Example Half Ironman Prgram

Training Snapshot for a Half-Ironman Distance Triathlon

Week 1
Monday
Swim 1900 yards (*Key workout: brain workout)
Tuesday
Cycle 25 miles in recovery and endurance zone
Wednesday
Run 40 miles easy
Thursday
Swim 1500 yards easy & Cycle 60 minutes at 90 RPM or higher
Friday
Swimming Drills
Saturday
Cycle 35 miles easy at 90 RPM or higher
Sunday
Run 1 hour easy

Week 2
Monday
Recovery day (off)
Tuesday
Swim 1900 yards (*Key workout – Race simulation)
Wednesday
Cycle 30 miles in recovery and endurance zone
Thursday
Run 45 minutes easy and Swimming drills
Friday
Swim 1800 yards easy
Saturday
Cycle 40 miles easy at 90 RPM or higher and swimming drills
Sunday
Run 1 hour in recovery and endurance zone

Week 3
Monday
Recovery day (off)
Tuesday
Swim (*Key workout – technique golf workout)
Wednesday
Cycle 30 miles in recovery and endurance zone
Thursday
Run 45 minutes easy run throwing in some fartlek surges in the middle miles if you feel good
Friday
Swimming drills
Saturday
Cycle 40 miles in recovery and endurance zone swim 6 x 75 yards at moderate pace concentrating on form, 30 second rest in between intervals
Sunday
Run 1 hour: 20 minutes easy, 20 minutes tempo run, 20 minutes easy cool-down

Week 4
Monday
Recovery day (off)
Tuesday
Swim 2 x 950 yards (*Key workout – sustainable pace)
Wednesday
Cycle 40 miles easy at 90 RPM or higher
Thursday
Run 45 minutes easy
Friday
Swimming drills
Saturday
Cycle (*Key workout – speed) & Swim 1800 yards easy
Sunday
Run 1 hour in recovery and endurance zone

Week 5
Monday
Recovery day (off)
Tuesday
Swim (*80/20 – Race simulation) Swim in supervised open water for 50 minutes; or 45 minutes in pool, practicing navigational sights
Wednesday
Cycle 30 miles at 90 RPM or higher
Thursday
Run 45 minutes tempo run in aerobic and tempo zone
Friday
1800 yards easy followed by swimming drills
Saturday
Cycle 30 miles hilly bike course at moderate pace with recovery
Sunday
Run 70 minutes easy in recovery and endurance zone followed by swimming drills

Week 6
Monday
Recovery day (off)
Tuesday
Swim 10 x 75 yards (*Key – hold a pace)
Wednesday
Cycle 40 miles at moderate pace with 6 x 1 mile race pace efforts in the middle, 5 minute recovery between efforts.
Thursday
Group run of 6-8 miles at conversational pace, or 45 minutes easy run followed by drills
Friday
2000 yards easy followed by swimming drills
Saturday
Cycle 25 miles easy at 90 RPM or higher
Sunday
Cycle 40 miles at a moderate pace or in the aerobic and tempo zone followed by a 1 hour run

Week 7
Monday
Recovery day (off)
Tuesday
Swim (*Key – Countdown workout)
Wednesday
Group ride cycle 40-50 miles
Thursday
Running intervals: 1 mile easy warm-up; 2 x .25 mile, 3 x .50 mile, 2 x .25 mile, resting 1 minute between intervals, 1 mile cool down.
Friday
2000 yards easy followed by swimming drills
Saturday
Cycle 40 miles in aerobic and tempo zone
Sunday
Run 10 miles in aerobic and tempo zone followed by swimming drills

Week 8
Monday
Recovery day (off)
Tuesday
Swim 4 x 75 yards fast, 2 x 75 yards easy and 4 x 75 yards fast; 20-30 second recovery in between(*Key – hard-easy-hard)
Wednesday
Run 8 miles in aerobic and tempo zone
Thursday
2000 yards followed by drills
Friday
Run 45 minutes easy
Saturday
Cycle 50 miles in aerobic and tempo zone
Sunday
Run 90 minutes easy followed by swimming drills