Triathlon · Beginner
Triathlon for beginners
12 weeks · 4 sessions per week
Who it is for
For anyone who can swim and feels safe in the water, can already run about thirty minutes in one go and can cycle for half an hour.
How it works
Over twelve weeks, this plan builds up swimming, running and cycling and teaches you to do them back to back. Every week you do four sessions, in this order: swimming, running, cycling and a fourth session. In weeks 1 to 4 that is a second swim, from week 5 a brick session: cycling, directly followed by running. Weeks 4 and 8 are lighter, in week 11 you taper and week 12 is a short race week. The plan works with minutes, not kilometres or lengths, and does not assume a particular race distance.
Warming up and recovery
Start every session easy. When running, walk for five minutes at the start and at the end. When cycling, ride ten minutes easy at the start and five minutes easy at the end. When swimming, swim easy at the start and at the end. Take a rest day between sessions whenever you can. With four sessions a week, two fall on consecutive days: make the swim session one of them, because it is easier on your legs.
Your schedule, week by week
Zone 1 is very easy, zone 2 is a pace at which you can still talk. Calculate your own zones in the heart rate zones calculator. Zone 3 is a firm pace at which you can still talk in short sentences. Only work in this zone during the blocks the schedule shows, and keep the rest easy. Swimming has no zone: heart rate is hard to measure in the water, so you swim by feel. When cycling, your heart rate can differ from running at the same effort, so use the zones as a guideline.
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This plan is a guideline, not medical advice. If you have an injury, heart or lung problems or any other condition, or you are pregnant, discuss it with a doctor or physiotherapist first.
01
Swim easy and work on your technique
Swimming takes more technique than running or cycling. Keep the pace easy, really take the rest from the schedule and consider swimming lessons or a swimming club if you want to improve your technique.
02
Swim safely
Swim in a pool with supervision or with someone else there. Never swim alone in open water, and only once the sessions in the pool feel familiar.
03
Practise the switch from cycling to running
In the brick sessions, cycling turns directly into running. Your legs can feel heavy at first. So start the running part easy.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to stay in a heart rate zone when swimming?
No. Heart rate is hard to measure in the water, which is why swimming has no zone. Swim by feel: easy enough to keep your breathing under control. You can take longer rests than the schedule shows if you need to.
Are my zones when cycling the same as when running?
Not always. When cycling, your heart rate can differ from running at the same effort. Use the zones as a guideline and go by feel as well: in zone 2 you can still talk. Calculate your own zones in the heart rate zones calculator.
What if I miss a session or a week?
Pick up at the session you missed. If you could not train for more than a week, repeat the last week that went well.
When should I stop?
If you feel chest pain, dizziness or unusual shortness of breath, stop and ask a doctor for advice. Also stop if you feel sharp pain in a joint or muscle and have it checked if the pain persists. If you feel unwell in the water, swim to the side straight away.