one of my favorite motivational quotes. A Kudo comment is included on one ride each week to help keep you on track. Have a look at the plan preview and the goals listed below to see if this plan is right for you.
Goals of the plan:
- Ride three times per week for 12 weeks to build fitness
- Build the long weekend ride from 30 minutes to a goal, destination ride around 24 to 30 miles. (This will take you around 2 hours if you average 12 to 15 miles per hour (mph).)
- Establish cycling as a routine.
- Get fit.
This is a free two-week block of training plan for those utilizing the Bike Tour plans. If you want to log your tour results, view the cool graphics from your tour and know what to do with your post-tour recovery, this plan is for you. All you have to do is use enter the promotional code “FreeBikeTour” (without the quotation marks) and guidelines for the tour days and a week of recovery are yours at no cost. Begin the plan on the first Monday of your bike tour week that you are riding. (Not the week prior to the tour.) Enjoy!
This 14-week training plan is designed for the cyclist looking to successfully complete a bike tour that lasts five to six days. The average mileage per day on the tour is 30 miles and you plan to ride an average of 12 to 15 miles per hour while on the tour. The training plan prepares you for your tour by utilizing a combination of strength training days and cycling days. The weekly hours of the plan ranges between 3:00 and 8:00, very manageable. By Week 11 of the plan you will be riding four or five days in a single week, with a three-day block of riding 1:30, 2:30 and 2:00. The plan does give you guidelines for adding or removing time from some of the ride days.
Have a look at the plan preview to see if the first week looks doable to you. If you are currently strength training, you can use your own plan or use the program suggested in the Supporting Documents. If you utilize in indoor cycling class for some of your training, simply use the guidelines in each training day to get the most from your class.
The plan is 14 weeks long and the last Sunday of the training plan is the first day of the bike tour. This day is your “event” day.
So you can enjoy the bike tour, log your tour results, view the cool graphics and know what to do with your post-tour recovery, there is an additional training block titled See
Bike Tour And Recovery – All Tours designed for athletes using the tour training plans. All you have to do is use enter the promotional code “FreeBikeTour” (without the quotation marks) and instructions for the tour days and a week of recovery are yours at no cost.
I love bike tours; I hope you have a grand time.
This 14-week training plan is designed for the fit cyclist (riding three days per week before beginning the plan) looking to successfully complete a bike tour that lasts five to six days. The average mileage per day on the tour is 45 miles and you plan to ride an average of 15 to 18 miles per hour while on the tour. The training plan prepares you for your tour by utilizing a combination of strength training days and cycling days. The weekly hours of the plan ranges between 4:30 and 10:15. By Week 11 of the plan you will be riding four or five days in a single week, with a three-day block of riding 1:30-2:00, 3:00 and a second 3:00 ride. The plan does give you guidelines for adding or removing time from some of the ride days.
Have a look at the plan preview to see if the first week looks manageable to you. If you are currently strength training, you can use your own plan or use the program suggested in the Supporting Documents. If you utilize in indoor cycling class for some of your training, simply use the guidelines in each training day to get the most from your class.
The plan is 14 weeks long and the last Sunday of the training plan is the first day of the bike tour. This day is your “event” day.
So you can enjoy the bike tour, log your tour results, view the cool graphics and know what to do with your post-tour recovery, there is an additional training block titled See
Bike Tour And Recovery – All Tours designed for athletes using the tour training plans. All you have to do is use enter the promotional code “FreeBikeTour” (without the quotation marks) and instructions for the tour days and a week of recovery are yours at no cost.
Completing a bike tour is a nice accomplishment that compliments your fitness level long after the tour is done.
This 12-Week training plan is perfect for the cyclist looking to successfully complete their first century (100 mile) ride. The athlete using this plan enjoys cycling and is currently cycling three or four days per week. Your current weekday rides are between 30 and 60 minutes long, which can include a spinning class. A weekend long ride of 75 to 90 minutes is currently doable. You would like to add a structured strength training program that compliments your cycling. For the next 12 weeks, your weekday training time is limited to around an hour on any given day. The plan includes one or two days of strength training each week, two weekday rides that are 30- to 60-minutes (with a few optional 75-minute rides) long and one or two rides on weekends. Week 1 of the plan includes two strength training days, three 60-minute rides and one 90-minute ride. The plan builds the longest training ride to 5:00 in Week 10. At the end of 12 weeks of training, you plan to comfortably complete a 100-mile ride taking six to seven hours of actual ride time.
Plan is available in the book “The Female Cyclist: Gearing up a Level”
This 16-week training plan is designed for the rider looking average around 16 or 18 miles per hour for a century ride. A strength training program is included in the plan. For the first eight weeks of the plan, strength training occurs twice per week. Beginning in Week 9, strength training is reduced to maintenance at once per week. Should you decide not to strength train, for whatever reason, simply delete the strength training workouts.
Weekday bike rides are between 30- and 60 minutes long with a few options for 75-minute rides. The last eight weeks of the plan includes muscular endurance intervals to improve speed at threshold. This training is more intense than the training in the beginner plan. Long training rides begin at 1:15 in Week 1and build to between 5:00 and 5:30 in Week 14. Training ranges from 3:15 to 9:15 per week, with one to three days off each week for recovery and other lifestyle activities. The plan includes a taper designed to improve average speed on event day. Prepare well, ride fast, have fun ~
Cycling Base Training, Level 2 – 12 Weeks
This 12-week plan is designed for an experienced and fit cyclist trying to keep good conditioning in the off-season. The athlete using this plan consistently rides a long ride each week, with or without a group. If you ride with a group, control the intensity as described in the plan. The long ride in the plan ranges between two and three hours. The length of this ride may be weather dependent. The athlete selecting this plan has had problems in the past trying to decide what to do in the off-season to maintain precious cycling fitness achieved during the summer season.
The plan is appropriate base training for road racers and mountain bike racers with goal events in the 2:00 to 3:00 range. It is also appropriate for cyclists that may not race, but want to ride fast in group rides or organized rides. (Century rides or multiday tours.) Before beginning this plan, you know your training zones described in the “Intensity Document.”
The training blocks are in three-week cycles to allow for good recovery. An aerobic time trial is included in the first week of the plan to help you monitor progress. Some of the workouts include a power option for athletes with access to power meters.
Weekly training hours do not vary much throughout the program, but training intensity does. This is perfect for fit cyclists with limited training time or for those living in cold locations in the off-season.
