Looking to complete your first triathlon? You’ve come to the right place! The 12 Week Beginner Sprint Triathlon Training Plan is perfect for amateurs looking to complete their first race. As an experienced triathlete, I’ve worked with many athletes looking to level up their game.
From my experience coaching beginner athletes, 12 weeks an appropriate runway to train for your first race. However, if you are crunched for time, be sure to check out our 10 week Sprint Triathlon Plan.
Monthly Overview
Month 1: Building a Foundation
- Main Takeaways: Focus on consistency, build endurance, and work on technique.
- Milestones: By the end of the month, you should be able to swim 500 meters, bike for 40 minutes, and run for 25 minutes.
- Measuring Progress: Keep a log of how you feel during each workout. Keep yourself honest. If you are having a harder time doing the same output, write it down.
Month 2: Increasing Volume and Intensity
- Main Takeaways: Gradually increase training volume, introduce brick sessions, and begin focusing on race pace.
- Milestones: During month 2, you should be able to complete a brick session and be able to complete a 5k run.
- Measuring Progress: Start timing your workouts. You should start seeing steady improvement in both pace and distance.
Month 3: Race Preparation and Tapering
- Main Takeaways: Fine-tune your technique and try to simulate race conditions. Some of your swims should be in open water, ideally the same one as race day. Start to reduce volume in the final weeks by tapering.
- Milestones: Complete longer brick sessions and keep up the race pace in training.
- Measuring Progress: Compare your pace to how you felt during previous weeks. As you taper, don’t push too hard in the final week.
12 Week Beginner Sprint Triathlon Training Plan
| Week | M | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su | Volume | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rest | Swim: 4x50m easy | Bike: 20 mins easy | Run: 10 mins easy | Rest | Swim: 6x25m, rest 20s | Rest | 1.05 hours | Ease into training |
| 2 | Rest | Swim: 4x75m moderate | Bike: 25 mins easy | Run: 15 mins easy | Strength: 20 mins | Bike: 30 mins moderate | Rest | 1.8 hours | Add strength session |
| 3 | Rest | Swim: 5x50m, rest 15s | Bike: 30 mins easy | Run: 10 min WU, 5×1 min fast, 1 min easy | Strength: 25 mins | Run: 20 mins moderate | Rest | 2.5 hours | Introduce intervals |
| 4 | Rest | Swim: 6x50m, rest 10s | Bike: 35 mins easy | Run: 20 mins moderate | Strength: 25 mins | Bike: 40 mins moderate | Rest | 2.75 hours | Consistent training |
| 5 | Rest | Swim: 300m steady | Bike: 30 mins, 5×1 min fast, 1 min easy | Run: 25 mins moderate | Strength: 25 mins | Run: 10 min WU, 6×1 min fast, 1 min easy | Rest | 3 hours | Increase intensity |
| 6 | Rest | Swim: 6x75m, rest 15s | Bike: 40 mins steady | Run: 30 mins easy | Strength: 25 mins | Bike: 20 mins, Run: 10 mins (Brick) | Rest | 3.2 hours | Introduce brick session |
| 7 | Rest | Swim: 4x100m easy | Bike: 45 mins steady | Run: 10 min WU, 8×1 min fast, 1 min easy | Strength: 25 mins | Bike: 25 mins, Run: 15 mins (Brick) | Rest | 3.6 hours | Increase volume |
| 8 | Rest | Swim: 8x50m, rest 10s | Bike: 50 mins steady | Run: 35 mins moderate | Strength: 25 mins | Bike: 30 mins, Run: 20 mins (Brick) | Rest | 4 hours | Focus on race pace |
| 9 | Rest | Swim: 400m steady | Bike: 40 mins, 6×1 min fast, 1 min easy | Run: 35 mins moderate | Strength: 25 mins | Bike: 35 mins, Run: 25 mins (Brick) | Rest | 4.2 hours | Maintain consistency |
| 10 | Rest | Swim: 6x75m, rest 10s | Bike: 55 mins steady | Run: 10 min WU, 10×1 min fast, 1 min easy | Strength: 25 mins | Run: 40 mins steady | Rest | 4.5 hours | Peak training week |
| 11 | Rest | Swim: 300m easy | Bike: 40 mins easy | Run: 30 mins easy | Rest | Bike: 25 mins, Run: 15 mins (Brick) | Rest | 3 hours | Tapering week |
| 12 | Rest | Swim: 200m easy | Bike: 30 mins easy | Rest | Rest | Rest | Race Day | – | Good Luck! |
Final Tips
Remember to listen to your body throughout the process. These plans are meant to be a guide. Feel free to modify this plan as you get feedback from your body. Good luck with your training!
