Train for your first triathlon in 16 weeks with this plan from Kirsten Sweetland

— by Kirsten Sweetland

Finishing is triathlon is a big goal to many people. Though definitely a huge feat, it is attainable for anyone with the right training plan. That’s especially true for the sprint distance, which is what this program is written for. Simply finishing a triathlon requires a strong mind more than a huge number of train. Finishing a triathlon quickly is where you start to need both strong mental capabilities and some pretty crazy training regimes! I’m going to start with a fairly basic level for someone of average fitness who hasn’t competed yet but lives an active lifestyle. This should be a challenge to complete without over-reaching too much. Once this is completed and you become addicted like everyone does after their first triathlon we can work on speeding things up even more. Who knows, you might even surprise yourself!

You can contact Olympian Kirsten Sweetland for your own custom triathlon training plans at kirstensweetland@gmail.com

Week 1

Monday:

Swim-

This is written for beginner swimmers. If you have a swimming background please refer to my four-week sprint training program.

2x 50m front crawl, nice and easy just to warm the body up. 30seconds rest between

2x100m 50m backstroke, 50m front crawl 30 seconds rest between

4x 50m kick with a flutter board 20 seconds rest between

4x100m front crawl start slow and get a little bit faster each rep until the last one is as fast as you can go. Take as much rest as you need.

2x 50m backstroke to catch your breath and cool down.

Tuesday:

Run-

30- 40min continuous steady pace

Wednesday:

Bike-

Ride at a consistent pace for 1hour. It can be over hills if you feel strong.

Thursday:

Swim-

100m front crawl nice and smooth, technique focussed.

2x 50m backstroke

4x 50m kick building effort per 50m with 20 seconds rest between

2x 200m front crawl focussing on long smooth strokes with 30 seconds rest between

4x 50m pause drill. Take 3 strokes then pause on your side with one arm extended infant for 3-4 seconds.

Friday:

Run-

10min easy warm up

3x (3min at 75% effort, 2min walk or jog)

5min jog

Saturday:

Bike-

1hr consistent pace

Sunday:

OFF

Week 2

Monday:

Swim-

200m front crawl smooth and easy 30 seconds rest

4x50m backstroke/ front crawl by 25m 10 seconds rest

4x100m as 75m front crawl getting faster each 25m the 25m choice stroke 20 seconds rest

2x50m pause 3 drill 10 seconds rest

100m choice cool down

Tuesday:

Run-

40-45min jog continous

Wednesday:

Bike-

60-75min consistent pace Over some hillls if feeling strong

Thursday:

Swim-

400m as 75m front crawl, 25m choice

4x50m kick with flutter board 15 seconds rest

8x50m as 25m fast as possible, 25m easy, slow as possible

200m easy choice

Friday:

Run-

15min warm up

20min slowly building effort from jog to race effort. Shift gears every 5min.

Saturday:

Bike-

90min as 30min easy, 30min steady (up one or 2 gears from easy) 30min easy

Sunday:

OFF

Week 3

Monday:

Swim-

400m as 75m front crawl/ 25m choice

300m as 50m front crawl/ 25m backstroke

200m as 25m front crawl/ 25m pause 3 drill

100m kick

4x50m building effort 20sec recovery

100 easy

Tuesday:

Run-

45min with 6×30 second sprints in the middle. Sprint one direction, walk back and repeat.

Wednesday:

Bike-

90min with 4x 3min hills. Build effort each rep. Coast back down and repeat.

Thursday:

Swim-

3x200m as 150m front crawl/ 50m pause 3 drill. Try to get further distance with each stroke each rep

4x50m as fast as possible with 1min rest between

100m pause 3 drill

100m kick

100m choice

Friday:

Run-

45min as 20min warm up, 6x (90sec fast, 30sec easy), remainder easy

Saturday:

Bike-

1:30 over rolling hills. Attack hills and easy on flats/ descents.

Sunday:

OFF

Week 4

Monday:

Swim-

400m as 50 front crawl/ 50 backstroke

4×50 kick

4×50 as 25m pause 3 drill/ 25m front crawl focus on distance per stroke

4x (50m as fast as possible, 30 seconds rest, 100m race pace)

200 easy

Run- Optional

30min jog

Tuesday:

Run-

15min warm up

15min build by 5min to fast

5x (1min fast, 1min moderate)

10min easy

Wednesday:

Bike-

90min including 5x 2min hills. Make sure to ride at least 20min before starting this.

Thursday:

Swim-

5x200m as 1 swim, 1 kick, 1 IM, 1 pause 3 drill, 1 swim

4x50m sprint with 1 minute rest

200m easy

Friday:

Run-

15min warm up

3x5min build pace each 5 min with 3 min jog between

10min easy jog

Saturday:

Bike-

1:30 with some rolling hills. Fast up hills, easy on flats.

