Train for a full distance event with only 8 hours a week? Many would say it can't be done, but I know it can, because I've done it myself. You won't be fast and you'll likely walk large chunks of the marathon, but this plan should be enough to get that all important medal around your neck and the bragging rights that come with it. Time crunched athletes are always going to attempt to train for an Ironman with restricted hours, so as a British Triathlon High Performing Coach and IRONMAN Certified coach I wanted to give athletes the best chance possible.

So, how do we fit Ironman training into 8 hours a week? We start off as most Ironman plans will, but we alternate long runs and rides on alternate weekends to ensure we can keep training throughout the week without putting too much emphasis on the weekend. Our longest workouts don't go as long as other plans, but you'll still go over 5 hours on the bike and 2.5 hours on the run, which is enough to get you round.

To start this plan you should ideally have completed a 70.3 distance triathlon, or at the very least an Olympic distance with an open water swim, even if only in training, however it can be followed by complete novices as well. The plan has a hard limit of 8 hours per week, but if you have the time to fit in extra training (holidays, time off work, family away for the weekend) then I absolutely encourage you to put in some extra hours if you feel you can handle them. There is a compulsory rest day every Monday, but other days I'm leaving blank in case an opportunity to train presents itself.

There are no traditional recovery weeks in this plan, as we need to squeeze every minute of training out that we can. That being said, if you start to feel very fatigued you can skip, shorten or reduce the intensity of sessions to help ensure you keep up with the plan. There is also no strength work in the plan, because as much as I believe in the benefits of it, we can't fit it into our tight schedule.If you wish to incorporate some strength work however, I'm more than happy for you to. I can provide you with a voucher for a free copy of my body weight strength plan if you get in touch.

If you have any questions before or following the purchase of this plan you can E-mail me at Simon@phazontriathlon.com and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.