The goals of this plan include:
- Maintain a long ride of 2:00 to 3:00 hours throughout the plan.
- Reduce training in recovery weeks to 5:45 to absorb training.
- Keep training week hours at 8:00 to 9:30.
- Include a structured strength training program now, to improve cycling strength and speed after the 12-week plan is complete.
- Baseline test all-out time trial speed in Week 12 of the plan.
- At the end of the plan be prepared to move to a build or pre-event training block.
Please see the Plan Preview to determine if the first week of the training plan seems manageable to you. If the first week seems manageable and the plan goals are right where you want to head, this plan is perfect for you.
This 12-week plan is perfect for the cyclist aiming to build or maintain base fitness. The plan helps you establish a training routine and it can be used as an endurance-building routine to prepare for longer rides. (Century rides, local weekend group rides or multi-day tours.) Go into the season stronger and faster by maintaining your fitness.
The goals of this plan include:
- Establish a fitness routine and stick with it – consistent training
- Improve your five-mile aerobic time trial average speed or average power in 12 weeks
- Lift weights and change the routine to improve cycling strength
- Build your longest ride from 1:00 to 2:15
- Begin lactate threshold training
Please see the Plan Preview to determine if the first week of the training plan seems manageable to you. If the first week seems manageable and the plan goals are right where you want to head, this plan is right for you.
This 12-week plan is perfect for the cyclist aiming to build base fitness and build two consecutive days of cycling endurance. The plan provides a solid training routine and it can be used as an endurance-building routine to prepare for longer or faster rides. (Century rides, local weekend group rides or multi-day tours.)
The goals of this plan include:
- Establish a fitness routine and stick with it – consistent training
- Improve your five-mile aerobic time trial average speed or average power in 12 weeks
- Lift weights and change the routine to improve cycling strength
- Build your longest ride from 1:30 to 3:00
- Build weekend cycling hours from 2:30 to 4:45
- Begin lactate threshold training
Please see the Plan Preview to determine if the first week of the training plan seems manageable to you. If the first week seems manageable and the plan goals are right where you want to head, this plan is right for you.
This 12-week plan is designed for a fit cyclist looking for a goal-oriented base building plan. You are doing two strength training workouts each week and most weeks include workouts six days per week. Rest weeks include only five workouts to help with recovery.
The cyclist using this training plan can handle three to four difficult training days per week. The last three large training weeks include two threshold workouts per week. This plan is for an aggressive cyclist.
The goals of this plan include:
- Consistent strength training now, that will translate to stronger, faster riding later
- Improve your five-mile aerobic time trial average speed or average power in 12 weeks
- Build your longest ride from 1:30 to 3:00
- Build weekend cycling hours from 2:30 to 4:45
- Build weekly training volume from 6:15 to 9:00
- Begin lactate threshold training in Week 5 of the plan and Week 9 includes two threshold training days
Please see the Plan Preview to determine if the first week of the training plan seems manageable to you. If the first week seems manageable and the plan goals are right where you want to head, this plan is right for you.
This plan is written for a cyclist that is looking to build foundation fitness (often called “base”), but is pinched for time. This plan can be used to build fitness preceding one of the other plans posted or just gaining new fitness can be an event on its own.
Sometimes keeping foundation fitness maintained is challenging, so this plan provides you with the framework and workouts to keep or get fit. The plan can be used in the off-season or any time you are looking to get or stay on track.
PROFILEThe plan is designed for a Level I rider. Before beginning the plan, you are riding two or three times per week, indoors or outdoors; but, your workouts are not consistent. It is not a problem for you to ride for an hour, though.
You are looking to build strength, endurance and increase your riding speed. You’d like to begin a weight training program, but don’t know where to begin.
One big issue you have is time. There is never enough time and you don’t have much of it to devote to staying fit. If you can see a training plan that would whip you into shape on three to six hours a week, you’d jump up and down.
Get ready to jump.
GOALYour goal is to workout consistently for twelve weeks to build foundation fitness. Your main goal is to complete some 80 to 90 percent of the weekly training hours, ranging from 3 to 6, in the plan.
Although you know that simply riding will improve your fitness, you want to improve your riding speed as well. In addition to riding speed, you want a long ride of around two hours to be comfortable and easy to complete.
THE PLAN OVERVIEWThe plan is structured with three weeks of training to build training volume and intensity, followed by one week of recovery. This is a four-week cycle format.
Find the supporting documents you need to help you with this plan in the right column of this main page.
in the right column of this page.
If you use this training plan, you will be ready to ride comfortably for two hours by the end of the plan. After you’ve completed this foundation fitness plan, you are ready to move on to another training plan.
This plan is also available in the book, Training Plans for Cyclists
published by VeloPress.
This plan is written for an experienced cyclist that had a great summer season of riding, or currently has solid fitness, and is looking to maintain strong off-season fitness. The purpose of this off-season is to enjoy improved performance next season – a step up. This plan can be used by cyclists that intend to race or those that want to improve group ride speed.
While the plan is written as an off-season training guide, it can be used to build foundation fitness at any time of the year. At less than $1 per day, this plan offers excellent value.
Find the supporting documents you need to help you with this plan in the right column of this main page.
in the right column of this page.
PROFILEThe plan is designed for a Level II cyclist that is riding three or four times per week before beginning the plan. You are currently capable of comfortably completing a two-and-a-half hour ride. Your current long ride is mostly aerobic, but may include a small amount of intensity.
You are looking to build strength, endurance and increase your riding speed for next season. You want a weight training program included in your plan that will deliver on-the-bike speed later.
Your schedule allows you to train six or seven days per week.
GOALYour goal is to have an off-season training plan that gives you a jump on your summer fitness. Your main goal is to complete some 80 to 90 percent of the training hours given each week, ranging from 4.25 to 9.5 or 10.5 hours per week.
Two measures of improvement include improved speed for an aerobic time trial and improved speed for an all-out time trial. A third measure is your improvements during regular group rides. This might mean riding with a faster group or riding with less effort than in the past. Less effort can be measured by average heart rate values for a given distance or average heart rate for a given power output.
THE PLAN OVERVIEW
Take a look at the plan preview. The first week should be very manageable to you, before beginning the plan.
The overall structure is two weeks of training to build training volume and intensity, followed by one week of recovery. This is a three-week cycle format. While some riders can do well on a four-week cycle, I have found a three-week cycle works well for athletes utilizing higher training levels because riders can keep the quality of workouts high and avoid deep fatigue.
