Looking to go from couch to Olympic triathlon in 6 months? You’ve come to the right place! In this article, we’ll dive into a 24 Week Olympic Triathlon Training Plan. 24 weeks is on the longer side for a training plan, but this isn’t a bad thing! With more time, you can dedicate additional sessions to technique, drills, and building your aerobic capacity.
Training for a triathlon longer than the Olympic distance? Take a look at my article on how to crush your first long distance triathlon.
24 Week Olympic Triathlon Training Plan PDF
Understanding Your 24 Week Olympic Triathlon Training Plan
The purpose of the 24-week Olympic triathlon training plan is to slowly build endurance, strength, and speed. This plan is tailored for beginners.
It emphasizes a strong foundational base, minimizing the risk of injury, and gradually increasing intensity and volume.
The training period is divided into four phases: Foundation, Build, Peak, and Taper. Each phase serves a unique purpose and is integral in ensuring that you reach the start line prepared, confident, and injury-free.
Types of Workouts
- Base/Endurance Workouts: Aimed at building cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance. These are usually longer, steadier workouts without many fluctuations in intensity.
- Tempo Workouts: Moderate intensity workouts that are faster than endurance workouts but still below the threshold. These build aerobic capacity and efficiency.
- High Intensity/Interval Workouts (HIIT): Short, intense efforts followed by rest. Improves speed, power, and anaerobic capacity.
- Strength Training: Focuses on muscular strength, which supports better form and injury prevention.
- Long Ride/Run: Extended workouts at a moderate pace to build endurance and mental resilience.
- Recovery: Low-intensity workouts or days off to allow the body to heal and adapt.
Phase 1: Foundation (Weeks 1-6)
Purpose: To establish a base level of fitness, emphasizing technique, consistency, and injury prevention.
Focus: The Foundation phase emphasizes volume over intensity. The goal is to slowly and steadily increase the duration of workouts in each discipline.
Weeks 1-6 Training Plan
| Days | Swim | Bike | Run | Strength | Weekly Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | – | – | Recovery run 20 min | Bodyweight exercises (30 min) | ~50 min |
| Tue | Base swim 1000m | – | – | – | ~30 min |
| Wed | – | Base ride 30 min | – | – | ~30 min |
| Thu | Tempo swim 800m | – | Tempo run 20 min | – | ~50 min |
| Fri | – | – | – | Recovery & Stretching | – |
| Sat | – | Long ride 40 min | – | – | ~40 min |
| Sun | Base swim 1000m | – | Base run 30 min | – | ~60 min |
| Total | 2800m | 70 min | 70 min | 30 min | ~4.5 hours |
Phase 2: Build (Weeks 7-14)
Purpose: To increase intensity while continuing to build volume, honing in on race-specific demands.
Focus: This phase introduces more high-intensity workouts while ensuring that the athlete continues building their endurance foundation.
Weeks 7-14 Training Plan
| Days | Swim | Bike | Run | Strength | Weekly Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | – | – | Recovery run 30 min | Resistance exercises (30 min) | ~60 min |
| Tue | HIIT swim 4x100m with rest | – | – | – | ~25 min |
| Wed | – | Tempo ride 45 min | – | – | ~45 min |
| Thu | Base swim 1200m | – | HIIT run 6×2 min on/off | – | ~65 min |
| Fri | – | – | – | Recovery & Stretching | – |
| Sat | – | Long ride 60 min | – | – | ~60 min |
| Sun | Tempo swim 1000m | – | Long run 45 min | – | ~90 min |
| Total | 3300m | 105 min | 80 min | 30 min | ~5.5 hours |
Phase 3: Peak (Weeks 15-20)
Purpose: To push towards the athlete’s maximum potential and race-specific intensity.
Focus: This phase is the most challenging, with increased intensity, longer HIIT sessions, and sustained efforts closer to race pace.
Weeks 15-20 Training Plan
| Days | Swim | Bike | Run | Strength | Weekly Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | – | – | Recovery run 40 min | Core exercises (30 min) | ~70 min |
| Tue | HIIT swim 5x100m with rest | – | – | – | ~30 min |
| Wed | – | HIIT ride 6×5 min on/off | – | – | ~60 min |
| Thu | Tempo swim 1400m | – | Tempo run 30 min | – | ~80 min |
| Fri | – | – | – | Recovery & Stretching | – |
| Sat | – | Long ride 75 min | – | – | ~75 min |
| Sun | Base swim 1500m | – | Long run 60 min | – | ~120 min |
| Total | 3900m | 135 min | 130 min | 30 min | ~7 hours |
Phase 4: Taper (Weeks 21-24)
Purpose: To allow the body to recover, adapt, and be in the best possible shape on race day.
Focus: This phase significantly reduces volume but maintains intensity. The aim is to keep the body sharp but not fatigued.
Weeks 21-24 Training Plan
| Days | Swim | Bike | Run | Strength | Weekly Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | – | – | Recovery run 20 min | Light bodyweight exercises (20 min) | ~40 min |
| Tue | Tempo swim 800m | – | – | – | ~20 min |
| Wed | – | Tempo ride 30 min | – | – | ~30 min |
| Thu | Base swim 1000m | – | Base run 20 min | – | ~40 min |
| Fri | – | – | – | Recovery & Stretching | – |
| Sat | – | Ride 30 min | – | – | ~30 min |
| Sun | Tempo swim 800m | – | Run 20 min | – | ~40 min |
| Total | 2600m | 60 min | 60 min | 20 min | ~3.5 hours |
