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Trick or Tri Training PlanCoach Darrell Myrick – USAT Level 1 Triathlon Coach

Attached you will find am 8 week training plan for both the Sprint and Olympic distance triathlons. Both are aimed at beginner level athletes who do not have an extensive background in any of the disciplines and are starting with a limited endurance base. Both of the plans have several assumptions:

The athlete is in good health and has been cleared by their medical professional(s) to train for and compete in a triathlon.

The athlete has acceptable equipment to train for and compete in a triathlon, i.e. a bicycle, running shoes, goggles, helmet, etc.

For the Sprint distance the assumption is that the athlete can run/jog for 20 minutes, cycle for 30 minutes and swim continuously for 10 minutes. A training period may be necessary to build up to these distances prior to following the training plan.

For the Olympic distance the assumption is that the athlete can run/jog for 2 miles, cycle for 20 miles and swim for 300 yards. Again, athletes may need a training period to build up to the distances prior to following the training plan.

Many athletes come to the sport of triathlon with a background in one or more of the disciplines, running for instance. If you are an accomplished 10K competitor and wish to become a triathlete, you may find the running portion of this training plan too rudimentary. This plan, and all training plans, are suggestive guidelines only. The true training plan is the plan the athlete decides is best for them. If the running portion, or any portion, of the training plan is not challenging enough make the adjustments you deem necessary, however, the best way to make improvements and to succeed in triathlons is to work on your weaknesses. If you are a runner, but have limited experience with cycling and swimming, your greatest opportunity for improvement is in the improvement of your weaknesses – cycling and swimming. Same holds true with cyclists and swimmers.

For the more experienced athletes and for all athletes following the training plan after week 3 or 4, the opportunity to train and interact with other triathletes exists several times per week. California Triathlon has a training calendar at Californiatriathlon.org that lists trainings available to everyone, free of charge. Saturday rides, Sunday runs and bricks on Wednesdays are only a sampling of trainings that would fit well into this training plan with the most minor of alterations – show up at one of my trainings with your training plan and I’ll personally make the adjustments for you. Training and interacting with others is the best way to remain motivated and learn from the wealth of knowledge that has been gained by members of California Triathlon. California Triathlon is a 501(C)3 charitable organization and membership is completely free of charge. Sigh up and be part of one of the largest and best run triathlon clubs in the nation.

Within this training plan I make reference to training Zones. Heart rate training zone are ranges that defines the upper and lower limits of training intensities. It is calculated using an age-related predicted maximum heart rate (HRmax) and a special equation called heart rate reserve. You can find several calculators on-line to assist in figuring out exactly what your personal HR Zones are, but that requires the wearing of a heart rate monitor (which I personally recommend) during training and racing. The following is a very simple, though slightly less accurate, method for determining which Zone you currently are in:

Zone 1 – No physical exertion felt – breathing relaxed and normal. Zone 2 – Physical exertion is mild to moderate – breathing elevated but you remain

completely conversational. Zone 3 – Physical exertion is moderate – breathing becoming labored, but conversation still

possible, though in 5 to 6 word bursts. Zone 4 – Very hard physical effort – Breathing rapid, conversation is one word at a time. Zone 5 – Maximum effort – Breathing rapid and labored – you are not even thinking about

talking.

Most training occurs in Zones 2 and 3, with the higher intensity sprints and speed work in upper Zone 3 and Zone 4. Don’t overlook the value of lower intensity Zone training, which is where endurance is build and your body learns to burn fat efficiently. The upper Zones are reserved for more highly trained athletes and only come into training plans after the athlete has demonstrated a high level of fitness and technique.

If running the suggested times and distances is an issue, I have found alternating periods of walking and running very effective to help athletes transition to more efficient and longer periods of running. They are easily adapted to any athlete and are even utilized by triathletes competing in full Ironman distance races if they become overly fatigued. The periods are described by numbers indicating the number of minutes running and walking, i.e. 1/2 would indicate 1 minute running and two walking to recover. Work to improve by transitioning from a 1/2 to a 2/2, then a 2/1 and a 3/1 etc. Again, highly individualized and every athlete needs to find what works best for them at this point in their training.

Swimming, it is the bane of many triathletes and a barrier to many would be triathletes. It is the most technique dependent of the three disciplines – it doesn’t matter how strong or fit you are, if your technique is bad you will do a lot of splashing and little moving, so I have dedicated a special section for those who are new to this discipline, or those looking to make improvements in their stroke.

When we talk swimming and triathlons we are talking freestyle stroke. The basics of an efficient freestyle stroke are:

Proper head position – nose pointed down. This allows the hips to ride up at the water line and reduce drag.

