You don’t have to learn everything about long-course racing at once. With 44 weeks to prepare for your first Full Distance Triathlon in Mossel Bay, South Africa, you can build your fitness and skills in stages. This Beginner triathlon training plan combines a 12-week foundation with 32 weeks of focused preparation.
Mossel Bay gives you a memorable goal: a 3.8 km sea swim, a 180 km bike ride and a 42.2 km marathon along South Africa’s Garden Route. The swim start and finish line are based around Santos Beach and the De Bakke resort area. Rolling coastal terrain and open roads shape the bike, followed by a marathon through the town and along the coast.
The distance may feel daunting now. Your job is to focus on the next session, then let the weeks build on each other.
4.5 hours to get started
Week one begins with 4.5 hours of training. Over the foundation phase, you work on strength, conditioning, aerobic endurance and swim technique, reaching six hours in week 11. Instructional swim videos give you specific drills to practice. A brick endurance test in week 12 introduces the challenge of combining disciplines.
7.5 hours as race preparation begins
From week 13, training starts at 7.5 hours per week and builds toward a peak of 14 hours in week 39. Strength and technique remain part of the work as endurance demands increase. VO2 intervals and anaerobic threshold sessions add more demanding efforts as the plan progresses.
Bike and run/jog sessions use heart rate and perceived effort to help you understand how hard you’re working. That awareness matters on rolling roads: learning to ease back when needed can help you preserve energy for the marathon. Swim technique work supports a more efficient stroke for the long sea swim, while beginner-friendly strength sessions complement your endurance training.
Use a smaller race to learn something useful.
Optional B and C race windows let you experience transitions, test nutrition and assess pacing before your main event.
Your plan also includes three race-readiness calculators. Estimate performance with the Race Predictor Calculator, organize swim, bike and run execution with the Race Pace Strategy Calculator, and build your fueling approach with the Triathlon Fueling Calculator. Practice those choices during training and supporting races so you can refine them before Mossel Bay.
Start this 44-week Beginner Full Distance Triathlon training plan and give yourself time to learn, build and arrive prepared.
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Every level. Every Training Plan. One simple price: just $6 a week—and the plan is yours to keep and reuse forever. Welcome to the Andiamo²™ family, where your goals, lifestyle, and personal best come first. Based in Austin, Texas, we offer in-person and remote triathlon coaching plus structured training plans that give every workout a clear purpose. Whether you’re preparing for your first race or your next breakthrough, you’ll have experienced guidance every step of the way.