12 Week Super Simple Sprint Triathlon Training Plan

Updated June 26, 2025 04:37AM

This 12 week sprint triathlon training plan is ideal for beginner to intermediate triathletes who are currently able to complete a 15-minute swim (with breaks as needed), a 30-minute bike, and a 30-minute run/walk. You will find this plan quite easy to comprehend, and the rhythm of workouts each week, as well as from week to week, to be fun and achievable for even those with busy work or family commitments. You will enjoy progressing through assorted training “phases,” such as “test,” “build,” and “recover,” and as such will be able to note improved fitness and speed throughout each four-week cycle.

12-Week Sprint Training Plan

Week 1

Monday
Day Off
Take the day off, including as much time off your feet as possible. Spend some time preparing meals for the week, as well as arranging work and family schedules to best allow for successful completion of assigned workouts.

Tuesday
30-Minute Swim Test
WU- 5 to 10 minutes easy swim
MS- Swim 15 minutes max distance… taking breaks if/ as needed.
CD- 5 minutes easy swim

Wednesday
45-Minute Easy Bike
Ride easy/ conversational, and use an easy gear with a high cadence.

Thursday
45-Minute Run Test
WU- 10 minutes easy walk/ jog
MS- Run/ walk 30 minutes maximum distance.
CD- 5 minutes easy walk

Saturday
45-Minute Bike Test
WU- Ride 10 minutes easy
MS- Ride 30 minutes maximum distance
CD- Ride 5 minutes easy

Sunday
30-Minute Easy Run
Run/ walk easy (conversational), taking breaks as needed.

Week 2

Tuesday
25-Minute Build Swim
WU- 5 minutes easy swim
MS- 4 x 3 minutes TP (test pace), with 1 minute RI (recovery interval)
CD- 5 minutes easy swim

Wednesday
45-Minute Easy Bike
Ride easy/ conversational, and use an easy gear with a high cadence.

Thursday
40-Minute Build Run
WU- 10 minutes easy walk/ jog
MS- 4 x 4 minutes TP (test pace), with 2 minutes RI (recovery interval).
CD- 8 minutes easy walk/ jog

Saturday
60-Minute Build Bike
WU- 12 minutes easy
MS- 4 x 8 minutes TP (test pace), with 2 minutes RI (recovery interval).
CD- 10 minutes easy

Sunday
30-Minute Easy Run
Run/ walk easy (conversational), taking breaks as needed.

Week 3

Tuesday
30-Minute Build Swim
WU- 5 minutes easy swim
MS- 4 x 4 minutes TP (test pace), with 1 minute RI (recovery interval)
CD- 5 minutes easy swim

Wednesday
45-Minute Easy Bike
Ride easy/ conversational, and use an easy gear with a high cadence.

Thursday
45-Minute Build Run
WU- 10 minutes easy walk/ jog
MS- 4 x 5 minutes TP (test pace), with 2 minutes RI (recovery interval).
CD- 8 minutes easy walk/ jog

Saturday
60-Minute Build Bike
WU- 12 minutes easy
MS- 4 x 9 minutes TP (test pace), with 2 minutes RI (recovery interval). Then run 5 minutes gradually building to TP.
CD- 10 minutes easy

Sunday
30-Minute Easy Run
Run/ walk easy (conversational), taking breaks as needed.

Week 4

Thursday
45-Minute Easy Bike
Ride easy/ conversational, and use an easy gear with a high cadence.

Saturday
30-Minute Easy Run
Run/walk easy (conversational), taking breaks as needed.

Week 5

Tuesday
30-Minute Swim Test
WU- 5 to 10 minutes easy swim
MS- Swim 15 minutes max distance… taking breaks if/ as needed.
CD- 5 minutes easy swim

Wednesday
45-Minute Easy Bike
WU- 5 to 10 minutes easy swim
MS- Swim 15 minutes max distance… taking breaks if/ as needed.
CD- 5 minutes easy swim

Thursday
45-Minute Run Test
WU- 10 minutes easy walk/ jog
MS- Run/ walk 30 minutes maximum distance.
CD- 5 minutes easy walk

Saturday
45-Minute Bike Test
WU- Ride 10 minutes easy
MS- Ride 30 minutes maximum distance
CD- Ride 5 minutes easy

Sunday
30-Minute Easy Run
Run/ walk easy (conversational), taking breaks as needed.

Week 6

Tuesday
30-Minute Build Swim
WU- 5 minutes easy swim
MS- 4 x 4 minutes TP (test pace), with 1 minute RI (recovery interval)
CD- 5 minutes easy swim

Wednesday
45-Minute Easy Bike
Ride easy/ conversational, and use an easy gear with a high cadence.