The stroke starts with full extension of one arm and a slight roll of the body to allow for a relaxed full extension – right arm extended, hips and shoulders roll with left side moving up and right side rotating downward.

Pull with high elbow “catch”. Elbow should be high on the pull and over the hand for maximum leverage and proper utilization of the big muscle groups – hand and fingers pointed downward.

Pull through so the hand exits at the thigh, don’t shorten the stroke to increase turnover – you will look and feel fast, but will not go fast. Long smooth strokes are fastest and most efficient.

Recovery (hand recovering from exit at the thigh to full extension in front) – Elbow higher than hand and fingertips are just above water line and stay close to the body. Hand enters the water fingertips first and the elbow should go through the same “hole” in the water that the fingertips made.

The kick is from the hips with toes pointed backwards, knees only flex slightly. Legs trail straight back, if they flop to the side it is a sign of some issues with your upper body position and side to side movement.

This is an over simplification of the freestyle stroke, but it will get the beginner started and will help the average swimmer make improvements that will allow them to drop some time off of their swim. There are dozens of great videos online that can be a great help putting these pieces together.

Fixing stroke mechanics and getting faster - First and foremost, if you need help with swimming the best way to improve is with a coach who is knowledgeable about stroke mechanics and is at least familiar with the needs of triathletes, there are several options on the California Triathlon Calendar (californiatriathlon.org), including masters programs. If you do not have access to a coach and can’t attend a master’s program, or if you are looking to just put some finishing touches on an already acceptable level of swimming competence, drills are your best option. The following are the more common drills that I have found effective in improving stroke mechanics and dropping precious minutes off of swim times.

Catch Up – Swim normally, but do not start the pull right arm until the left arm has reached full extension – your left arm caught up with your right. Pull through with the right arm and recover, but don’t start the pull with the left arm until the right arm is at full extension. What it does – Forces full extension and slows down the turnover so you can focus 100% on the proper pull and recovery of a single arm.

Finger Drag – After finishing the pull and exiting the water at the thigh, keep the elbow high and drag the fingertips along the surface of the water all the way through the recovery and into the entry. What it does – Forces a high elbow recovery and proper entry of the hand and elbow.

Fist – Swimming with hands balled up into fists. What it does – Helps reveal and correct flaws in the “catch”. If a swimmer is not effectively executing a “catch” they will have almost zero forward motion with this drill. Focus on keeping the elbow high and over the hand during the first part of the stroke and efficiency will increase dramatically.

Ear Touch – After exiting the pull at the thigh touch the ear and pause slightly. What it does – Forces high elbow recovery and proper hand placement for efficient entry, and slows down the stroke to all the opposite arm to achieve full extension.

10 Beat Kick – Swim normally, but pause with one hand at the thigh and the other fully extended in front (full pull) and kick 10 times prior to recovering the arm, repeat with the opposite arm. What it

does – Engages the kick and forces a slower turnover with a full extension and pull. This can be done with a 10 beat kick, or 8, 6 or 4.

Superman Kick – Both arms in front at full extension, shoulder width apart and approximately 4 -6 inches under the water (proper starting position for the stroke) – the way superman flies. Kick, flexing at the hips and toes pointed backwards. When necessary to breathe, pick the head up looking forward to get a breath, not to the side. What it does – Forces proper positioning for start of the stroke, and puts the swimmer’s focus on kicking properly and efficiently. Also helps develop the neck and core muscles needed to sight in open water events.

Again a simple explanation to a complicated process, but internet videos will help a great deal in allowing visualization of the process. Drills are not about speed, they are about doing the stroke correctly and when done correctly the speed is there. Some of the best swimmers and triathletes commit as much as 30% of their swim training time to drills and stroke development and that is not a coincidence.

All that said, the following is a simple and easy to follow 8 week training plan that, if followed, will definitely get you to your goal of finishing a Sprint or Olympic distance triathlon. Life does tend to happen and the plan has built in flexibility. There are two rest days per week that can be moved forward or backward 1 day without pushing conflicting trainings against each other. Try and stick to the plan, but if the circumstances only allow you 30 minutes on a day that calls for much more, 30 minutes it is. Consistency of training is more important than time or distance, but remember, the more you miss the greater the chance that you will not be properly prepared come race day. Triathlons and triathlon training are physically and mentally demanding, otherwise everyone would be doing them. Welcome to a growing fraternity of dedicated and fit athletes, and prepare to get some odd looks from family and friends when you explain to them exactly what you have chosen to do.

Train well and always error on the side of safety!