Sunday:

OFF

Week 5- RECOVERY

Monday:

OFF

Tuesday:

Swim-

400m as 150m front crawl, 50m backstroke

4x50m kick

4x50m drill

4x100m 50m front crawl/ 50m choice

2x 200m pull with 30sec rest

200m easy

Wednesday:

Run-

30min easy

Thursday:

Bike-

1hr easy with 5×20 seconds high cadence

Friday:

Swim-

1km mixed easy strokes and drills

Saturday:

Bike-

1hr easy with 5×20 seconds high cadence

Sunday:

OFF

Week 6

Monday:

Swim-

300m front crawl

3x100m 50 backstroke/ 50 front crawl

4x100m descend 1-4 with 30 seconds rest

4x50m descend 1-4 with 15 seconds rest

200m easy

Tuesday:

Run-

15min warm up

3x 3min medium grade hill, jog back recovery and straight into next hill

15min easy jog

Wednesday:

Bike-

90 min with 20min as 8x 30 seconds sprint/ 2 min strong pace

Thursday:

Swim-

600m as 200 front crawl, 200 drill, 200 IM

2x400m continuous front crawl with 30 seconds between

200 easy

Run-

30min jog

Friday:

Run-

45min as

15min warm up

25min slow build from jog to race pace.

5min easy after.

Saturday:

Bike-

2 hours with 3x 10min strong/steady pace

Sunday:

OFF

Week 7

Monday:

Swim-

200m front crawl

100m kick

100m drill

100m IM

3x200m front crawl build throughout 200 by 50m  30 seconds rest between

6x50m 25m sprint/ 25m easy

200m easy

Bike-

1hr spin

Tuesday:

Run-

15min warm up

20min as 1min fast/3min medium x5

10min easy

Wednesday:

Bike-

2hours with 4x5min medium grade hill. Ride down the hill as recovery and straight into next rep

Thursday:

Run-

1hour with 3min race pace, 1min easy, 2min race pace, 1 min easy, 1min race pace, 1 minute easy

Friday:

Swim-

200m front crawl

100m kick

100m pause 3 drill

400m pull

2x200m front crawl 2nd one faster than the first with 1min rest

200m backstroke/ front crawl

Run-

30 min easy with 4x 30 seconds sprint

Saturday:

Bike-

2hours with 2x15min steady/strong pace with 6 20 second sprints mixed in

Sunday:

OFF

Week 8

Monday:

Swim-

3x(300 front crawl, 200 backstroke/ front crawl by 50m, 100 kick) get faster each round.

Tuesday:

Run-

1 hour with 5x1km at goal 5km pace with 3min walk between

Wednesday:

Bike-

2 hours with

5x 30 seconds high cadence with 30 seconds rest

4x5min race pace with 2min rest

Thursday:

Swim-

200m front crawl

200 kick

200 drill

400m pull buoy build effort by 100m

400m swim build effort by 100m

200 easy

Friday:

Run-

1 hour with 2x 15min build from jog to 5km goal pace. Take 10min easy easy jog between

Saturday:

Bike-

2 hours with 2x 15min as 3x (3min race effort/ 2min easy)

Sunday:

OFF

Week 9- RECOVERY

Real recovery week! Choose to do these sessions any time throughout the week-

Swim- 2x 1000-1500m choice mixed strokes

Bike- 2x 1hr-1.5hr easy spin with 5×30 seconds high cadence

Run- 2x 30min easy with 3×20 second sprints

Week 10

Monday:

Swim-

2x(200m front crawl, 2x100m pause 3 drill for 50m then 50m long strokes front crawl, 2×50 kick)

500m strong pace front crawl

100 easy

Run-

30min easy with 5×20 second sprints

Tuesday:

Run-

45min with 4km as 1km at 5km goal pace, 1km at 5km goal pace plus 15seconds

Wednesday:

Bike-

2hrs over rolling hills

Thursday:

Swim-

400m as 50 front crawl/ 50 backstroke

200m front crawl build pace by 50m

9x50m as 2 sprint, 1 easy all with 30seconds rest

150m backstroke

Friday:

Run-

1hr with 2x (3min at goal 5km pace, 90sec jog, 2min @goal pace, 1min easy, 1min @goal pace, 30 seconds easy)

Saturday:

Bike-

2hours including 2x 20min

#1 as build from easy pace to race pace throughout the 20min

#2 as 3min race pace, 2min steady pace

Run-

30min jog

Sunday:

OFF

WEEK 11

Monday:

Swim-

2x (100 front crawl, 100 kick, 2x50m pause 3 drill)

Test Set:

Broken 800m Time Trial

400m at 800m goal pace with 2min recovery

200m at 800m goal pace 2min recovery

2x100m at or above 800m goal pace with 1min recovery

Add up your times and should be the same or faster than your goal 800m time!

