Your Middle Distance Duathlon 19 Week Race Plan for Intermediate Athletes
Welcome to your 80/20 polarised Middles Distance training plan!
We will use the very latest techniques of polarised training to get you to the finish line in great shape & enjoy your training journey on the way. This plan is 19 weeks with a general phase of 10 weeks, a specific phase of 7 weeks & a 2 week taper. This plan is ideal for competitive athletes with a goal of achieving a PB at their next half distance race.
Polarised training is a model which means you will spend 80% of your time training at a moderate intensity & 20% at a high intensity. Polarised training plans generally outperform other training methods & help prevent injury.
In the specific phase, the weekend swim & bike or bike & run workouts are scheduled on the same day & should be done back to back as a "brick" session to simulate the demands of middle distance racing.
On weekdays during the specific phase, bike & run workouts scheduled on the same day are optional bricks. These sessions are good opportunities to practice pacing & nutrition & to test out race equipment so that these things are familiar on race day. There is an optional Sprint or Olympic Distance practice race or race simulation in week 16.
In the general phase there are sessions in HR Zone 3 & above to develop speed, muscular endurance & aerobic capacity.
This plan is for competitive athletes wanting to PB their next duathlon race. You should be able to run and cycle comfortably for 60 minutes and complete at least 6 hours of aerobic exercise over seven days.
The weekly training load starts at 8.75 hours in week 1 & peaks at 13.25 hours in week 17.
What do you get in the plan:
- 19 weeks of bike, run and S&C sessions (HR & Power)
- S&C sessions to help prevent injuries from a NASM Certified Personal Trainer
- Links to videos that will help you complete the sessions. Swim Drill videos, S&C exercises and more
- The Bike sessions include Power based profiles that you can download and use with your indoor trainer (Zwift, Garmin, Wahoo etc)
- The Run sessions have Heart Rate structured session for download to Garmin, Coros, Polar etc
You should consult your doctor before embarking on any physical fitness training. For any of the sessions, especially the strength and conditioning sessions, if you are unsure of the exercises then seek the help and advice of a professional near you.
My name is Karen and I live in Southern Spain where I coach and run Triathlon training camps all year round (ChiliTri). Karen is an IRONMAN® Certified Coach and British Triathlon Federation Level 3 Coach. I also work as a Coach Educator & Assessor for the British Triathlon Federation, helping to develop the next generation of triathlon coaches in the UK.
Karen is also a Qualified Personal Trainer specialising in endurance athletes so all of the S & C sessions are tried and tested.
Good luck with your training and middles distance duathlon event!
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I’m Karen Parnell, British Triathlon Level 3 Coach & Tutor, IRONMAN U Coach & MSc in Sports Performance Coaching. With certifications spanning NASM PT, WOWSA Level 3 Open Water, 80/20 Endurance, & World Triathlon Female Athlete Coaching, I bring proven expertise across all aspects of swimming, cycling & running.
My passion is helping athletes like you reach your race goals through a holistic approach that blends smart training, tailored nutrition, strength/mobiity, recovery & mental strategies.