Totally New to Triathlon? Here's Your Beginner Training Plan

Overwhelmed by the idea of training for a triathlon? You can do it! This sprint training plan keeps it simple so that someone with no swim, bike, or run experience can successfully reach the finish line.

This training plan is designed to prepare inexperienced triathletes to successfully complete a sprint triathlon in 12 weeks. It entails just one workout per day, six days per week: two swims, two rides, and two runs. (There’s a third weekly run in weeks 8 and 10, where Saturday’s ride is replaced with a bike-run brick workout.)

The plan is divided into three phases. Weeks 1-3 constitute the base phase; the next four weeks make up the build phase; and the last five are the peak phase. Weeks 4 and 8 are recovery weeks, with slightly reduced training to give your body a chance to absorb recent training and prepare for the harder workouts to come.

Week 12 (race week) is a taper week, meaning your training tapers off during the week to ensure you’re rested and ready to perform on race day. Choose this plan if you are fit and healthy enough to train for a triathlon, but you have done little or no recent swimming, cycling, or running.

The plan begins with a total of 1,000 yards of swimming, 40 minutes of cycling, and 40 minutes of running in Week 1. It peaks with 2,275 yards of swimming, 2 hours of cycling, and 1 hour and 14 minutes of running in Week 11.

Training for a triathlon difficulty level: 1

Week 1

The first 4 weeks of this plan comprise the base phase of training for a triathlon. Your goals in this phase are to ease into a regular schedule of training, avoid injuries, and gradually build aerobic fitness and endurance.

Week 2

Quick tip: Never train in pain. If you feel anything worse than normal workout soreness while swimming, cycling, or running, abandon the session and begin trying to figure out what caused the pain and how to keep it from coming back.

Week 3

Week 4

The next 4 weeks of this plan comprise the build phase. Your goal in this phase is to continue developing your aerobic fitness and endurance while also improving your efficiency and speed with some high-intensity training.

This week is a recovery week. Your training is slightly reduced to allow your body to fully absorb your recent training and prepare for harder training in weeks 5-7.

Week 5

Week 6

Quick tip: Be sure to fuel your workouts properly. Sip regularly from a bottle of sports drink every 10-12 minutes throughout all high-intensity workouts (i.e., all workouts at threshold intensity and above) and all workouts lasting an hour or more. When you’re training for a triathlon, this will help keep your muscles cool and supply them with extra energy, so you perform better and get a bigger fitness benefit from the workout.

Week 7

Week 8

The last 5 weeks of this plan are the peak phase. In this phase of training for a triathlon, you will transform the general triathlon fitness you have developed into race-specific fitness with workouts including tempo rides, lactate swim intervals, and brick workouts.

This week is a recovery week.

Week 9

Week 10

Week 11

Quick tip: A proper bike set-up is very important when training for a triathlon. Having the most expensive racing bike on the market is no better than having the cheapest one if it’s not set up properly (correct saddle height, front stem length, and so forth). Poor set-up not only reduces efficiency and is less comfortable, but may also cause knee and low back injuries. Take your bike to a good local shop for a proper fitting, which will run you $50 or so.

Week 12

This week is a taper week. Your training is reduced to ensure you’re rested and ready to perform on race day.