Below are one-week samples of Joe’s two most popular long-distance triathlon training plans (one for base and one for build-peak-race periods). Most of his plans are 11 to 12 weeks long. For suggestions on how to choose the right plan for you see “How to choose a training plan”.
Long-Distance Tri Base
(UNDER 50) 12–17 hrs/wk (Power-Based) Workout Builder Format
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Week 11
Monday
Strength Maintenance (SM). 30 minutes.
Warm-up 5–10 minutes. Then do 2 sets of Strength Maintenance (SM) weight lifting. First set is light (12 reps with 15RM load). Second set is heavy (3–6 reps with 6RM load). Cool down 5–10 minutes spinning in easy gear/resistance at high rpm. This should be a very brief workout. For details, turn to Chapter 13 in The Triathlete’s Training Bible.
You now are only trying to maintain the strength gains made in the MS phase just completed. Be careful not to make these SM sessions too hard. You will only be lifting once per week for the next several weeks.
Tuesday
Swim. ME1. Long, Variably Paced 2300. 1 hour.
You may substitute a similar masters swim session for this workout.
Warm-up:
4 x 100 done as 25 easy swim, 25 R arm, 25 easy swim, 25 L arm,
Main set:
1500 continuous swim alternating T-time (threshold effort) 50s with easy-paced 50s
Cooldown:
12 x 25 with focus on form (20–30 sec. rest between)
100 swim good form
Total—2300
Run. ME1. Tempo Intervals (4×6 min.) HR. 1 hour.
BT: Tempo intervals. Warm up about 10 minutes in HR zone 1 and 2. Then run 3–4 x 6 minute intervals on a fairly flat course. Do 4 if feeling good, 3 if not. Build to zone 3 heart rate on each. Note your pace. Take a 90-second recovery jog/walk after each. Relaxed form! Listen to breathing. Run easily and walk to cool down for a few minutes to complete the planned workout duration. The first interval should be the slowest. (This is best outdoors but may be done on a treadmill.)
Wednesday
Run. AE1. Easy Run. HR. 45 minutes.
Run in heart rate or pace zone 1 on a mostly flat, soft surface such as on a trail or in a park. VERY easy. Best done alone. If feeling very tired, shorten this run or don’t do it.
Bike. AE1. Easy Ride, Power. 1 hour.
Ride in power zones 1–2, but mostly 1 zone. Flat course or indoor trainer. Low effort, light on pedals. Comfortably high rpm.
Thursday
Swim. ME2. 500s at T-Time 2200. 1 hour.
You may substitute a masters swim workout.
Warm-up:
100 swim, 50 drill (your choice), 100 swim, 50 drill
Main set:
x 500 at T-pace (45 sec. rest between)
Cooldown:
100 drill
300 swim good form
Total—2200
Bike. ME2. Cruise Intervals (4×7 min.) Power (brick). 1 hour.
BT: Cruise Intervals. Warm up about 10 minutes. Then do 4 x 7-minute intervals in power zone 4. Smooth pedaling. Quickly transition to the following run.
Run. AE1. Easy Run (Brick) HR. 15 minutes.
Immediately after transitioning from the accompanying bike ride, on a mostly flat course or treadmill, run 15 minutes very easily in heart rate zone 1 and 2 as you feel. Focus on good form with a comfortably high cadence and somewhat flat footstrike (not on heavily on heels or toes). Cool down by walking afterwards.
The purpose of this easy run is to become used to running after a hard effort on the bike.
Friday
Run. SS3. 5 Advanced Strides Uphill RPE. 45 minutes.
Warm up about 20 minutes in zones 1–2. Then run 5×20 seconds up a moderate grade (3–5%) hill at RPE 9 (very high effort). Powerful, quick strides. Use arms vigorously. After each uphill, walk down slowly taking a minute or more for recovery. Cool down with heart rate in zone 1 for the remainder of the scheduled workout time. (This is best outdoors but may be done on a treadmill.)
Bike. AE1. Easy Ride, Power. 1 hour.
Ride in power zones 1–2, but mostly 1 zone. Flat course or indoor trainer. Low effort, light on pedals. Comfortably high rpm.