For the overall structure of the plan, Monday and Wednesday are strength training days. Friday is shown as an optional day off on the plan; however, depending on your personal needs, Friday can be an additional strength training day or an optional easy ride day. This is where the plan training time can increase by an hour each week. (Ranging on the top side from 9.5 to 10.5 hours per week.)
If you decide to strength train on Fridays, keep the AA Phase of training on this day throughout the entire plan. If you decide to ride for an hour on Fridays, keep the intensity of the ride mostly in Zones 1 to 2. You can use this day to work on cycling skills as well. The plan includes several days of skills, use any one of these workouts.
Tuesday and Thursday workouts vary throughout the plan, but the time stays around an hour on each day. If you have the time and energy to increase these workouts up to 30 minutes each, that is another option. Remember that more volume does not necessarily make you a faster rider. More volume or intensity is only good if your body can use it for positive adaptations. Chose wisely.
Saturday rides on the plan are the longer and more intense rides of the weekend. These can be group rides. If you do participate in group rides, try to keep the intentions of the workout shown on the plan within your group ride. If your gr
Mountain bike racing at the 100-mile distance is not an easy task, no matter how you look at it. Depending on the course, only the best riders can expect to be under the 10-hour mark. For other courses, it takes a very strong rider to be under the 12-hour mark.
You are aiming for the 100-mile distance and you need to accomplish the mission with a minimal amount of weekly training time. Because your training time is limited, you need structure. You need a plan of attack.
PROFILEBefore beginning this plan, you are riding consistently and doing between five and six hours of training each week. Your long ride is around two hours long and it includes some intensity as well as hill riding. At least one other ride during the week contains some intensity. That ride can be an indoor spinning class.
If your current fitness does not meet the description above, begin your training journey by following the Level I Cyclist Foundation Training plan found on the page link above, prior to this plan. After the last week of the Preparation plan, begin with Week 1 of this plan.
During the week, you are limited to an hour of training on three days. You need two days off for other activities. Additionally, you do not have time to commute to a mountain course, so the training needs to be on an indoor trainer, spin class or a road bike.
GOALYour goal is to comfortably complete a 100-mile mountain bike race. While you want to ride in a time that is as fast as possible, you realize you are restricted for training time. You want the best time, given your limited training time.
THE PLAN OVERVIEW
The plan begins with two, four-week cycles. This means three weeks of building volume, then a week of rest. As training volume increases, you move to two, three-week cycles to help improve recovery. The final three weeks include decreased volume so you can be fully prepared for race day.
Monday workouts are either easy rides, skills rides or form workouts. If you are currently doing a strength training program and want to keep strength training as part of your training, continue that program on Mondays. You may find you need to reduce the weights, sets, repetitions or some combination of all to keep strength training from negatively affecting your cycling.
If you are not currently strength training, but want to add a routine, see the General Instruction Documents for a description of the SM phase of training and use that phase throughout the plan. Begin with very light weights and work your way into slightly heavier weights as the program progresses. There is no need to lift weights that are very heavy during this plan.
Tuesday and Thursday are days off. You may have to adjust the days off to better suit your personal needs.
Wednesday workouts are typically interval sessions. You need to be rested for these workouts to get the most out of them.
Friday workouts change some throughout the program, but stay below the one-hour limit that you need.
Saturday workouts are for mountain bike skills and building endurance. Combined with a long ride on Sunday, this two-day combination packs a punch to build your overall race endurance.
The Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday workout combination gives you four solid days of riding.
On the long weekend rides, be certain you are working on your nutritional strategy for race day. Iron out any equipment choices prior to Week 12 so you have time to do final testing before race day.
Mountain bike racing at the 100-mile distance is increasingly more popular. Some courses are near sea level and others begin at over 10,000 feet and go up from there. One course might be very technical while another course has minimal technical sections. Some courses have check points and time cuts that are generous, others do not.
No matter the specifics of the course, you are competitive and want a fast race finish. This training plan is written for a cyclist that is currently fit and is looking for a solid performance at a 100-mile mountain bike race.
Find the supporting documents you need to help you with this plan in the right column of this main page.
PROFILEBefore beginning this plan, you are training approximately nine hours per week. You are riding two long rides each week. One ride is around two hours long and the second one is roughly three hours in length.
You are riding two or three other weekday rides that are an hour each. You may or may not be strength training.
This plan is designed to follow the Level II Foundation Fitness training plan found on on this main page.
After completing 18 weeks of that plan, you can move directly into the plan in this chapter. That combination provides you with 32 weeks of training.
Due to the volume of training necessary to complete this plan you will need to focus on recovery as much as you focus on accomplishing the training. Improved performance is accompanied by recovery techniques and high density nutrition. In summary, in addition to completing the training sessions, you need to get adequate rest and eat nutritious foods that fuel a high performance body. Be sure to read the supporting document on my main page that covers nutrition.
GOALYour goal is to ride a 100-mile mountain bike race in a personal best time. This competitive goal is more than just completing the event, it is competing at the event. The competition may be for a spot on the podium or to beat a past personal record (PR). You want a new PR.
THE PLAN OVERVIEW
The plan begins with a four-week cycle. This means three weeks of building volume, then a week of rest. The first block of training is followed by a three-week cycle, with overall training volume continuing to build. After a rest week in Week 7, the training volume in Week 8 jumps up significantly to 22 hours. This plan uses a “crash” training week where volume and intensity is increased far beyond normal training. Crash training is effective only if the cyclist is rested going into the high volume week and recovers the week following the training.
A crash training week can give you a significant boost to your fitness and can be accomplished by participating in an organized bicycle tour or riding the hours on your own. If you are unable to do all of the hours shown on the plan, I will give you tips on how to modify the training.
Monday workouts are shown as strength training. If you are currently doing a strength training program, you can continue that program on Mondays. You may find you need to reduce the weights, sets, repetitions or some combination of all to keep strength training from negatively affecting your cycling.
If you are not currently strength training, but want to begin a routine, see the supporting documents on my main page for a description of the SM phase of training. Plan to begin with very light weights and work your way into slightly heavier weights as the program progresses. There is no need to lift weights that are very heavy during this plan.
Another option is to take Monday as a day off, rather than strength train.
