This plan is designed to take you through the 12 weeks leading up to your Half Distance race.
Welcome to your training plan! Your journey starts here and I will be there to guide you to the finish line of your Marbella race. The plan includes swim, bike, run, transition, nutrition and strength and conditioning sessions and guides. Some of the sessions will be in the session window and some will be downloadable PDF documents that you can download and take to the gym, swimming pool or wherever you train.
This is a 12 week plan so assumes you have been in maintenance mode and this is considered your base phase. This mean the first phase in the plan is general preparation.
I have set Monday as your rest day as there will be a long run or bike on the Sunday when most people have time to train longer and that means you have Monday to fully recover from this. It includes:
- Session Videos and PDF downloads so you can take them to your training venue
- HR training sessions to use with Garmin, Zwift etc
- Training and Racing Tips
- Strength and Conditioning sessions to help you avoid injuries
All bike and run sessions are built as structured workouts, which can be downloaded directly to your training device, Zwift, Trainer Road etc., to allow you to focus on the workout specifics rather than thinking about how to execute the next section.
In order to be able to complete the training you should have a reasonable level of fitness at the start of the training. A pre-requisite would be that you can swim 1000m continuously, you can cycle for 120 mins and run for 60 mins. 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 at your training venue.
The training sessions can be completed in a number of locations. The swim sessions are mostly designed for a pool, with open water sessions towards the latter half of the program. The bike sessions could be done either outdoors or indoors, the same goes for the running sessions. Ideally some of the running session should be done on a 400m track. We would strongly advise that you do spend as much time as possible training outdoors so that you get time training in similar conditions to those that you will be racing in.
We also would strongly advise that you do as much Open Water swimming as you can in preparation for your race. All triathletes benefit greatly from getting the experience of what it is actually like to swim in open water with other swimmers.
The intensity of the training in this programme is to be executed using Heart Rate (HR) Zones this allows you to work to your limits with specific barriers.
My name is Karen and I live in Southern Spain near the Marbella Half Distance event where I coach and run Triathlon training camps all year round (ChiliTri). So if you would like face to face coaching and come and check out the Marbella course please get in touch. Karen is an IRONMAN® Certified Coach and British Triathlon Federation Level 3 Coach and Tutor. She is also a qualified Personal Trainer so all of the S and C sessions are tried and tested.
I also offer an option to change plans if you feel you need more or less volume etc. I also offer a bespoke planning service to all athletes; if you need a plan built around your lifestyle, strengths and weaknesses, event and time to train but are not ready to have a coach, a bespoke plan is a great option; please get in touch, and we can build a plan that suits you karenparnell01@hotmail.com and chilitri.com.
Good luck with your training and Marbella event!
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.