Saturday
Swim. AE3. Continuous swim. 1 hour, 10 minutes.
(You may substitute a masters swim workout.)
Warm-up:
20 minutes alternating slow-fast pacing. Play with different strokes while warming up.
Main set:
40-minute steady swim. Swim without stopping.
Cooldown:
10 minutes very easy. Choice of strokes or floating on your back, drills, and/or easy swimming.
Total: 70 minutes
Bike. AE2. Moderate Ride (Brick). 1 hour.
Easy Ride.
Ride in heart rate zone 1 or power zones 1–2, mostly zone 2. Flat to gently rolling course. Low effort, light on pedals. Comfortably high rpm.
This is just a warm-up before starting a long run. Quickly transition to the following run.
Run. AE2. Aerobic Threshold (AeT) Steady State (1.5h) HR. 2 hours.
BT: Warm-up well. Then on a mostly flat course run 90 minutes at 30 bpm below your 5a zone (LTHR). Focus on good form with a high cadence (85+ rpm) and flat foot strike.
1.75 hours if indoors.
Sunday
Bike. AE2. Aerobic Threshold (AeT) Steady State (3.5h) HR. 4 hours, 30 minutes.
BT: Warm up 20–30 minutes. Then ride 3.5 hours (3:30) steady at about 30 beats per minute (+/- 2bpm) below the lowest HR in your 5a zone (LTHR). Long, easy cooldown.
If tired today, make this an easy ride in heart rate zone 1 or power zones 1–2.
After the workout, note your normalized power (NP) for the steady portion at 30bpm below FTHR. Also note your EF for this same portion. Over time, for this type of workout, that EF number should gradually ratchet upward.
Long-Distance Tri Build-Peak-Race Period
(Power) 15–17 hrs/wk
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Week 8
Monday
Strength Maintenance (SM). 30 minutes.
Warm up 5–10 minutes. Then do 2 sets of Strength Maintenance (SM) weight lifting. First set is light (12 reps with 15 repetition-max “RM” load). Second set is heavy (3–6 reps with 6RM load). Cool down 5–10 minutes spinning on a stationary bike in easy gear or resistance at high rpm. This should be a very brief workout. For details, turn to Chapter 13 in The Triathlete’s Training Bible.
Tuesday
Swim. ME1. Ladder down 2350. 1 hour.
(You may substitute a masters swim workout.)
Warm-up:
6 x 50 done as 25 drill of choice, 25 building speed
Main set:
00 at T-pace (50 sec. rest)
5 x 25 fast (20 sec. rest between)
400 at T-pace (40 sec.)
4 x 25 fast (20 sec.)
300 at T-pace (30 sec.)
3 x 25 fast (20 sec.)
200 at T-pace (20 sec.)
2 x 25 fast (20 sec.)
100 at T-pace.
Cooldown:>
200 easy drills and swims of your choice
Total—2350
Run. ME1. Tempo Intervals (4×6 min.) HR. 1 hour.
BT: Tempo intervals. Warm up about 10 minutes in HR zone 1 and 2. Then run 3–4 x 6 minute intervals on a fairly flat course. Do 4 if feeling good, 3 if not. Build to zone 3 heart rate on each. Note your pace. Take a 90-second recovery jog/walk after each. Relaxed form! Listen to breathing. Run easily and walk to cool down for a few minutes to complete the planned workout duration. The first interval should be the slowest. (This is best outdoors but may be done on a treadmill.)
Wednesday
Bike. AE1. Easy Ride, Power. 1 hour, 30 minutes.
Ride in power zones 1–2, but mostly 1 zone. Flat course or indoor trainer. Low effort, light on pedals. Comfortably high rpm.
Thursday
Swim. ME2. Short Intervals and Recoveries 1850. 50 minutes.
You may substitute a masters swim session for this workout.
Warm-up:
200 free, 50 drill (your choice), 50 moderately fast focused on form
2 x 100 done as 25 swim, 25 R arm only, 25 swim, 25 L arm only
3 sets of 4 x 25 each set done as follows:
25 good form, 25 easy, 25 faster, 25 fast
Main set:
Try to make the times for these as consistent as possible. Recoveries are in seconds within parentheses.
