This is a 12 week training programme for an Olympic distance triathlon.

If you are a woman entering the peri-menopausal phase, or in the menopausal phase, and you are contemplating training for an Olympic triathlon, then this is the plan for you. The programme is fairly intensive, so you will need to have a basic level of fitness and experience of triathlon training in order to complete the programme to your race calendar.

This programme is based on the general training need for a woman in peri-menopause or menopause, incorporating a varied programme of intensities and recovery. This is not a traditional 3 weeks on, one week off periodization method. It is a programme considering the onset of changes in in a woman's body, in particular from 40 years upward. It contains a lot of reading material accompanied by research papers, and full strength training guide.

An Olympic distance triathlon can take anything for 2 1/2 hours to 4 hours of racing, so you will need to be doing some basic swim, bike and run training already to commence this programme. If you are starting training after a hiatus, please consider my 24 week programme to give yourself more preparation for your planned event.

The plan includes strength training with some videos and photographs that you can follow (health warning, I am in some of them!) You can do a lot of these workouts easily from the comfort of your home especially if you have no access to a gym.

In order to train for this programme you will need basic equipment for four disciplines: swim, bike, run and lift. I prefer the use of kettlebells but if you don't have any then you can substitute them for dumbbells. You will need a resistance band, an exercise ball, a roller or deep tissue massage ball, a couple of kettlebells (from 6kgs if you are a beginner up to 16kgs).

You will need a smart watch that is compatible with Training Peaks (such as a Garmin) and a heart rate monitor.