Thursday
45-Minute Build Run
WU- 10 minutes easy walk/ jog
MS- 4 x 5 minutes TP (test pace), with 2 minutes RI (recovery interval).
CD- 8 minutes easy walk/ jog

Saturday
60-Minute Build Bike
WU- 12 minutes easy
MS- 4 x 9 minutes TP (test pace), with 2 minutes RI (recovery interval).
CD- 10 minutes easy

Sunday
30-Minute Easy Run
Run/ walk easy (conversational), taking breaks as needed.

Week 7

Tuesday
35-Minute Build Swim
WU- 5 minutes easy swim
MS- 4 x 5 minutes TP (test pace), with 1 minute RI (recovery interval)
CD- 5 minutes easy swim

Wednesday
45-Minute Easy Bike
Ride easy/ conversational, and use an easy gear with a high cadence.

Thursday
50-Minute Build Ride
WU- 10 minutes easy walk/ jog
MS- 4 x 6 minutes TP (test pace), with 2 minutes RI (recovery interval).
CD- 8 minutes easy walk/ jog

Saturday
65-Minute Build Bike
WU- 12 minutes easy
MS- 4 x 10 minutes TP (test pace), with 2 minutes RI (recovery interval). Then run 8 minutes gradually building to TP.
CD- 10 minutes easy

Sunday
30-Minute Easy Run
Run/ walk easy (conversational), taking breaks as needed.

Week 8

Thursday
45-Minute Easy Bike
Ride easy/conversational, and use an easy gear with a high cadence.

Week 9

Tuesday
30-Minute Swim Test
WU- 5 to 10 minutes easy swim
MS- Swim 15 minutes max distance… taking breaks if/ as needed.
CD- 5 minutes easy swim

Wednesday
45-Minute Easy Bike
Ride easy/ conversational, and use an easy gear with a high cadence.

Thursday
45-Minute Run Test
WU- 10 minutes easy walk/ jog
MS- Run/ walk 30 minutes maximum distance.
CD- 5 minutes easy walk

Saturday
45-Minute Bike Test
WU- Ride 10 minutes easy
MS- Ride 30 minutes maximum distance
CD- Ride 5 minutes easy

Sunday
30-Minute Easy Run
Run/ walk easy (conversational), taking breaks as needed.

Week 10

Tuesday
35-Minute Build Swim
WU- 5 minutes easy swim
MS- 4 x 5 minutes TP (test pace), with :30 sec RI (recovery interval)
CD- 5 minutes easy swim

Wednesday
45-Minute Easy Bike
Ride easy/ conversational, and use an easy gear with a high cadence.

Thursday
50-Minute Build Run
WU- 10 minutes easy walk/ jog
MS- 4 x 6 minutes TP (test pace), with 1 minute RI (recovery interval).
CD- 8 minutes easy walk/ jog

Saturday
65-Minute Build Bike
WU- 12 minutes easy
MS- 4 x 10 minutes TP (test pace), with 1 minute RI (recovery interval). Then run 10 minutes gradually building to TP.
CD- 10 minutes easy

Sunday
30-Minute Easy Run
Run/ walk easy (conversational), taking breaks as needed.

Week 11

Tuesday
25-Minute Peak Swim
WU: 5 minutes easy
MS: Swim 75% of goal race distance at goal race pace. Take breaks as needed.

Wednesday
45-Minute Easy Bike
Ride easy/ conversational, and use an easy gear with a high cadence.

Thursday
30-Minute Peak Run
WU- walk/ jog 5 minutes easy
MS- Run/ walk 50% of goal race distance at goal race pace.
CD- walk/ jog 5 minutes easy

Saturday
45-Minute Peak Bike
WU- 5 minutes easy spin
MS- Bike 75% of goal race distance at goal race pace alternating 10 minutes ‘on’, 5 minutes ‘easy’.
CD- 5 minutes easy spin.

Sunday
30-Minute Easy Run
Run/ walk easy (conversational), taking breaks as needed.

Week 12

Tuesday
20-Minute Taper Run
Run 33% of goal race distance at goal race pace alternating run 4 minutes/ brisk walk 1 minute.

Wednesday
30-Minute Taper Bike
Ride 50% of goal race distance at goal race pace alternating 10 minutes ‘on’, 5 minutes ‘easy.’

Thursday
15-Minute Taper Swim
Swim 50% of goal race distance at goal race pace, taking breaks as needed. Practice in wetsuit if you plan to wear one in the race. Use the swim venue if possible, otherwise it is OK to wear the wetsuit in the pool.

Saturday
20-Minute Pre-Race Workout
Bike 15 minutes progressing to race pace, then run 5 minutes progressing to race pace.

Sunday
RACE DAY
Arrive early, trust your sprint training plan, have fun!