How to Build Your Own Triathlon Training Plan (For Beginner)

Woman training with SUMARPO compression tight

Are you looking to complete a triathlon race? Whether you are a beginner or have some experience with the sport, it’s important to have a triathlon training plan to be sure to cover all of your bases and be prepared come race day. In this post, we’ll share our top tips for creating a safe and effective triathlon training plan.

 

Why You Need a Training Plan

A training plan is essential for any athlete, but it’s especially important for triathletes. That’s because triathlon is a unique sport that requires you to train your body in three very different ways.

A good training plan will help you avoid injury by gradually increasing your mileage and intensity. And it will help you perform better by ensuring that you’re doing the right types of workouts at the right times.

 

Creating a Training Plan

There are dozens of different ways to structure a triathlon training plan. But they all have one thing in common: they’re built around the principle of progressive overload.

Progressive overload is the process of gradually increasing the intensity of your training. Once your body has adapted to that level of training, you can gradually increase the frequency, duration, or intensity of your workouts. The key is to make small, incremental changes to your training.

Here’s how it works:

  • Start with a base phase: That means you should do mostly low-intensity and volume workouts. The goal is to gradually increase your mileage so that your body can adapt to the demands of training.
  • Build on that base: Once you’ve built a solid foundation of fitness, you can start to focus on specific triathlon disciplines. The goal is to gradually increase the intensity of these workouts while still increasing the volume, distance, and effort of training.
  • Peak for your race: During this time, you’ll back off on the volume of your training while still maintaining the intensity, mixing high-intensity workouts and races. The goal is to fine-tune your fitness so that you’re ready to race your best.

 

How to Schedule Your Workouts

Once you have a general idea of what types of exercises you should be doing, it’s time to start organizing and scheduling your workouts, and we recommend using some online tools to get you started such as TrainingPeaks, Google Calendar, and Polar Flow.

 

How to Keep Up With Triathlon Training Plan

A triathlon is a long-distance race that consists of three different sports: swimming, cycling and running. Triathlon training can be tough, both mentally and physically. That’s why it’s so important to stay motivated. Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Set a Goal

As with any training plan, it’s important to have a goal in mind. Whether it’s completing your first triathlon or shaving minutes off your personal best, setting a goal will help you stay motivated and on track.

2. Find a Training Plan That Fits Your Lifestyle

There are all sorts of training plans out there, so it’s important to find one that fits your lifestyle. If you’re short on time, look for a plan that includes workouts you can do in a shorter time frame. If you have a busy schedule, look for a plan with workouts you can do on your own or that can be easily fitted into your day.

3. Build up Gradually

As we mentioned before, it’s important to gradually increase the intensity of your workouts. If you try to do too much too soon, you’re more likely to get injured or burnt out. Start with a few days of training per week and gradually increase as you get stronger and more comfortable with your plan.

4. Find Your Perfect Nutrition and Hydration

Proper nutrition and hydration are key to any training plan, but they’re especially important for triathletes. That’s because you’re working your body hard, and you need to make sure you’re giving it the fuel it needs to perform its best.

Talk to a registered dietitian or nutritionist to find out what type of nutrition plan will work best for you. And be sure to experiment with different types of foods and drinks during your workouts to see what works best for you.

5. Find a Race

Having a goal to work towards will help you stay on track, the excitement of race day will help you push through even the toughest workouts, and it’s a great way to measure your progress and see how far you’ve come.

 

Take the Best of It!

Training for a triathlon race can be tough, but it’s also an incredibly rewarding experience. It will push you to your limits, and it will help you discover things about yourself that you never knew before.

So, take the best of it! Embrace the challenge, and enjoy the journey.