Tuesday workouts are typically form work or aerobic rides
This 16-Week training plan is for the runner looking to step-up to a new distance and successfully complete a 10-mile event. Personal speed records will come at another race. The beginner plan is written for athletes intending to run, or run and walk, the event at a pace between 11 and 15 minutes per mile (finish time at 1:50 to 2:30). If you use the training plan “as is”, it is a 16-week program. The first week of the plan has you running three or four days. Two of the days are 20-minute runs and the third day is a 30-minute run. The plan helps you progress to a long run around two hours in length in Week 14. Every three or four weeks, rest weeks are included to help you recover, get stronger and faster.
This 16-Week training plan is for the intermediate, experienced runner looking to step-up the pace and complete a 10-mile event averaging between 8 and 11 minutes-per-mile. The intermediate plan is written for the experienced runner intending to finish the event between 1:20 and 1:50. If you use the training plan “as is”, it is a 16-week program. The first week of the plan has you running three or four days. Two of the days are 30-minute runs and the third day is a 45- to 60-minute run. The plan progresses to a long run around two hours in length in Week 9.
The runners using this plan differ from those using the beginner plan in that they:
- have been running at least three days a week for a couple of months prior to beginning this plan.
- have the current endurance or past experience that makes running for an hour seem easily achievable.
- have likely run several 5k and 10k events in the past couple of years.
- feel confident they run the event between 1:20 and 1:50.
This 14-Week training plan is for the runner looking to step-up to a new distance and successfully complete a 13.1-mile event. Personal speed records will come at another race. The beginner plan is written for athletes intending to run, or run and walk, the event at a pace between 12 and 16 minutes per mile (finish time at 2:37 to 3:30). If you use the training plan “as is”, it is a 14-week program. The first week of the plan has you running three or four days. One day is a 20-minute run, the second day is a 30-minute run, the third day is your “long run” at 30 to 45 minutes and the optional fourth run day is 20-minutes long. The plan helps you progress to a long run between 2:15 to 2:30 in Week 10.
The plan is laid out with a form run on Tuesday, an optional easy bike ride on Wednesday, a race-pace or endurance run on Thursday, a long run on Saturday and either a run or a long bike ride on Sunday. What? Why bike rides to prepare for a half-marathon?
In coaching multisport athletes I found cycling can be used to prepare people to run long distances without the joint-pounding stress that running creates. In the case you don’t have a bike or don’t want to use cycling to train for this event, there is a run scheduled in the plan for you to use on Sunday. So, all Wednesday bike rides are optional for everyone and the Sunday workout is a long bike OR a run, but not both.
Training plan hours range from 2:45 to 4:30 (running only) to 5:30 (with cycling)
This 14-Week training plan is for the runner looking to step-up to a new distance and successfully complete a 26.2-mile event. Personal speed records will come at another race. The beginner plan is written for athletes intending to run, or run and walk, the event at a pace between 12 and 16 minutes per mile (finish time at 5:14 to 7:00). If you use the training plan “as is”, it is a 14-week program. Before beginning the plan, you should be capable of running or run/walking four days per week. The description of the first week of the plan should seem easy for you.
The first week of the plan has you running three or four days. Monday is an optional day of walking, Tuesday is a 20-minute run, Wednesday is an optional 30-minute bike ride, Thursday is a 30-minute run, Friday is a day off, Saturday is a 45-minute run and Sunday has two options. On Sunday you can do a run/walk workout or use a bike ride to build endurance. What? Why bike rides to prepare for a marathon?
In coaching multisport athletes I found cycling can be used to prepare people to run long distances without the joint-pounding stress that running creates. In the case you don’t have a bike or don’t want to use cycling to train for this event, there is a run scheduled in the plan for you to use on Sunday. So, all Wednesday bike rides are optional for everyone and the Sunday workout is a long bike OR a run, but not both.
Training hours range from 3:00 to 6:25 (run only) or 7:30 (cycling included)
This training plan can be used for a 1500 meter pool swim, an open water swim or for a triathlon team member training as the swimmer. In all cases, you are currently capable of swimming 300 yards or meters without stopping. (For the rest of the text, you can interchange yards and meters.) Swimming 1500 yards in a single workout session is easy for you. You are currently swimming three days per week. The first swim workout displayed on is a benchmark to fitness and to help you set swim intervals and speeds for the remainder of the plan. Before beginning the test set, warm up with 100 yards of swimming, 100 yards of kicking and 100 yards of pulling. When you swim the 300s, aim for the best average pace you can manage. (Don't go out fast on the first one and putter out on the last one.)
As an "unfit" beginner swimmer, you are currently capable of swimming 100 yards or meters without stopping. (For the rest of the text, you can interchange yards and meters.) You can repeat that 100-yard swim five or six times, with 20 seconds of rest between each repeat. The first swim workout displayed includes a 200-yard warm-up of your choice, the main set of five or six repeats of 100-yard swims and a 100 yard cool down. The rest of the swim workout descriptions follow a similar format. Before beginning the plan, take a look at the first workout. It should seem "doable."
This 10-week plan is base training for fit athletes. Before beginning the plan, you are training approximately five hours per week. This training includes one or two days of each swimming (on your own or with a masters group), cycling (indoors or outdoors) and running. Before beginning the plan, you are capable of swimming for 30 to 45 minutes, running 45 minutes and riding 1:00. The first week of training shown on the Plan Preview seems manageable to you. The first training block is four weeks long, followed by two, three-week blocks.
Training begins at 6:00 hours per week and progresses to about 9:30 in the longest week. Your longest run progresses to 1:15 and includes the beginning of lactate threshold training. Your long bike ride progresses to 2:00. Testing days are included as benchmarks of progress.
This plan is perfect for the athlete looking to build or maintain fitness.
The plan “Triathlon Base Training, Phase 2: 4.75 to 10.75 hours per week” is designed to follow this plan.
There is a Supporting Documents section located on my main page at http://home.trainingpeaks.com/training-and-nutrition-plans/training-plans/gale-bernhardt.aspx Please download and review these documents when you use any of my training plans. These documents give you additional information to help you get the most from your training.
This 10-week plan is base training for experienced triathletes. This plan is based on the base training within the year-long Olympic distance training plan in the book, “Training Plans for Multisport Athletes” but is designed for the athlete needing less training volume. The first training block is four weeks long, followed by two, three-week blocks.
Before beginning the plan, you are training approximately five hours per week. This training includes two or three days of each swimming, cycling and running. Before beginning the plan, you are capable of running 45 to 60 minutes and riding 1:00. The first week of training shown on the Plan Preview seems manageable to you. Training begins at 7:30 hours per week and progresses to about 12:30. Your longest run progresses to 1:15 and includes the beginning of lactate threshold training. Your long bike ride progresses to 2:30. Testing days are included as benchmarks of progress.
