Description
Triathlon: Sprint Triathlon Race Plan, Intermediate: 4.0 to 6.5 hrs/wk
Author: Gale Bernhardt
9 weeks - $64.95 (There is a 10% discount when ordering from Gale Bernhardt’s website.)
Total Hours: 38
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 sample week below to see if this training plan is right for you.
Q & A
Q – What do I get with a training plan?
A – After purchase, your plan will be available in your own private online training log account. You will enjoy the following benefits and more:
Daily e-mails with your next workout keep you on track
Create your own routes or search the library of routes for tracking your workouts
Map, graph and share workouts with your friends by e-mail, Facebook and view in Google Maps or Google Earth
Upload workouts from one of more than 80 training devices (Garmin, Suunto, Timex, Polar, more) or easily record your workouts manually
Track your fitness and gain confidence
Complete nutrition tracking to monitor your diet
Get support and answers on a message board specific to your plan and access to more message boards
Q – What if I don’t like the plan once I’ve seen it?
A – Because discounted plans are offered through this site and a coding system, no refunds are allowed. If you are worried about wanting or needing a refund, you can forego the discount and purchase the plan directly from the TrainingPeaks website. Refunds for training plans are offered for a limited time after purchase. You can find this training plan on that site by following this link.
Sample workouts:
Workout #1 : Swim
Planned Time: 0:00:00
Warm-up and cool down sets today are your choice. The main set is 5-8 x 100 yards (or meters) swum at a steady pace, intensity Zones 1-2. Take 20-second rest intervals (RIs) between each swim.
Workout #2 : Run
Planned Time: 0:20:00
**Optional run** Run at Zone 1 intensity, easy and fun run. Best on a flat, soft surface such as dirt, grass or a treadmill.
Workout #3 : Bike
Planned Time: 0:45:00
Ride in Zones 1-2 on a flat to gently rolling course at 90+ rpm. If you're unable to spin 90+ rpm coast and recover until you can.
Workout #4 : Swim
Planned Time: 0:00:00
BT: If training for a sprint distance triathlon, after a good warm-up of 10 to 20 minutes, swim 3 x 100s yards or meters) with 20 seconds rest between each one. The goal of the set is to swim at the highest possible sustained speed, to achieve the lowest average time. In other words, do not swim a fast, first 100 and have the third 100 be 15 seconds slower. Watch the clock and get your time on each 100. Average the time for all three 100s to establish a T1-pace. For example, a reasonable swim might look like 1:25, 1:21 and 1:24, the T1-pace would be 1:23. One would not want to swim 1:20, 1:25 and 1:35—a 15-second difference between the first and third 100. It is best if all three 100s are within 5 seconds of one another.
Workout #5 : Run
Planned Time: 0:30:00
BT: Begin the first half of the workout in Zones 1 to 2. Control your intensity, it should feel too easy. When you reach 50-percent of the time, increase intensity a bit to allow Zone 3. The second half of the workout is mostly Zones 2 to 3, but can include some Zone 1. If you run an out-and-back course, you should return in less time than it took you to go out.
Workout #6 : Bike
Planned Time: 1:15:00
BT: This is a multi-faceted workout for building endurance, speed and strength. The first time you do an E4 workout, keep heart rate in 1 to 4 zones. As training progress continues, and depending on the specifics of the plan, you can spend some time in the 5 zone. As fitness increases, it is possible to spend progressively larger amounts of time in the 4 and 5 zones. In some cases, this progression is left to the individual athlete - begin conservatively.
Workout #7 : Bike
Planned Time: 0:45:00
This level is used for aerobic maintenance and endurance training. Heart rate should stay primarily in Zones 1 to 2. How much time is spent in each zone depends on how you feel that day. The goal of an E2 ride is not to see how much time you can spend in Zone 2. Ride on a rolling course if possible, with grades up to 4 percent. For reference, most highway off-ramps are 4-percent grade. Riding in a slightly larger gear can simulate a gentle hill, if there are no hills where you live. Remain in the saddle on the hills. If you ride with a group, inner discipline is necessary to let the group go if they want to hammer.
Workout #8 : Day Off
Planned Time: 0:00:00
Relax
Workout #9 : Run
Planned Time: 0:45:00
Run a flat to gently rolling course in heart rate Zones 1 to 2. No need to "push" Zone 2. Within the run, check leg speed a few times by counting your left foot strikes for 15 seconds. The total should be 21 or more.