5 x 100 @ T-time (10 sec. rest between)
100 easy
5 x 50 @ T-time (10 sec.)
Cooldown:
200 easy
Total—1850
Bike. ME1. Sweetspot Intervals (2×20 min.) Power (Brick). 1 hour, 15 minutes.
BT: Road or trainer. Sweetspot intervals. Warm up about 15 minutes. Then on race set-up bike, do 2 x 20 minutes on a gradual uphill or gently rolling to flat course (or into a headwind) at 88–93% of FTP zone. Aero position. 5-minute recovery between intervals. Cool down easily in zone 1.
This is a combination (brick) workout. Run immediately after the bike ride.
Run. AE1. Easy Run (Brick) HR. 15 minutes.
Immediately after transitioning from the accompanying bike ride, on a mostly flat course or treadmill, run 15 minutes very easily in heart rate zone 1 and 2 as you feel. Focus on good form with a comfortably high cadence and somewhat flat footstrike (not on heavily on heels or toes). Cool down by walking afterwards.
The purpose of this easy run is to become used to running after a hard effort on the bike.
Friday
Bike. AE1. Recovery Spin, Power. 1 hour.
Very easy recovery spin on a mostly flat course (or on indoor trainer) in small chainring. Power in zone 1. Light on the pedals. Comfortably high rpm focusing on pedaling skills.
Run. SS3. 5 Advanced Strides Uphill RPE. 45 minutes.
Warm up about 20 minutes in zones 1–2. Then run 5×20 seconds up a moderate grade (3–5%) hill at RPE 9 (very high effort). Powerful, quick strides. Use arms vigorously. After each uphill, walk down slowly taking a minute or more for recovery. Cool down with heart rate in zone 1 for the remainder of the scheduled workout time. (This is best outdoors but may be done on a treadmill.)
Saturday
Swim. AE3. Descending 300s 1850. 50 minutes.
You may substitute a similar masters swim session for this workout.
Warm-up:
100 swim easy
50 drill (your choice)
100 swim easy
50 drill
100 swim moderate effort
Main set:
Start slow and decrease times for each 300
2 x 300 (30 sec. rest between) at aerobic effort (slower than T-pace)
50 very slow and easy
2 x 300 (30 sec.) at aerobic effort (less than T-pace)
Cooldown:
4 x 25 moderately fast while focusing on only Posture, Direction, Length, or Catch. Focus on only one of these, your worst of the 4. (20–30 sec. rest after each)
100 easy swim
Total—1850
Sunday
Swim. ME3. First Workout of BIG DAY 1 hour.
Warm-up:
10 minutes alternating slow-fast pacing. Play with different strokes while warming up.
Main set:
45-minute steady swim. Swim without stopping. Look up every few strokes the same as you do when swimming open water to sight landmarks.
Cooldown:
5 minutes very easy. Choice of strokes or floating on your back and sculling.
Total: 1:00
Do this swim at around 7 am. Eat a light meal immediately after the swim. You may substitute a similar OPEN WATER swim for this workout. You MUST have a partner when swimming in open water. Recover for 90 minutes or so after this swim before starting the bike workout.
Bike. ME3. Second Workout of BIG DAY, Power. 5 hours.
BT: Ride 3 hours total. Warm up 20–30 minutes. Then ride 2 hours steady at planned race IF (Intensity Factor). You will probably be in the range of about 60–70% of FTP. But some athletes can ride a higher percentage (if under about a 5-hour bike split) and some lower (if over about a 7-hour bike split). Eat and drink on the bike just as you will in the race. Cool down easily for the last 30 minutes.
Recover for 90 minutes or so after this ride before starting the run workout. Eat a light meal (liquids best) immediately after the ride.
Run. ME3. Third Workout of BIG DAY, HR. 2 hours.
Run about 2 hours on a soft but firm surface with heart rate in zones 1 and 2 or at planned race pace (preferred). Manage your form. Avoid becoming sloppy due to fatigue.