The training plan, “Triathlon Base Training, Phase 2: 5.5 to 13.0 hours per week” is designed to follow this plan.
This 10-week plan is base training for experienced triathletes. A flood of requests have finally been answered and this popular training plan is now available online. This plan is similar to Weeks 5 to 14 of the year-long Olympic distance training plan in the book, “Training Plans for Multisport Athletes.” Subtle changes have been added to improve the training plan, including Kudo comments to keep you on track. The online format makes it easy for you to monitor and track your progress. Additionally, you can easily modify and move workouts to meet your personal training needs.
Before beginning the plan, you are training approximately six hours per week. This training includes two or three days of each swimming, cycling and running. Before beginning the plan, you are capable of running 1:00 and riding 1:00. The first week of training shown on the Plan Preview seems manageable to you. Training begins at 8:30 hours per week and progresses to about 13:30. Your longest run progresses to 1:30 and includes the beginning of lactate threshold training. Your long bike ride progresses to 2:30. Testing days are included as benchmarks of progress.
After you complete this plan, an option is to use the next block of training in the sequence titled Triathlon Base Training, Phase 2: 7.0 to 15 hrs/wk.
Plan is available in the book “Training Plans for Multisport Athletes.”
This 8-week plan is designed to immediately follow the plan titled “Triathlon Base Training: 4.75 to 9.5 hrs/wk.” This block of training includes more base training; but it is designed for the athlete that has already been training and has a very well established platform of base fitness. As with all of my training plans, you can easily modify and move workouts to meet your personal training needs—and I suggest you do, so that you can optimize the benefits. This training block is not intended for beginning athletes.
Before beginning the plan, have a look at the plan preview. If you have not been following the plan titled “Triathlon Base Training: 4.75 to 9.5 hrs/wk,” you can still use this plan if the first week of training on the plan seems manageable to you. You must know your training intensities for cycling and running. Also, you need to know your T-pace for swimming. If you have questions about these terms, see the Supporting Documents on
my training plan page. The plan design includes the option of a 5k or 10k running race on Saturday of the fourth week of the plan. It also includes the option of doing a half-marathon at the end of the eighth week of training. If you don’t want to race an optional workout is suggested. If you do want to race and want to find a race in your area to use as a good training event, check out available races at
Active.com The first week of training begins at 9:00 hours and progresses to 10:45. Your longest run progresses to 1:30 and includes the lactate threshold training. Your long bike ride progresses to 2:00 and also includes lactate threshold training. The experienced athlete using this training plan needs to closely monitor fatigue. If the training plan offers more volume or intensity than you can reasonably manage, it is up to you to reduce the training so you can make solid gains.
At the end of this training block you are ready for a race-preparation block, also noted as “build” by some
This 8-week plan is designed to immediately follow the plan titled “Triathlon Base Training: 5.5 to 12.0 hrs/wk.” This block of training includes more base training; but it is designed for the athlete that has already been training and has a very well established platform of base fitness. You can easily modify and move workouts to meet your personal training needs and I suggest you do, so that you can optimize the benefits. This process is not intended for beginning athletes.
Before beginning the plan, have a look at the plan preview. If you have not been following the plan titled “Triathlon Base Training: 5.5 to 12.0 hrs/wk,” you can still use this plan if the first week of training on the plan seems manageable to you. You must know your training intensities for cycling and running. Also, you need to know your T-pace for swimming. If you have questions about these terms, see the Supporting Documents on
my training plan page. The plan design includes the option of a 5k or 10k running race on Saturday of the fourth week of the plan. It also includes the option of doing a half-marathon at the end of the eighth week of training. If you don’t want to race an optional workout is suggested. If you do want to race and want to find a race in your area to use as a good training event, check out available races at
Active.com The first week of training begins at 9:30 hours and progresses to 12:30. Your longest run progresses to 1:45 and includes the lactate threshold training. Your long bike ride progresses to 3:00 and also includes lactate threshold training. The experienced athlete using this training plan needs to closely monitor fatigue. If the training plan offers more volume or intensity than you can reasonably manage, it is up to you to reduce the training so you can make solid gains.
At the end of this training block you are ready for a race-preparation block, also noted as “build” by some coaches.
This 8-week plan is designed to immediately follow the plan titled “Triathlon Base Training: 8.5 to 13.5 hrs/wk.” This block of training includes more base training; but it is designed for the athlete that has already been training and has a very well established platform of base fitness. The training weeks in this plan are similar to Weeks 15 to 22 of the year-long Olympic distance training plan in the book, “Training Plans for Multisport Athletes.” Subtle changes have been added to improve the training plan, including Kudo comments to keep you on track if you utilize the online logging feature. The online format makes it easy for you to monitor and track your progress. Additionally, you can easily modify and move workouts to meet your personal training needs and I suggest you do so that you can optimize the benefits. This process is not intended for beginning athletes.
Before beginning the plan, have a look at the plan preview. If you have not been following the plan titled “Triathlon Base Training: 8.5 to 13.5 hrs/wk.” you can still use this plan if the first week of training on the plan seems manageable to you. You must know your training intensities for cycling and running. Also, you need to know your T-pace swimming. If you have questions about these terms, see the Supporting Documents on
my training plan page. The plan design includes the option of a 5k or 10k running race on Saturday of the fourth week of the plan. It also includes the option of doing a half-marathon at the end of the eighth week of training. If you don’t want to race an optional workout is suggested. If you do want to race and want to find a race in your area to use as a good training event, check out available races at
Active.com The first week of training begins at 10:30 hours and progresses to about 15:00. Your longest run progresses to 2:00 and includes the lactate threshold training. Your long bike ride progresses to 3:30 and also includes lactate threshold training. The experienced athlete using this training plan needs to closely monitor fatigue. If the training plan offers more volume or intensity than you can reasonably manage, it is up to you to reduce the training so you can make solid gains.
The next block of training that follows this 8-week block is a race-preparation block, also known as “Build.” That block includes three triathlon race options with the most important race on the last week of the 10-week plan.
Plan is available in the book “Training Plans for Multisport Athletes”
This 12-week plan is perfect for the time-crunched athlete looking to prevent boredom and build some base fitness. You can have a triathlon in mind for one of your future goals, or you might want to simply use multisport training to get yourself into shape.
