The following program is designed for the triathlete who has competed in several triathlons, perhaps even a season of triathlons, either Sprint Distance or Olympic Distance Races. It also takes into consideration that the triathlete can run at least 5 miles at around 10/mile pace or about 50 minutes, swim at least 3000 yards per week and ride at least 15-25 miles 3 times per week on the bike. As always, increasing your efforts in training in an attempt to improve your performance requires some thinking  on your part. Remember you have to race and train smarter.

The first 12 weeks of the program is considered a base building phase gradually increasing your distances in all three sports.. A speedwork/quality phase makes up weeks 13-16 with weeks 17 and 18 dedicated to the taper. You will also notice three recovery weeks on weeks 4, 8 and 12. These are important. Stick to them. By the end of the base building phase, some of you may start to get a little grumpy and irritable. This is due to the fact that you are pushing that “overtrained” state. Fortunately, the speedwork phase begins the following week. During this period you will be cutting back on the mileage/yardage while maintaining your overall endurance. This will also provide you with the added rest for which are looking. You will probably experience an increase in energy and your attitude will start to err towards the positive side! This is also a time when you must begin to use your head, control your energy and train smart! An improper approach to speedwork can lead to injuries in all three events. We will discuss this further as we break down the individual activities.

The base building phase focuses on general aerobic training and should include the use of a heart rate monitor. If you do not own one, than I suggest you make the purchase. There are several on the market and all do a fine job. Refer to the Tri Links section for more information on purchasing heart rate monitors. And you do not have to buy the most expensive. However, you will want a model that has at least an overall time display. This will keep you from having to wear both a watch and HR monitor when you run.

I subscribe to the Maffetone method of determining your aerobic heart rate zone. This is just one method of heart rate training and certainly not the only one. You will find a complete description of the most popular methods in the article "Follow Your Heart: Methods of Heart Rate Training."

According to Dr. Maffetone, the following formula will give you your aerobic heart rate zone:

180 minus your age will give you your upper range of your aerobic zone in beats per minute. Then subtract 10 from that number to find your lower range in beats per minute. If you feel this range is too high then bring everything down 5-10 beats per minute.

Ex: A 37 year old individual in descent shape-

180 – 37 = 143 This would be the upper range.

143 – 10 = 133 This is the lower range.

Therefore, the aerobic range of this particular individual is 133-143 beats per minute.
Click here for a complete breakdown of Dr. 180-method of HR training. Now according to method, this should be fine for the run and the bicycle. However, some folks have a hard time sustaining that high a heart rate on the bike. So an adjustment downward may be necessary.

The heart rate monitor should be used as a means of keeping yourself in “aerobic” check. BE STRICT with yourself and stick to your aerobic levels. Do not let anyone else influence your training. If you have been training with a partner or are currently looking for one, explain to the individual what your goals are and make sure he/she will go along. I also suggest purchasing Dr. Phil Maffetone’s book “Training For Endurance.” I am really not trying to single out or promote his materials, I just feel he does a nice job of conveying his message while keeping things simple and easy to understand. And even if you do not fully agree with his HR training zones, the book is extremely informative and can be applied to any type of training program.

** NOTE** I have included an extra workout in weeks 9-17 for each activity. You will find each highlighted in red. They include a Saturday swim, a Friday bike ride and a Sunday long walk  (or walk run). Each will be discussed below in their respective section. They are considered recovery workouts but will also contribute to base building within your overall program.

Swimming: The swim portion of an Olympic Distance Tri is 1.5K  or about 1 mile and you find a set of swimming workouts for the entire program at the bottom of this page. They were designed for training in a 25 yard pool. If you are swimming in a 25 meter pool you can use the same workouts. For a 50 meter pool, there will be some changes. You are certainly not bound by these workouts so feel free to tweak them as you see fit. Please see the breakdown below:

25 Yard (meter) Pool – usually standard length
1 length = 25 yards (meters)
2 lengths or 1 lap = 50 yards (meters)
4 lengths or 2 laps = 100 yards (meters)
½ mile = about 800 yards = 32 lengths
1 mile(1.5K) = about 1700 yds (meters) = 68 lengths

50 Meter Pool
1 length = 50 meters
2 length = 100 meters
½ mile = about 800 meters = 16 lengths
1 mile (1.5K) = about 1500 meters = 30 lengths

When you read the swim workouts, you will notice that I did include yardage for stroke drills but did not specify the type of drill. If you are having difficulty with your stroke and you are without a swim coach, I suggest you purchase Terry Laughlin’s book and/or video series (800-609-SWIM).

***The main set of each workout is based on repetitive swims with very little rest between each. Swim these relaxed. The idea is to build endurance while swimming aerobically, NOT fast. You will find your speed will begin to increase naturally. In order to stay aerobic, periodically check your heart rate throughout the set. The quickest way to do this is place your finger under your chin/neck, find your pulse and count the beats for a six second count a