Train with purpose. Race with confidence.
Structured plans, evidence-based workouts, and the kind of advice your coach gives you — without the coaching invoice. From base building to race sharpening, we have your training covered.
The foundation every triathlete needs
Most triathlon training advice is either too complex for beginners or too basic for experienced athletes. Here's the version that works for everyone: train consistently, progress gradually, and recover seriously.
The biggest mistake most self-coached triathletes make is training too hard on easy days and not hard enough on hard days. This "gray zone" training leads to chronically fatigued athletes who plateau quickly and burn out easily.
The gold standard: polarized training. 80% of your volume at low intensity (Zone 1–2), 20% at high intensity (Zone 4–5). The research behind this approach is compelling — and the results among our community even more so.
#1 Rule
Consistency
80 / 20
Easy vs. Hard
Non-Negotiable
Recovery
Deep-Dive Training Guidance for All Three Sports
Each discipline has unique demands, training adaptations, and common mistakes. Master the details of each to unlock the whole.
Swimming
The discipline most triathletes fear most — and the one where technique matters more than fitness. A smooth, economical freestyle stroke will beat raw power every single time in open water.
Pro tip
Swim 3x per week. Even experienced triathletes lose swimming fitness faster than cycling or running fitness.
Key workouts
Threshold sets: 4×400m at race pace with 30s rest
Open water simulation: drafting practice and sighting drills
Kick sets: 8×50m with pull buoy to isolate technique
Distance pyramid: 100-200-400-200-100m descending rest
Cycling
The longest leg in terms of time. Your bike leg determines whether your run is a joy or a death march. Train to arrive at T2 feeling like you have 5km of running in your legs — not 50km.
Pro tip
Cadence over power for beginners. Spinning at 85–95 rpm is more efficient than grinding at 70 rpm.
Key workouts
Steady-state rides: 60–90 min at 70–80% FTP
Sweet spot intervals: 3×15 min at 88–93% FTP
Race simulation: 2hr ride at planned race pace
Recovery spins: 45 min easy with high cadence (90+ rpm)
Running
The final test. Running off the bike is a different experience from running fresh — your legs will feel wooden, your stride will be shortened, and your pace will be slower. This is normal. This is fixable.
Pro tip
The single best running workout for triathletes: brick sessions. Run immediately after a bike ride every week.
Key workouts
Tempo runs: 20–40 min at lactate threshold pace
Intervals: 6×800m at 5K race pace with 90s recovery
Long runs: 90–120 min at easy conversational pace
Brick runs: 20–30 min immediately following a bike session
T2
Bike → Run
Brick workouts — the triathlon training non-negotiable
A "brick" is any training session combining two disciplines back-to-back — most commonly bike-to-run. The name supposedly comes from how your legs feel on the run: like bricks.
This sensation is real, it's caused by the transition from cycling muscles to running muscles, and it is absolutely trainable. Athletes who regularly do brick sessions report it almost entirely disappears over 6–8 weeks.
Start with a 45-minute bike ride followed by a 15-minute run. Gradually increase both segments as your race date approaches. The goal is to arrive at race day with your legs knowing exactly what's expected of them.
A real week of triathlon training
A balanced intermediate training week — swim twice, bike twice, run twice, plus one brick session and one full rest day.
| Day | Session | Duration | Intensity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | SwimRecovery swim | 45 min | Easy | Aerobic steady swim, focus on technique |
| Tuesday | BikeBike intervals | 75 min | Hard | Warm-up + 3×10 min at threshold + cool-down |
| Wednesday | RunRun tempo | 50 min | Moderate | 10 min warm-up + 25 min tempo + 15 min easy |
| Thursday | SwimSwim quality | 60 min | Moderate | Technique drills + 4×200m at race pace |
| Friday | RestRest or yoga | — | Rest | Complete rest or 30 min gentle yoga/stretching |
| Saturday | BrickLong ride + brick run | 2hr + 25 min | Moderate | 90–120 min steady bike + immediate 20–25 min run |
| Sunday | RunLong run | 70 min | Easy | Slow, steady aerobic run at conversational pace |
You don't get fitter training. You get fitter recovering.
Every physiology textbook agrees: adaptation happens during rest, not during exercise. Treat recovery as a training session.
Sleep: your most powerful training tool
Seven to nine hours per night is not negotiable for serious training. Sleep is when your body rebuilds the muscle fibers you broke down in training. Cutting sleep cuts adaptation.
Progressive overload — the only rule that matters
Increase training volume or intensity by no more than 10% per week. This isn't a suggestion — it's the most effective prevention against injury and overtraining.
The easy-day paradox
Your easy sessions should be genuinely easy — Zone 1–2 effort. Most athletes go too hard on easy days, arriving at hard sessions too fatigued to get the training stimulus they need.
Fuelling the work
If you're training more than 8 hours per week, nutrition becomes a performance variable. Prioritize carbohydrates before hard sessions, protein post-workout, and hydration all day.
Find the plan built for your goal
Evidence-based, coach-reviewed plans from sprint to half-iron distance. Pick your race, pick your plan. All plans are completely free — no credit card, no catch.
Sprint Starter
Duration
10 weeks
Weekly volume
5–7 hrs/week
Level
BeginnerYour first race plan. Conservative builds, technique-focused swim sessions, and confidence-building brick workouts.
Olympic Builder
Duration
16 weeks
Weekly volume
8–11 hrs/week
Level
IntermediateStep up to the Olympic distance with structured intensity sessions, longer long rides, and race-specific brick work.
Half Iron Base
Duration
20 weeks
Weekly volume
11–15 hrs/week
Level
AdvancedBuild your 70.3 base over 20 weeks with periodized blocks, threshold development, and race simulation long efforts.
Ready to race smarter?
Download a free training plan, check our race calendar, and start building toward the finish line you've been dreaming about.