Run training for Triathletes

Training should start with some fundamental concepts. 

–Be goal oriented, be progressive and be consistent–

Goals in these uncertain times are hard to pin down but we can start with general goals, such as “I want to do a race in June 2021” or “I want to do a virtual triathlon” and start from there.

Training for a goal race should take from 8 to 24 weeks depending on the distance of the race and your base fitness level.

An ironman race would take 12-24 weeks of specific training and a sprint race about 8-12 weeks.

The actual timing of the start of specific training can be set when we find the scheduled race date, then just count back on the calendar the appropriate number of weeks and start your training there.

It is best to have a solid base fitness level at the start of the race specific training block so starting a pre-season training block is wise. If you’re ready, keep reading and let the fun begin.

Most athletes do 2 or 4 days per week of each sport so I will present a 3 day per week training plan for the running part.

In order to know if we are progressing we need to know where we are today, so starting with a test is a good idea.  Can you run 5k? Do the test on the same type of surface you plan to train on.

A good test is a 5K time trial and should be done once per month or so in order to measure improvement.  The time trial should start with a solid 10 to 15 minute warm-up then a 3-5 minute rest period beforehand then run 5K as consistent as you can, as fast as you feel comfortable.  Follow with a 5-10 minute cool down. Ask yourself if you could have run harder? Most people have GPS watches so use this for your distance and timing.

The time you set will be used to plan your training paces so do the best time you can. For beginners a walk – run is good or a 2k time trial, you will be progressing so use this time as your starting point. Figure out what your pace is per km, e.g. did it take 60 minutes to run 5k – pace is 12 min/km or 4:48 (4 min 48 sec) for 400m or did it take 30 minutes to run 5k – pace is 6 min/km or 2:24 (2 min 24 sec) for 400m.