200m easy easy mixed strokes to cool down

Run-

30min easy with 5×20 second sprints on hill if possible

Tuesday:

Run-

15min warm up

3x (3min at 5km pace, 2min at half marathon pace, 1min easy)

15 min easy

Wednesday:

Bike-

2 hours with 2x 15min steady pace

Thursday:

Run-

1hour continuous moderate pace

Friday:

Swim-

400m front crawl/ backstroke alt by 50m

4×50 pause 3 drill with 15sec between

100m kick

2x400m steady pace one can be with a pull buoy

200m easy mixed strokes

Saturday:

Bike-

2 hours with 3x (5min race pace, 2min easy, 30seconds sprint, 5min steady, 2:30 easy)

Sunday:

OFF

WEEK 12

Monday:

Swim-

500m as 200 front crawl, 100 backstroke, 100 pause 3 drill, 100 kick

2x (4×50 build pace by 50 with 15 seconds rest, 200m race pace with 20seconds rest, 100 easy)

200 easy

Tuesday:

Run-

1hour hilly terrain, fast up all the hills easy for the rest

Wednesday:

Bike-

90min with test

30min warm up including a couple bursts of speed

5min strong pace

5min easy

20km TT

Remainer easyd

Thursday:

Swim-

8×200 as 2x (1 front crawl, 1 kick, 1 mixed strokes, 1 pause 3 drill)

Run-

30min jog with 5×20 sec sprints

Friday:

Run-

15min warm up

6x3min strong pace with 2 min jog between

10min easy jog

Saturday:

Bike-

2.5 hours steady

Sunday:

OFF

WEEK 13

Monday:

Swim-

200m front crawl

100m backstroke

100m pause 3 drill

3x (100 kick strong pace, 300m front crawl steady pace)

100m easy

Tuesday:

Brick Session!

Bike-

30min warm up

3x 10min race pace with 5min spin between but on last effort don’t take recovery and switch to running as fast as possible

Run-

10min fast

5min easy jog

3x 1min fast with 1 min jog between

10min easy

Wednesday:

Swim-

200m front crawl

100m backstroke

400m pull

6×50 easy kick

6×50 pause 3 drill for 25m then 25m easy mixed strokes

200 easy

Thursday:

Bike-

2hrs over hills

Friday:

Run-

15min jog

20min build from jog to race pace

10min easy

Saturday:

OFF

Sunday:

OFF

WEEK 14 TT then Recovery

Monday:

Run Time Trial-

15min jog

3min build pace

2min jog

5x10sec fast

5min jog

5km TT Can be done on track or measured road

10min easy

Tuesday-

Swim-

Easy 1500m choice

Wednesday:

Bike-

1 hour spin with 5×30 sec high cadence

Thursday:

Run-

30min jog with 5x20sec sprints

Friday:

Swim-

1500m choice including some pause 3 drill, easy kick and mixed strokes

Saturday:

Bike-

90min spin

Sunday:

OFF

Week 15

Monday:

Swim-

200 front crawl

200 backstroke/front crawl by 50

100 kick

4x100m front crawl fast with 30 seconds rest

100 easy

4×50 front crawl fast with 20 seconds rest

100easy

4×25 front crawl sprint with 20 seconds rest

200 easy

Tuesday:

Run-

15min warm up

5x1km at 5km goal pace with 3min jog between

10min easy jog

Wednesday:

Bike-

2hours with 2x 20min efforts as

1 build from easy to 20km race pace

1 as 5x (2min at 20km race pace, 2 min easy)

remainder easy spin

Thursday:

Swim-

200 front crawl

100 kick

100 pause 3 drill

400m pull busy

400m build from easy to race pace

4x100m at 800m race pace with 30sec easy between

200 easy

Friday:

Run-

15min warm up

30min build from easy to 5km race pace

10min easy jog

Saturday:

Brick Workout!

Bike-

30min warm up

6x5min fast with 2 mins easy (find a 5-10min loop if possible!)

Run-

ASAP off bike 10min at 5km race pace

Sunday:

OFF

Week 16 RACE WEEK!

Monday:

Swim-

200m front crawl

2×100 as 50m pause drill/ 50m front crawl long strokes

2×100 at race pace with 30 seconds rest

2x 50 sprint with 30 seconds recovery

400m pull buoy

200 easy mixed strokes

Tuesday:

Run-

40min including 6x1min at 5km race pace with 1min jog between

Wednesday:

Bike-

20min easy

3x (30 seconds fast/ 3min at race pace)

5min easy

10min solid pace but slower than race pace

15min easy

Thursday:

Swim-

200m front crawl

100m backstroke

2x50m puse drill

2×50 as 25m sprint 2m easy

200m at race pace

200m easy

Friday:

REST

Saturday:

Run-

20min including 5x 30sec at 5km pace

Bike-

30min with a few bursts of effort (no longer than 30 seconds and not full gas)

Sunday:

RACE!!! Good Luck