Coach Darrell

[email protected]

Week #1 Sprint OlympicSaturday Bike

30 minutes of spinning in Zone 2Bike 20 miles of spinning in Zone 2

Sunday Run 20 min easy jog in Zone 2

Run 2 mile easy jog in Zone 2

Monday Swim 10 minute warm up150 yards drills – 50 of catch-up, superman & fist – 15 seconds rest (SR) between each 5010 min warm down

Swim 300 yard warm up200 drills – 100 catch up, 100 fist5 X 100 with 15 seconds rest (SR)300 warm down

Tuesday Day Off Day OffWednesday Swim

10 min warm up150 drills – 50 of fingertip drag, 6 beat delay and fist – 15 SR10 min cool down

Run20 min easy jog in Zone 2

Swim300 yard warm up200 drills – 100 6 beat delay, 100 fingertip drag3 X 200 with 15 SR300 cool down

Run2 mile easy jog in Zone 2

Thursday Bike30 min of easy spinning in Zone 2

Bike20 miles of spinning in Zone 2

Friday Day Off Day Off




Run 2.5 mile easy jog in Zone 2

Monday Swim 10 minute warm up150 yards drills – 50 of catch-up, superman & fist – 15 seconds rest (SR) between each 50100 yard swim – record time to compare and show improvement with future swims10 min warm down



10 min warm up150 drills – 50 of fingertip drag, 6 beat delay and fist – 15 SR4 X 25 normal swim with focus on stroke10 min cool down


Swim300 yard warm up200 drills – 100 6 beat delay, 100 fingertip drag4 X 50 normal swim with focus on stroke200 for time – record time to compare and show improvement with future swims300 cool down







Consider joining California Triathlon’s Saturday ride at Encanto Park in Duarte from here on for this training.


Run 3 mile easy jog in Zone 2

Monday Swim 10 minute warm up150 yards drills – 50 of catch-up, superman & fist – 15 seconds rest (SR) between each 504 X 50 with 15 SR – focus on proper stroke10 min warm down



10 min warm up150 drills – 50 of fingertip drag, 6 beat delay and fist – 15 SR2 X 100 with 20 SR10 min cool down


Swim300 yard warm up200 drills – 100 6 beat delay, 100 fingertip drag8 X 25 sprints with 15 SR4 X 100 with 10 SR300 cool down






25 minutes of spinning in following manner:10 min easy spinning to warm up5 min very hard effort – to upper Zone 310 min easy spinning to cool down

Bike 20 miles in following manner:10 miles easy Zone 2 spinning5 miles very hard effort pushing into upper Zone 35 miles easy Zone 2 spinning


Run 3 mile “Fartlek”1 mile easy jog in Zone 21 mile of Fartlek – running easy in Zone 2, but 4 times during the 1 mile portion speed up for 50 yards to faster pace, but remain good form – smooth and fluid.1 mile easy jog in Zone 2

Monday Swim 10 minute warm up150 yards drills – 50 of catch-up, superman & fist – 15 seconds rest (SR) between each 50300 easy and relaxed – focus on proper technique10 min warm down

Swim 300 yard warm up200 drills – 100 catch up, 100 fist600 easy and relaxed – focus on proper technique300 warm down


10 min warm up150 drills – 50 of fingertip drag, 6 beat delay and fist – 15 SR8 X 25 with 15 SR strong effort sprints10 min cool down


Swim300 yard warm up200 drills – 100 6 beat delay, 100 fingertip drag8 X 75 with 10 SR – easy first and last 25, strong effort middle 25300 cool down

Run1.5 mile easy jog in Zone 2





40 minutes of spinning in Zone 2 Consider joining California

Triathlon’s Saturday ride from Encanto Park in Duarte from here on for this training.

Bike 30 miles in following manner:10 miles easy Zone 2 spinning10 miles pushing effort into Zone 310 miles easy Zone 2 spinning


Run 4 mile “Fartlek”1 mile easy jog in Zone 22 miles of Fartlek – running easy in Zone 2, but 4 times during the 2 mile portion speed up for 100 yards to faster pace, but remain good form – smooth and fluid.1 mile easy jog in Zone 2

Monday Swim 10 minute warm up150 yards drills – 50 of catch-up, superman & fist – 15 seconds rest (SR) between each 503 X 100 with 15 SR – focus on proper stroke10 min warm down

Swim 300 yard warm up200 drills – 100 catch up, 100 fist10 X 75 with 15 seconds rest (SR), first and last 25 at easy pace, sprint middle 25 of the 75 yard repeat300 warm down


