A 10-Week Sprint Training Plan for Beginners
Ready to try your first tri? It doesn't have to be overwhelming! Jump in with this simple sprint training plan from coach Adam Zucco.
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This sprint training plan for beginners is perfect for the athlete who only has time for seven hours or less of training a week and one workout per day. Given the amount of time and mileage, the triathlete who completes this plan should expect to finish comfortably but will have room to improve with a more advanced program.
Meet Your Coach
Adam Zucco is the head coach of SuperFly Coaching and is a nine-time Kona finisher. Zucco coached American Ben Kanute to the Rio Olympics and has helped dozens of athletes qualify for Kona.
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Sprint Training Plan for Beginners
Guide
SR: Seconds Rest
MS: Main Set
Week 1: 3:40 Total Time
Monday
REST DAY
Tuesday
SWIM
45 mins
MS: 50 15 SR, 100 15 SR, 200 40 SR 300 60 SR, 200 30 SR 100
Even: Race pace
Odd: Easy
Wednesday
RUN
30 mins
Hilly course w/moderate-effort uphills
Easy everything else
Thursday
BIKE
40 mins
MS: 15 x (30 secs. at 90% effort, 30 secs. easy)
Friday
REST DAY
Saturday
SWIM
45 mins
MS: 3 x 100 moderate 10 SR
1 min. rest
3 x 100 moderate 10 SR
Sunday
BIKE
60 mins, moderate
Week 2: 3:45 Total Time
Monday
REST DAY
Tuesday
BIKE
45 mins FTP Test
Wednesday
SWIM
30 mins
Swim test 15-20 mins. warm-up 3×300 for time, 30 SR
Average 100 pace is threshold pace
Thursday
RUN
45 mins. run test
MS: 30 mins. best possible distance
Friday
REST DAY
Saturday
BIKE
60 mins. endurance
Sunday
RUN
45 mins. aerobic
Week 3: 4:05 Total Time
Monday
REST DAY
Tuesday
SWIM
45 mins. intervals
MS:
5 x 100 20 SR descend each one
1 min. rest
2 x 100 20 SR same pace as #5 above
Wednesday
RUN
40 mins. tempo feel
Thursday
BIKE
45 mins. strength
8-12 x (90 sec. @ 85-100% effort on heavy gear 90 sec. easy spin)
Friday
REST DAY
Saturday
BRICK
1:15 total
BIKE
60 mins. aerobic to moderate
RUN OFF THE BIKE
15 mins. on feel
Sunday
RUN
45 mins. aerobic
Week 4: 4:30 Total Time
Monday
SWIM
45 mins. speed
MS:
4 x 75 10 SR as 25 fast, 25 slow, 25 fast 1 min. rest
4 x 75 10 SR as 25 fast, 25 slow, 25 fast
6 x 25 fast 30 SR 4 x 50 fast 30 SR
Tuesday
BIKE
60 mins. tempo
MS: 20-40mins. @ 75-85% effort
Wednesday
REST DAY
Thursday
RUN
45 mins. speed endurance
MS: 3 x (1 min. at 85%, 1 min. rest)
Friday
REST DAY
Saturday
BRICK
1:15 total
BIKE
60 mins. aerobic to moderate
RUN OFF THE BIKE
15 mins. on feel
Sunday
SWIM
45 mins. tempo
MS:
300 mod pace 1 min. rest
3 x 100 20 SR, build by 100
200 moderate pace 1 min. rest
2 x 100 20 SR, build by 100
Week 5: 6:00 Total Time
Monday
RUN
45 mins. aerobic max
80% effort, push uphills
Tuesday
SWIM
30 mins. endurance
continuous, steady
Wednesday
BIKE
40 mins. technique
MS:
5 x (1min. at high cadence, 1 min. easy)
Thursday
SWIM
45 mins. threshold
MS:
8 x 100 20 SR moderate
6 x 50 kick 20 SR moderate
Friday
REST DAY
Saturday
BRICK
1:20 total
BIKE
1:05 speed strength
MS: 5 x (5 mins. @ race effort, 2 mins. easy)
RUN OFF THE BIKE
15 mins.
Build by 5 mins.
