Beginner’s Triathlon Training Plan

Eamonn Tilley has put together the following 10 week plan to take you up to your first Sprint Distance Triathlon (750m swim, 20km cycle, 5km run).  An excel copy of this program can be downloaded here.

Note:  Before you set out to complete your first every Triathlons please make sure that you are Medically fit and have had a complete check up by your local GP and you have the ability to swim over and above the required distance in the pool…

For RPE (Rate of Perceived  Effort) see notes at end of the programme.

WEEK MONTH TYPE DESCRIPTION  DESCRIPTION            1 Monday   30 mins easy Light Jog/walk   1 Tuesday E REST   1 Wednesday A 30 mins easy Light Jog   1 Thursday S easy 30 mins pool swim   1 Friday Y REST   1 Saturday   30 mins easy Light Jog/Walk easy 30 mins pool swim 1 Sunday   1 hour easy Cycle RPE 9   2 Monday M 30 mins easy Light Jog/Walk easy 30 mins pool swim 2 Tuesday E REST   2 Wednesday D 40 mins easy light Jog /Walk   2 Thursday   easy 30 mins pool swim 12 lengths without stopping   2 Friday   REST   2 Saturday   30 mins easy Light Jog/Walk easy 30 mins pool swim 14 lengths without stopping 2 Sunday   1.15 hour easy Cycle RPE 9   3 Monday   35 mins easy Light Jog/Walk   3 Tuesday H REST   3 Wednesday A 40 mins easy light Jog /Walk   3 Thursday R easy 30 mins pool swim 12 lengths without stopping   3 Friday D REST   3 Saturday   35 mins easy Light Jog/Walk easy 30 mins pool swim 16 lengths without stopping 3 Sunday   1.25 hour easy Cycle R P E 10   4 Monday   35 mins easy Light Jog/Walk   4 Tuesday   easy 30 mins pool swim 14 lengths without stopping   4 Wednesday H 40 mins easy light Jog /Walk   4 Thursday A easy 30 mins pool swim 16 lengths without stopping Core work 4 Friday R REST   4 Saturday D 40 mins easy Light Jog/Walk easy 30 mins pool swim 20 lengths without stopping 4 Sunday   1.30 hour easy Cycle RPE 12   5 Monday   30 mins run RPE 12   5 Tuesday E Brick session 1 KM rum / 5 km  Bike / 1 Km run at RPE 12    5 Wednesday A 40 mins easy light Jog /Walk/run   5 Thursday S easy 30 mins pool swim20 lengths without stopping Core work 5 Friday Y REST   5 Saturday   30 mins run RPE 12 easy 30 mins pool swim 22 lengths without stopping 5 Sunday   1.15 hour easy Cycle RPE 9   6 Monday   40 mins easy Light Jog/Walk   6 Tuesday M Brick session 1 KM rum / 5 km  Bike / 1 Km run at RPE 14    6 Wednesday E 40 mins easy light Jog /Walk   6   D     6 Thursday   easy 30 mins pool swim 24 lengths without stopping Core work 6 Friday   REST   6 Saturday   30 mins easy Light Jog/Walk easy 30 mins pool swim 16 lengths without stopping 6 Sunday   1.30 hour  Cycle RPE 12   7 Monday   30 mins easy Light Jog/Walk   7 Tuesday H Brick session 1 KM rum / 5 km  Bike / 1 Km run at RPE 12 with 10 mins recovery then do another one     7 Wednesday A 40 mins easy light Jog /Walk   7 Thursday R easy 30 mins pool swim 20 lengths without stopping Core work 7 Friday D REST   7 Saturday   30 mins easy Light Jog/Walk easy 30 mins pool swim 26 lengths without stopping 7 Sunday   1.45 hour  Cycle R P E 14 easy 10  mins jog off the bike at RPE 10   8 Monday V 30 mins easy Light Jog/Walk   8 Tuesday H Core work easy 30 mins pool swim 24 lengths without stopping 8 Wednesday A Run 3 mile Time Trial Run ….   8 Thursday R easy 30 mins pool swim 30 lengths without stopping   8 Friday D REST   8 Saturday   40 mins easy Light Jog/Walk RPE 9 with 3 x  2 mins Pick Ups at RPE 15 with 3 min rec between each one   8 Sunday   1.55 hour  Cycle RPE 11 easy 30 mins pool swim 30 lengths without stopping 9 Monday   40 mins easy Light Jog/Walk   9 Tuesday   Core work   9 Wednesday H 40 mins easy Light Jog/Walk RPE 9 with 3 x  2 mins Pick Ups at RPE 15 with 2.45min rec between each one   9 Thursday A easy 30 mins pool swim 32 lengths without stopping   9 Friday R REST   9 Saturday D 30 mins Tempo run at RPE 15 easy 30 mins pool swim 32 lengths without stopping 9 Sunday   1 hour easy Cycle RPE 15    10 Monday   30 mins run RPE 12   10 Tuesday T easy 30 mins pool swim 10 x 25 @ RPE 14 with 1 min recovery between each one.   10 Wednesday A 30 mins run RPE 12   10 Thursday P easy  30 mins pool swim  with  6 x 25 mts hard with 30 sec between each one RPE 8 easy 16 for the 25s   10 Friday E REST   10 Saturday R 20 mins easy run with 4 x 20 sec pick ups at race pace with 2 mins recovery  at RPE of 16 .   10 Sunday   Race Day

 

Rate of Perceived  Effort

2 Resting   6 Jog/Walk Pace   7 Jog/Walk Pace   8 Comfortable Easy Pace Chatting Pace 10     12 Med Just within your comfort Zone 14     16 Hard working just outside your comfort Zone 17     18   Out of Breath Pace 20 V V Hard Only maintain for 10 sec…..