10 min warm up150 drills – 50 of fingertip drag, 6 beat delay and fist – 15 SR6 X 50 with 15 SR – swim easy the first 25, then sprint the second 25 back10 min cool down



Run2.5 mile easy jog in Zone 2





45 minutes of spinning in Zone 2Bike 35 miles of easy spinning in Zone 2

Sunday Run 35 min run in Zone 2

Run 5 mile easy Zone 2 run

Monday Swim 10 minute warm up150 yards drills – 50 of catch-up, superman & fist – 15 seconds rest (SR) between each 508 X 50 with 10 SR10 min warm down

Swim 300 yard warm up200 drills – 100 catch up, 100 fist10 X 100 with 10 SR300 warm down


10 min warm up150 drills – 50 of fingertip drag, 6 beat delay and fist – 15 SR2 X 200 with 15 SR 10 min cool down


Swim300 yard warm up200 drills – 100 6 beat delay, 100 fingertip drag12 X 25 sprints with 10 SR – not max effort, but strong focus speed and stroke. 300 cool down

Run3 mile run pushing into Zone 3 after mile 2 and holding that pace steady and relaxed for the last mile.





50 minutes of spinning in Zone 2Bike 35 miles of easy spinning in Zone 2


Run 5 mile run in following manner1 mile Zone 2 run to warm up3 miles strong effort – pushing into Zone 31 mile Zone 2 run to recover while running

Monday Swim 10 minute warm up150 yards drills – 50 of catch-up, superman & fist – 15 seconds rest (SR) between each 50100 for time – record time and compare12 X 25 with 10 SR – elevated effort, but be mindful of proper stroke10 min warm down

Swim 300 yard warm up200 drills – 100 catch up, 100 fist4 X 200 with 15 SR8 X 50 with 15 SR – odd repeats are easy and even’s are at strong effort300 warm down



Run30 min in following manner10 min Zone 2 jog to warm up10 min of strong effort – Zone 310 min of Zone 2 jog to recover

Swim300 yard warm up200 drills – 100 6 beat delay, 100 fingertip drag200 for time – compare against previous timed 2004 X 100 with 10 SR300 cool down

Run3.5 mile Zone 2 run





35 minutes of spinning in following manner:10 min easy spinning to warm up5 min very hard effort – to upper Zone 35 min easy spinning to recover5 min very hard effort – to upper Zone 310 min easy spinning to cool down

Bike 20 miles in following manner:10 miles easy Zone 2 spinning5 miles very hard effort pushing into upper Zone 35 miles easy spinning to recover5 miles very hard effort – hitting Zone 4 for the last 30 seconds of the effort5 miles easy Zone 2 spinning


Run 4 mile “Fartlek”1 mile easy jog in Zone 22 miles of Fartlek – running easy in Zone 2, but 4 times during the 2 mile portion speed up for 100 yards to faster pace, but remain good form – smooth and fluid.1 mile easy jog in Zone 2

Monday Swim 10 minute warm up150 yards drills – 50 of catch-up, superman & fist – 15 seconds rest (SR) between each 5010 X 50 with 15 SR – focus on proper stroke4 X 25 with 15 SR - sprints10 min warm down

Swim 300 yard warm up200 drills – 100 catch up, 100 fist10 X 75 with 15 seconds rest (SR), first and last 25 at easy pace, sprint middle 25 of the 75 yard repeat8 X 25 with 15 SR – hard effort sprints300 warm down


10 min warm up150 drills – 50 of fingertip drag, 6 beat delay and fist – 15 SR6 X 100 with 15 SR – focus on maintaining good form and technique10 min cool down








1 hour of spinning, push into Zone 3 after 20 min and focus on holding a steady and constant pace.

Brick 40 miles of easy spinning in Zone 2.Transition immediately to the run and run for 15 min at a very relaxed and comfortable pace. Your pace should feel easy and slow – you will have time later in a race to pick up the run pace, but starting too fast can cause failure later on in the run. Pacing is key.


Run 5 mile run in Zone 2

Monday Swim 10 minute warm up150 yards drills – 50 of catch-up, superman & fist – 15 seconds rest (SR) between each 505 X 100 with 10 SR10 min warm down

Swim 300 yard warm up200 drills – 100 catch up, 100 fist2 X 400 with 20 SR6 X 100 with 15 SR 300 warm down



Run30 min run – start in Zone 2 and hold that pace for 10 min then push the pace into Zone 3. Hold a steady and comfortable Zone 3 pace for the last 20 min of the run.

