I specifically designed this plan with goal-driven and time-crunched moms like myself in mind, but the actual workouts are not specific to women or moms. If you have comfortably returned to training (whether newly postpartum or years into motherhood) and are now looking to prepare for competition, these workouts will challenge you as you make incremental gains in race-specific fitness. Hopefully you will have fun along the way, too!
NOTE: This plan is NOT meant to be a postpartum mom's starting point for training, but rather a good bridge into race preparation once proper healing, recovery, and return to consistent training have been established. If you are looking for a plan to help you ease into a training rhythm, please check out my plan titled "Basics After Baby, Part 1: Postpartum Return to Training" in the Training Peaks store.
This "return to racing" training plan will best suit an experienced (advanced-beginner, intermediate, or even competitive) triathlete who is short on time but wants to train for Sprint-to-Olympic distance events. One need not be signed up for an actual race to enjoy and benefit from this training plan, but I've suggested a race (or simulation) for the end of the 12th week.
The plan includes swim, bike, run and strength training suggestions, workout-specific equipment and drill details (with corresponding links where helpful), a weekly intention and check-in space, general notes on nutrition and hydration, as well as race week goal and post-race evaluation prompts.
Suggested Prerequisites: Before beginning this training plan, you should be able to comfortably swim 400 yards/meters nonstop (1000+ total yards in a session), bike at least 10 miles or 30 minutes nonstop, and run at least 2 miles nonstop. You should also be consistently swimming, biking, and running once or twice per week in each discipline.
Required Equipment: Swimsuit, swim cap, swim goggles, comfortably-fit bicycle (road, TT, gravel or mountain bike), cycling helmet, comfortably-fit run shoes.
Recommended Equipment: swim fins, swim paddles, swim pull buoy, indoor cycling trainer, cycling shoes, power meter, gps watch, light/moderate weight kettlebell, stretch cords/latex surgical tubing, latex exercise band.
More specific details and links to equipment recommendations are included in the plan!