The goals of this plan include:
- Establish a fitness routine and stick with it
- Build swimming endurance to swim 1500 non-stop
- Lift weights to improve strength
- Build your longest run from 30 minutes to 60 minutes
- Build your longest ride from 45 minutes to 90 minutes
This program has the swimming details to help you build swimming endurance without a masters group and without having to dream up your own swimming sets. Swimming is blended into a running and cycling routine that can be accomplished indoors or outdoors.
Weekday running and cycling workouts are used as a warm-up for strength training to conserve on training time. Weekend running and cycling workouts build in length and intensity at just the right pace. Weekly training is manageable, ranging from three hours to six hours.
At the end of the training block, you can maintain your endurance by continuously repeating the last three to four weeks of the training plan, with the Strength Maintenance weight training routine substituted for all strength sessions. Longer weekend workouts can be repeated or you can get creative and design your own sessions.
Or…maybe you will look for a new set of goals at the end of 12 weeks?
This 12-week plan is perfect for the athlete with time restraints during the week. You are looking to prevent boredom, build some base fitness and increase your longest weekly workouts. You can have a triathlon in mind for one of your future goals, or you might want to simply use multisport training to get yourself into shape.
The goals of this plan include:
- Establish a fitness routine and stick with it
- Build swimming endurance to swim 1500 non-stop
- Lift weights to improve strength
- Build your longest run from 30 minutes to 1:30
- Build your longest ride from 45 minutes to 2:00 to 2:30
This program has the swimming details to help you build swimming endurance without a masters group and without having to dream up your own swimming sets. Swimming is blended into a running and cycling routine that can be accomplished indoors or outdoors.
Weekday running and cycling workouts are used as a warm-up for strength training to conserve on training time. Weekend running and cycling workouts build in length and intensity at just the right pace. Weekly training is manageable, ranging from about 3:45 to 8:20.
At the end of the training block, you can maintain your endurance by continuously repeating the last three to four weeks of the training plan, with the Strength Maintenance weight training routine substituted for all strength sessions. Longer weekend workouts can be repeated or you can get creative and design your own sessions.
Or…maybe you will look for a new set of goals at the end of 12 weeks?
This 13-Week training plan is for experienced triathletes looking to comfortably complete their first half-ironman distance event (1.2 miles of swimming, 56 miles of cycling and 13.1 miles of running.) This plan is for the experienced triathlete, who has completed several sprint and Olympic distance races.
You can currently swim three times per week for about an hour, estimating a race swim pace of 1:45 to 2:00 per 100 yards. You are currently doing a long bike ride at about 90-minutes and you estimate an average of 15 to 18 miles per hour for the race. You can currently do a long run that is about 75-minutes long. Weekday training needs to be light, but weekend training hours are more available. The total training hours for the first week of the plan are 8:00 (please see the Plan Preview) and the biggest week of training, Week 11, is 10:30. The long run builds to 2:00 and the long ride builds to 4:00.
The major differences between this plan and the 13-Week Intermediate plan are training volume, the volume of training above Zone 2 and the format of long training days. (In this plan the long run is on Saturday and the long ride is Sunday. In the intermediate plan the long run is Sunday and the long ride is Saturday.) Of course there is also one more week of training with this plan.
Plan is available in the book “Training Plans for Multisport Athletes”
Are you an experienced and fit triathlete looking for a new challenge, maybe a longer race? Well how about a half-ironman distance event? This 12-Week plan might be just what you need, read on.
You are a triathlete with experience at sprint and Olympic-distance racing. You keep in good condition most of the year. You currently swim two to three times per week and this may or may not be with a masters team. You are cycling two to three days per week and a two-hour ride is normal for you. You run two to three days per week, with the long run of the week lasting about an hour. Strength training may or may not be part of your weekly routine. A suggested strength training routine is included in the plan for athletes wanting to compliment their endurance training with strength training.
In short, you think of yourself as an intermediate triathlete with a good base of swimming, cycling and running. You've thought about racing longer distances, but just haven't gotten around to making yourself a plan. If this description fits you, this may be the plan you’ve been looking for.
You can view a portion of the plan by selecting Plan Preview. Throughout the plan, weekly training hours range from 7:15 to 14:15. This plan builds the long run to 2:15 and the long ride to 4:30. This plan includes more weekly training volume and more workout time at higher intensities than does the 13-Week Half-Ironman Distance Beginner Plan.
Originally appeared in the May 2001 issue of “Triathlete” magazine
Wow, I wish I could be an ironman—I mean, just finish the event. I’d be happy to step across that awesome line and receive a finisher’s medal around my neck. (Big sigh.) I’ve got too much going on in my life to think about an ironman distance event and I’m not good enough. I mean, those folks have a training schedule that looks like a part-time job, swim like speed boats, ride a bike at Mach 1 for 112 miles and then run an entire marathon looking like the Roadrunner dancing away from Wiley Coyote. There is no way I’ll ever have enough time or speed—even in my wildest dreams. Finishing an ironman distance event is out of my reach…
If the words above read as though they came from your personal thought-bubble, I disagree with you. There is a common misperception that in order to complete an ironman distance event, one must train 20 to 30 hours per week and average speeds that few athletes can accomplish. To comfortably complete an ironman distance event, 20 to 30 hours per week of training is simply not necessary. The average speed needed is not that of The Roadrunner. So, what does it take?
For race day, if you estimate it is possible to swim 2.4 miles at a pace of 2’50” per 100 yards (2:00 swim time), ride 112 miles averaging 15.7 miles per hour (7:08 bike time), run or run/walk 26.2 miles at a 12’47” pace per mile (5:38 marathon time) and add about 30 minutes in for transitions, these times make it possible to finish an ironman race in 15:16. That gives you 1:44 of “reserve” time for unforeseen problems. Ironman is possible.
This 16-week plan begins with Week 1 between 5:30 and 6:30 total training time. The long run begins at 1:00 and the long ride between 1:30 and 2:00. (See the plan preview.) The plan builds fitness so you swim 1:30, run about 3:00 and ride about 6:00 on the weekend of Week 12. The total training for Week 12 is between 13:15 and 14:15. Yes, that amount of training is enough. After Week 12, a few weeks of tapering volume has you rested and ready to go on race day.
Originally appeared in the June 2003 issue of “Triathlete” magazine
This 13-Week training plan is for experienced triathletes looking to comfortably complete their first ironman distance event (2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of cycling and 26.2 miles of running.) This famous training plan, Thirteen Weeks to a Thirteen-Hour Ironman, has helped countless athletes successfully complete their first ironman event. This plan is for the experienced triathlete, who has completed several sprint and Olympic distance races.