Swim300 yard warm up200 drills – 100 6 beat delay, 100 fingertip drag8 X 25 with 15 SR – lots of rest, strong effort4 X 200 with 20 SR300 cool down

Run4 mile Zone 2 run


Bike30 miles of spinning in Zone 2 with “Fartlek” After 10 miles of warm up – pick up the pace 6 times during the last 20 miles of the ride for 30 seconds. Those efforts should be very strong and 85 – 90% of max effort. Recover back into Zone 2 spinning before the next Fartlek effort.



75 min of spinning in following manner15 min easy spinning to warm up15 min spinning in low Zone 35 min easy spinning to recover10 min spinning in Zone 35 min easy spinning to recover10 min very strong effort – push to upper Zone 3 at end15 min easy spinning to cool down

Brick 20 miles of moderate effort spinning - in Zone 2/3Transition immediately to the run and run for 20 min at a very relaxed and comfortable pace. Start slowly and pick up the pace after 10 min to an effort you feel you can hold for 10K.

Sunday Run 40 min run – in following manner10 min easy jog to warm up20 min strong effort – pushing well into Zone 310 min slowing down into easy jog to cool down.

Run 5 mile run in Zone 2 – Start slowly and time the first 2.5 miles. Pick up the pace for the last half and try and negative split (second half of the run faster than the first half) the 5 miles.

Monday Swim 10 minute warm up150 yards drills – 50 of catch-up, superman & fist – 15 seconds rest (SR) between each 503 X 100 with 10 SR8 X 25 with 15 SR – lots of rest, very strong effort10 min warm down

Swim 300 yard warm up200 drills – 100 catch up, 100 fist4 X 200 with 20 SR10 X 50 with 15 SR 300 warm down



Run30 min run in Zone 2 – remain relaxed and fluid

Swim300 yard warm up200 drills – 100 6 beat delay, 100 fingertip drag12 X 25 with 15 SR – lots of rest, strong effort2 X 400 with 20 SR300 cool down



Bike30 miles of spinning in in following manner10 miles easy spinning to warm up5 mile pushing into Zone 35 miles easy spinning5 miles pushing into Zone 35 miles easy spinning to cool down


Week #11 Sprint OlympicSaturday Brick

60 minutes of spinning in Zone 2. Think about the pace you can hold on the bike for 8 miles and still have “legs” left to run 5K. Stay relaxed and focused on pacing.Immediately after the bike transition to a 15 min run. Start off very slowly and hold that pace for 5 min. After 5 min at the easy pace pick it up to a pace you feel you can hold for a 5K.

Cool down well with 5 min walk and light stretching.

Bike 30 miles of easy spinning for the first and last 10 miles. Middle 10 miles ride at a pace you can hold for 24 miles and still have “legs” left to run 10K. Stay relaxed and focus on pacing.



Monday Swim 10 minute warm up5 X 100 with 10 SR6 X 50 with 20 SR – Very strong effort10 min warm down

Swim 300 yard warm up2 X 500 with 20 SR6 X 50 with 20 SR – Very strong effort300 warm down


10 min warm up400 at comfortable pace – think race pace, relaxed and efficient.6 X 25 with 10 SR – very strong effort sprints100 drills - catch-up, 6 beat delay, fingertip drag & superman kick10 min cool down

Run30 min run in Zone 2

Swim300 yard warm up200 drills – catch-up, 6 beat delay, fingertip drag & superman kick. 25 of each and repeat.16 X 25 with 15 SR – Strong effort, but relaxed and focusing on proper technique – stay long and focus on catch.3 X 100 with 15 SR – descending: first 100 is slowest and last is fastest – hint: pace well on the first 100.300 cool down




Friday Rest Day Rest Day


30 minutes of spinning in Zone 2. Push the pace up for 30 seconds a couple times during the ride, but after warmed up.

Bike 20 miles of fartlek – easy spinning for first 5 miles, middle 10 miles spin up to Zone 3 effort 5 times for 2 min each spin-up. Last 5 miles easy spinning to cool down.



Monday Swim 10 minute warm up3 X 100 with 10 SR10 min warm down

Swim 300 yard warm up2 X 250 with 20 SR300 warm down


10 min warm up200 at comfortable pace – think race pace, relaxed and efficient.10 min cool down

Run10 min run in Zone 2

Swim300 yard warm up500 at race pace – comfortable and relaxed pace you can hold for 1 mile during race300 cool down




Friday Rest Day – Race tomorrow! Rest Day – Race tomorrow!

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californiatriathlon.org€¦ · Web viewThe following is a very simple, though slightly less ... Very hard physical effort – Breathing rapid, conversation is one word ... (second