This 12-week intermediate Olympic distance triathlon plan is built for women aged 40+ who want structured, progressive training with a smart balance of performance and recovery. The plan follows a repeating 3-week cycle (2 build weeks + 1 recovery week) to help you gain fitness while managing fatigue, hormones, stress and life load — without burning out.
You’ll train 8-10 sessions per week:
• 3 swims (progressing from 2000m up to ~2500m) with technique focus and purposeful main sets
• 2 main runs each week: one aerobic/base run plus a quality session that progresses from cruise intervals → 1km race-pace reps (from Week 7) → 2km race-pace reps (Weeks 10–11)
• 2 main bikes each week: a weekday turbo interval session plus a longer aerobic ride that later becomes more race-relevant with threshold intervals and short hill repeats (from Week 4)
• Regular brick training to build race-day confidence, alternating between:
o a multiple brick session (threshold-feel repeats of run/bike segments), and
o a sweet spot turbo session with a short Olympic-pace brick run
• Maintenance type strength session a week
Recovery weeks include reduced volume and a consistent pacing benchmark: 10k run time trials, with Week 6 acting as a dedicated recovery + test week to track progress and guide pacing. Week 11 tapers to sharpen freshness, and Week 12 is race week for Olympic distance execution.
Every session includes detailed What / How / Why guidance, plus weekly notes covering female-specific fuelling and hydration, menopause/peri-post considerations, sleep and stress management, niggle/illness adjustments, and mindset prompts to help you train with confidence and consistency.
Jennie Jones is the founder and head coach of Tribirdsport Coaching. She specialises in coaching women aged 40+ and helping athletes build fitness alongside confidence — not at the expense of it. Jennie blends evidence-informed swim/bike/run programming with practical strength, fuelling and mindset strategies, so you understand the purpose behind every session and can apply it on race day. Her coaching style is supportive but structured, and focused on helping you train consistently through real-life stress, changing hormones, and the normal ups and downs that come with performance sport.
Perfect for athletes who already have a good training base and want a structured, supportive plan that’s performance-driven — but realistic for women training through busy lives and changing physiology.
You can find out more at www.tribirdsportcoaching.com and contact jennie@tribirdsportcoaching.com
I am a British Triathlon Level 3 High Performing Triathlon Coach.
Tribirdsport Coaching is an Individual & Group Coaching business. I provide training plans remotely & locally which are specific to each athletes individual goals.
My coaching philosophy is to coach the person first then the athlete, It’s not just Triathlon Coaching, it’s almost like Life Coaching for Triathletes!