Sunday
BIKE
60 mins. easy spin
Week 6: 4:35 Total Time
Monday
RUN
45 mins. aerobic
MS: 12 x (15 secs. fast, 2 mins. rest)
Tuesday
REST DAY
Wednesday
BIKE
50 mins. strength
Hilly ride, big gear, seated, moderate effort
Thursday
SWIM
45 mins. speed threshold
MS: 6 x 100 @ T-pace from week 2, 10 SR
4 x 50 @ T-pace, 10 SR
Friday
REST DAY
Saturday
BRICK
1:45 total
BIKE
1:15 steady
RUN OFF THE BIKE
30 mins. steady
Sunday
SWIM
30 mins., endurance
Continuous, steady
Week 7: 5:35 Total Time
Monday
RUN
30 mins. easy
Tuesday
RUN
45 mins. fartlek
MS: 5 x 1-2 mins. faster than 5K pace
Wednesday
BRICK
1:15, tempo
BIKE
60 mins. building effort with 10K final time trial
RUN OFF THE BIKE
15 mins. at 10K pace
Thursday
SWIM
45 mins. speed threshold
MS: 6 x 100 @ T-pace 10 SR 8 x 50 @ T-pace 10 SR
Friday
REST DAY
Saturday
BIKE
1:30, aerobic
Sunday
RUN
50 mins. build to moderate effort
Build by 5 mins., moderate for last 20 minutes
Week 8: 5:45 Total Time
Monday
SWIM
45 mins. aerobic
MS: 4 x 100 10 SR 2 mins. rest 300 steady kick 6 x 25 relaxed speed 15 SR
Tuesday
BIKE
60 mins. intervals
MS: 4 x (8 mins. race effort, 1min. easy)
Wednesday
RUN
45 mins. recovery run as you feel
Thursday
SWIM
45 mins. speed threshold
MS: 6 x 100 @ T-pace 10 SR 4 x 50 @ T-pace 10 SR
Friday
REST DAY
Saturday
BRICK
1:30 track intervals
MS:
20 mins. bike moderate
400m run at 10K pace
4 x (BIKE: 2 mins. easy, 3 mins. hard RUN: 800m at 5K race pace)
20 mins. easy bike
Sunday
RUN
60 mins. aerobic
45 mins. aerobic, 15 mins. hard
Week 9: 5:15 Total Time
Monday
SWIM
45 mins. threshold
MS: 10 x 100 at threshold 10 SR
Tuesday
BIKE
60 mins. easy
Wednesday
RUN
45 mins. build
Last 20 mins. faster than beginning
Thursday
SWIM
45 mins. speed
MS: 100 easy, 50 mod, 50 fast 10 SR; 50 easy, 100 mod, 50 fast 20 SR; 50 easy, 50 mod, 100 fast 30 SR; 100 fast, 50 easy, 50 mod 20 SR; 50 fast, 100 easy, 50 mod 10 SR; 50 fast, 50 easy, 100 mod
Friday
REST DAY
Saturday
BRICK
1:15 tempo
BIKE
60 mins. building effort with 10K final time trial
RUN OFF THE BIKE
15 mins. at 10K race effort
Sunday
RUN
45 mins. recovery run as you feel
Week 10: Race Week!
Monday
SWIM
45 mins. threshold
MS:
Even intervals 5 secs. slower than T-pace
50 15 SR, 100 15 SR, 200 40 SR 300 60 SR, 200 30 SR, 100
Tuesday
RUN
45 mins. recovery run as you feel
Wednesday
BIKE
30 mins. race feel
MS: 4 x (90 secs. at race pace, 3 mins. easy)
Thursday
RUN
20 mins. race feel
MS: 4 x (90 secs. at race pace, 3 mins. easy)
Friday
SWIM
20 mins. continuous
OR DAY OFF
Saturday
BRICK
45 mins. pre-race
BIKE
30 mins.
MS: 4 x 30 secs. race-pace efforts, full rest
RUN
15 mins.
MS: 4 x 30 secs. race- pace efforts, full rest
Sunday
RACE DAY! Congrats on completing this Sprint Training Plan for Beginners. Go get ’em!