You can currently swim three times per week for about an hour, estimating a race swim pace of 1:45 to 2:00 per 100 yards. You are currently doing a long bike ride at about 90-minutes and you estimate an average of 15 to 18 miles per hour for the race. You can currently do a long run that is 75- to 90-minutes long. Weekday training needs to be light, but weekend training hours are more available. The total training hours for the first week of the plan are 8:45 and the biggest week of training, Week 11, is 13:15 hours.
In Week 11 are your longest workouts. On Saturday you have a 1:30 swim workout and a 5:00 bike ride. Sunday is a 3:00 run. Volume tapers significantly the final two weeks of the plan to have you rested and ready for race day.
Originally appeared in the June 1999 issue of “Triathlete” magazine
Plan is available in the book “Training Plans for Multisport Athletes”
This is the sister plan to the famous “Thirteen Weeks to a Thirteen-Hour Ironman Distance” plan and is appropriately titled “Thirteen Weeks to a Sub-Thirteen Hour Ironman Distance Race.” If it is possible to train to successfully finish an ironman distance event in 13 hours with 13 weeks of preparation, not training over 13 hours in any given week; how about breaking the 13-hour mark in 13 weeks of training? It is that very question that inspired me to design this plan.
This plan is for the experienced triathlete, who currently averages 12 hours of training per week. You can swim two to three times per week for about an hour. You ride two or three days per week and a three-hour ride is easy and normal for you. You run two or three days per week and can comfortably run long for between 1:30 and 1:45.
You can see if the plan is right for you by having a look at the Plan Preview. Weekly training hours for the plan are between 7:15 and 18:00. To best utilize the plan you need to know your T-Pace in swimming (see the Swimming Intensity document) and heart rate zones discussed in the Intensity document.
Originally appeared in the June 2001 issue of “Triathlete” magazine
There is an Olympic distance triathlon (swim 1500 meters, bike 24.8 miles, run 6.2 miles) in a nearby city. The event is only six weeks away, is there enough time to make your triathlon debut? While I usually encourage first-timers to try a sprint distance event before moving to Olympic status, a reasonably fit person can be ready to race in five to six weeks. Want to tri?
This six-week crash training plan is designed for a person who maintains their health and remains fit throughout the year. Your fitness might include some combination of running, spin classes or outdoor biking. You may currently swim a few laps or have swimming experience from past years. You may also be involved in other sports. Your current regimen gives you the capability to run for about 30 minutes, twice per week. Your can bike comfortably for about an hour. If your race is held in open water, you must be comfortable swimming in an open water situation.
Given the assumptions in the last paragraph, the goal is to complete an Olympic distance triathlon in about six weeks, with a race finish time between three and four hours. The estimated finish time comes from assuming a two to three minute pace per 100 meters for the 1500-meter swim. This puts total swim time between 30 and 45 minutes. If you are capable of riding a bike for about 25 miles, averaging 15 to 18 miles per hour, the bike leg of the race will take around 1:22 to 1:40. Finally the run, averaging 10 to 12 minute miles, will take 1:02 to 1:15. Throw in a few minutes for transition time and the event will total some three to four hours. Please see the Plan Preview for the Week 1. This plan gently builds on Week 1 so you can have a successful race.
Originally appeared in the May 2000 issues of “Triathlete” magazine
Plan is available in the book “Training Plans for Multisport Athletes”
This 9-week training plan is for experienced triathletes looking to race an Olympic distance event under three hours - or improve their current time. To improve your speed we’ll use a combination of heart rate monitoring (be sure to read the Intensity document), pace (speed) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE). I’ve also included a few power-based workouts for those of you that have access to power meters on your bike. (No, a powermeter is not a “must” to use this plan.)
To get the most out of this training plan, you need to know or estimate your open 10k run time (run time not at the end of a triathlon.) To get your open 10k run time, use a recent result from a running event. To estimate your open 10k pace from a triathlon event, subtract 10 to 20 seconds per mile. (Your open 10k time is typically faster than a triathlon 10k time.) If you have a powermeter for your bicycle, know your average power output for an all-out 30-minute time trial (CP30).
Week 1 of the training plan can be found by selecting the Plan Preview. Your training hours remain steady at 10:30 for all working weeks and recovery weeks are at 5:45. Improved speed is achieved by specific quality workouts, strategically planned. Part of the strategy is recovery within a week and recovery weeks.
You might be a beginning triathlete or maybe you have a couple of races under your belt from previous seasons. In either case you are fit and are NOT a beginning athlete. Before beginning Week 1 of the plan you are capable of riding a bike 30 to 60 minutes two days a week and completing a long ride around two hours on a third day. You can swim 100 yards (or meters) nonstop and swimming for 30 minutes a couple of times per week is easy. You can run two days per week, one 30-minute run and a longer run of 45 minutes.
With the profile in mind, have a look at the plan preview. If the first couple of weeks of training look like training loads you can handle, this is your plan. Weekly training hours range from 5:15 to a maximum between 8:15 and 10:00. There is some flexibility built into the plan to accommodate individual differences. For example there is no time posted for the swim workouts. Obviously there can be big differences in swimming abilities between people with a competitive swim background and those just getting into swimming. Some of the run and bike workouts also have ranges built into the workouts.
The plan has a general pattern of cycling and strength training on Monday and Wednesday, heading to only Mondays as the plan progresses. Strength training is optional in this plan. If you decide not to strength train, you can replace the strength training time with more time on the bike on those days. If you are currently strength training, you can keep your current routine. Be aware and notice if strength training is taking too much energy away from your swimming, cycling and running. If this is the case, consider reducing the exercises, sets or repetitions to allow higher quality workouts during the aerobic sessions.
Swimming is shown on Tuesday, Thursday and some Saturdays. Running workouts are typically on Tuesday, some Thursdays and Saturdays. Long rides are on Sundays.
Friday is always a day off. If it works better for you to have a different schedule and move the workouts around, it can be done. Try to keep similar workouts 48 hours apart. In other words, it is preferable to swim on Tuesday and Thursday instead of Tuesday and Wednesday.
By Week 10 you are doing a training day that includes a morning swim followed by a 2:45 brick. The brick includes race-pace work.
This plan is in the book, Triathlon Training Basics.
