THIS IS A LONG DISTANCE TRIATHLON TRAINING PLAN FOR EXPERIENCED ATHLETES

This is for the athlete with a fairly even skill level across the three triathlon disciplines. Most people have strengths and weaknesses but a strong swim, bike and run is needed to start this plan.

The training in this plan ramps up close to 20 hours in a week. It is important that you have experience of completing high training volumes. As a guide you should have certainly raced MIDDLE DISTANCE before and ideally a full LD. As a minimum start point you need to currently be swimming around 3km three times per week, cycling three times per week (with one of those regularly over 2 hours) and able to run a half marathon, if asked at an easy pace without having to stop. If you have followed an EXPERIENCED LD base plan, you will be ready to begin.

INTRODUCTION:

This is a 25 week, LD TRIATHLON training plan. The plan includes swim training (open water is included in the final 8 weeks); bike training indoors and outside (all bike sessions are accompanied with workout files to upload to your trainer or device); run training ( also with workout files, with specific focus on injury prevention and longevity); and finally, strength.

Swim training requires a metronome but this is not essential. The bike and run sessions require a heart rate monitor. And for the strength sessions you need access to a gym or your own bar and weights.

FOLLOWING THIS PLAN

This plan has been set out with three simple categories of session:

EASY - anything that is mainly no higher than Z2 heart rate

THRESHOLD - anything with the focus being mainly higher than Z2 but mainly lower than FTHR

MAX - any session with the main focus above FTHR

The system clearly sets things out. However, an EASY six hour bike ride is still tough. A 45 minute MAX bike might not be as much stress. Each title covers a broad array of training. For example MAX could be focused on neuromuscular adaptations in Z7 as well as anaerobic capacity in Z6 and VO2max in Z5, all very different. THRESHOLD could be around FTHR and Z4 but also quite long steady sessions in Z3. EASY will mainly be Z1 or Z2 but there might be bursts included, taking the muscles and power output right through the intensity range.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM TRAINING

You will work off a training block, three weeks building fitness / one week easy. The preseason phase (P3) is 12 weeks. The competition phase (P4) is 13 weeks. There are three swims each week, the longest swim is 4.4km, although the swims are mostly around 3.2km. The longest bike is six hours. There are four bike rides each week with a longer ride on Saturday and a middle distance ride followed by a run on Wednesday. Tuesdays are high intensity bike rides. The run off the bike builds to 60 minutes. There are two run sessions (as well as the brick, so three total). The longest run is 2.5 hours, EASY.