This training plan is designed to prepare you for Triathlon with Olympic distance using The Method, the innovative training protocol, from ironguides, that enables you to make the most out of limited training time.

You’ll see that your training plan adjusts moderately from one four-week period to the next, with guidelines for progressing during each four-week phase. This helps you build familiarity with your training structure and sessions and your responses to them, helping you to:

Improve motor skills: By repeating certain specific sessions using widely available equipment, you program sport-specific motion into your muscle memory

Train concentration skills: Repetition encourages you to develop greater levels of focus and concentration that will help you in racing and increase effectiveness of ensuing workouts

Develop intuitive understanding: Develop your ability to literally feel how you are doing on any given day.

Better anticipate training: A predictable, structured routine helps you organize and removes uncertainty from your program.

Track performance: Your training sessions are your benchmarks – until you begin setting new ones at the races!

Accurately gauge fatigue: By comparing your performance across familiar sessions, you can quickly determine if you are truly tired or perhaps fighting illness.

Build consistency: By learning to accurately interpret your body's signals over time you can train more effectively and maintain your training consistency.

WEEKLY ORDER

Try to follow the order of the training sessions as they are set up in your plan. If you miss a workout consider it “lost” and carry on with the training as on your plan.

Don’t try to “plan ahead” and cram multiple days of training sessions into a few days because you know you won’t have time later in the week. Avoid swapping sessions too often unless it can’t be helped. If you’re reasonably well rest or recovered and it means the difference between not training or training, then by all means swap the sessions. A rested body will benefit from training more than from not!

I - First Workout Ideally this is your first workout of the day. If you cannot do this sport at this time of the day, then it’s OK to flip the workouts. Remember: Work with what you have – this includes the daily routine available to you. The suggested order is optimal, but not mandatory!

II - Second Workout Your second workout of the day – see comments above.

ADJUSTING A WORKOUT

If you are feeling tired and have gone out the door to "test drive" your body and you don't feel better, but you don't feel worse – aim to lightly stimulate the System you are meant to train that day.

If for example the session calls for multiple repetitions of a longer duration at a high intensity, instead of stressing your aerobic system keep the intensity somewhat lower, and very short. You could opt to run multiple 20-second repeats instead of a session of 3-minute repeats, for example. This stimulates the fast twitch fibers and keeps that System engaged for the week, without unduly stressing your aerobic system that may be indicating a bit of overload to you.

REST DAYS

Initially your training plan will have scheduled rest days. As you progress into your program, however, you will notice that there are less and less scheduled Rest Days.

Unless otherwise indicated, your rest days are to be taken when you really need them, or if circumstances demand it (such as a travel day, if you or family members are ill, and other life events as they occur).

In this way you ensure more consistency and you rest when your body is really telling you to instead of when the plan says. No matter what anyone tells you, no training plan can predict the many factors in your life. If you really need a rest from training – take it!