While it's nice to make your triathlon debut at a sprint-distance event, it's not always convenient or possible. For example, a nearby town or city might host a great Olympic-distance race and the date of the event fits nicely into your busy calendar. Although the event sounds like a lot of fun you wonder, ""Do I have the time to train for that event? Can I really complete an Olympic-distance race or am I fooling myself?""
It doesn’t take as much time to train for an Olympic-distance event as you might think. With a solid training plan, you can successfully complete the event.
This 12-Week training plan is for beginning triathletes looking to comfortably complete their first Olympic distance event (0.9 miles of swimming, 24.8 miles of cycling and 6.2 miles of running.) The athlete using this program can currently swim 50 meters without stopping and ride an indoor or outdoor bike for 30 to 60 minutes. There are currently two options included within this plan for the running portion – a run description and a description for a combination of running and walking. Please refer to the Plan Preview to see more details. Notice that Week 1 of the training plan is 2:45 total training.
The largest week of training volume is approximately 7:00. This volume of training can easily fit into the busiest of schedules.
Originally appeared in the February through April 2002 issues of “Triathlete” magazine
Your athletic profile begins with swimming. You know how to swim, but it has been a long time since your arms and legs have actually propelled your body through water. In other words, you have no swimming endurance.
As for cycling, you might ride a bicycle now and again, mostly noodling around the neighborhood. On occasion, you might ride a stationary bicycle at the health club while waiting for aerobics to begin or to warm up before weight lifting. As with swimming, you have no real endurance on the bike.
Finally, running. The running you do is mostly short duration, like running bases in softball, trying to avoid the outfielders. Maybe you chase a ball in racquetball. You might have even run a 5K once.
So your multisport profile for endurance sports isn't great, but you're not sitting around channel surfing either. This plan assumes you are currently active in sport three to six times per week. The specific sport isn’t as important as the fact you are active doing something. If you aren't currently active and decide to use the plan to get back into shape, be sure to consult a physician before beginning an exercise program.
One of the most common mistakes made by people just beginning to train for a triathlon, or any other endurance event, is doing too much too soon. Early enthusiasm can lead to injury or overtraining. This plan gently builds aerobic endurance in all three sports and gives specific workouts to do each week.
This 12-week plan ranges in training volume from about two hours per week to just over four hours per week. The plan goal, and your goal, is to go from a current state of no swimming, minimal cycling, and no running to completing a 450 to 500 meter swim, 11 to 15 mile bike, and about a 3 mile run, consecutively – your first triathlon.
There is a Supporting Documents section located on my main page at http://home.trainingpeaks.com/training-and-nutrition-plans/training-plans/gale-bernhardt.aspx. Please download and review these documents when you use any of my training plans. These documents give you additional information to help you get the most from your training.
This plan is also in the book "Training Plans for Multisport Athletes".
This 12-Week training plan is for the beginning triathlete looking for an endurance goal. The goal is to complete a triathlon that is roughly 450 yards of swimming, 15 miles of cycling and 3.1 miles of running or running and walking.
This training plan is written for a currently hibernating athlete needing a new goal. This athlete is presently not swimming, does minimal cycling, is not running and needs some inspiration/motivation. Before beginning the program, you are capable of swimming 50 yards (or meters) nonstop, cycling 30 minutes three times per week and you may do other aerobic activities at the gym. You are currently not running and may have some running experience in your past. This plan includes a run/walk option to build your running endurance.
Please refer to the Plan Preview link to preview the first two weeks of the plan. At the end of the plan you will have the fitness to complete your first sprint distance triathlon!
Whether you use this plan to complete a competitive event or you stage your own personal event, the plan can guide you to improved fitness.
Originally appeared in the February through April 2001 issues of “Triathlete” magazine
This 9-Week training plan is for the beginning triathlete looking for an endurance goal. The goal is to complete a triathlon that is roughly 450 yards of swimming, 15 miles of cycling and 3.1 miles of running.
Before beginning this plan, you are a fit person. While you are fit, it has been awhile since you have been in the pool; but you are confident that you can comfortably complete 25 yards. For swimming, and the other sports, you currently lack endurance for a sprint distance race. You are looking to the plan to help you build swimming and triathlon-specific endurance. You are currently riding your bike, indoor or outdoor bike, three times per week. Two of the days your ride length is about 45 minutes and a longer ride of about an hour is on the third day. You are capable of running three times per week for 15 to 20 minutes per session. Because of your time-crunch lifestyle, doing a brick (bike ride immediately followed by a run) on weekdays fits your schedule perfectly. Weekends are used for longer bike rides and longer runs. The longest run is 45 minutes and the longest bike ride is 1:30. Your available weekly training hours range from 3:30 to about 5:00. Please check the Plan Preview to see if this training plan is right for you.
This 15-Week training plan is designed for a physically active person. You may or may not be an experienced triathlete. Your goal is to complete a triathlon that is roughly 450 yards of swimming, 15 miles of cycling and 3.1 miles of running or running and walking. This plan is for the currently-active athlete that and considers herself or himself a “summer triathlete,” perhaps having completed a triathlon last summer.
Now, you are looking to do some speed work and have a fast race. You are currently capable of swimming 30 minutes twice per week, riding 30 minutes twice per week and running 20 to 30 minutes twice per week. You can find more plan details by taking a look at the Plan Preview.
Total weekly training hour range between 2:00 and 5:00 throughout the plan.
A version of this plan is available in the book “Training Plans for Multisport Athletes”
Also appeared in the May 2003 issue of “Triathlete” magazine
This 9-Week training plan is for the beginning triathlete looking for an endurance goal. The goal is to complete a triathlon that is roughly 450 yards of swimming, 15 miles of cycling and 3.1 miles of running.
Before beginning this plan, you are a fit person. While you are fit, it has been awhile since you have been in the pool; but you are confident that you can comfortably complete 25 yards. For swimming, and the other sports, you currently lack endurance for a sprint distance race. You are looking to the plan to help you build swimming and triathlon-specific endurance. You are currently riding your bike, indoor or outdoor bike, three times per week. Two of the days your ride length is about 45 minutes and a longer ride of about an hour is on the third day. You are capable of running three times per week for 15 to 20 minutes per session. Because of your time-crunch lifestyle, doing a brick (bike ride immediately followed by a run) on weekdays fits your schedule perfectly. Weekends are used for longer bike rides and longer runs. The longest run is 45 minutes and the longest bike ride is 1:30. Your available weekly training hours range from 3:30 to about 5:00. Please check the Plan Preview to see if this training plan is right for you.
All documents in MS Word format
Introduction
Warm up and Cool down
