DIY Triathlon Training Plan To Get You Started

I love the look of distressed denim jackets and jeans but some of them come with a pretty high price tag so I did a little research and figured out how to get the look I wanted on a little-used jean jacket I already had. First, I needed to do a little prep work and get the supplies together. The whole proces made made me start to consider whether the DIY  trend could be applied to triathon training:  if we collect the tools we need, can we put together our own program?

For initial supplies, instead of a jacket, scissors, razors and sandpaper, I've set up an Excel template.  I figure the simplest things sometimes work best.  Let's get started!

Step 1 - 'Gather Your Supplies' = Outline Your 'Normal' Week

This lays the foundation for your triathlon training plan and this first step is simple.  All you have to do is to make a quick speadsheet showing the blocks of the time available for training.  I broke it the daily blocks into AM, Midday (some people train on a lunch hour?) and PM.  This one's pretty simple:

Step 2 - 'Assess Your Project' = Mark The Workouts You're Already Committed To

If you already have some fitness commitments (group workouts, personal trainer, swim class) mark them in.  Here's what mine looks like:

Step 3 - 'Mark The Areas To Work' = Add in the rest of the workouts you need to fill out your program.

So, here is where you will have to make some decisions.  On my jacket, I started to picture where I wanted to cut, shave & fray.  Luckily, unlike when I start working on my jacket with scissors, razors and sandpaper, anything you do here can be changed.  For a training, program, I'm going to fill it out with the other workouts I plan to do weekly.  I'll show you what  my schedule looks like but yours can be as different as it needs to be. First, though, we need a few guidelines I used:

1. I want to have least 2 workouts of each discipline - swim bike run - each week.  
2. I know I'll have 3 or 4 workouts of some disciplines (bike & run).  Go ahead and add in the extra sessions you plan to do where you think they will fit.  If you have performance goals, you will include some key types of  workouts (intervals, hills, recovery, long aerobic) so make some room for a few extra sessions. For now, just add some extra sessions to the schedule and keep it realistic in terms of your time commitments.  Try to include work in up to 3 workouts of just one or two disciplines.  
3. If you have a weakness - swim, bike or run - consider adding the additional workouts in that area, not just in the stuff you like the best or are most comfortable with.

Here is what my schedule looks like at this point.  

And just like my jean jacket, it's not perfect but then I don't need it to be. It's a starting point and, unlike my jean jacket, things can be added, deleted or changed.  You could stop here, work with this schedule and just put in the time. Just having a plan, sticking to the plan and putting in the time will get you through a race or two or three.

Step 4 - 'Assess Your Work' = Figure Out How To Take It To the Next Level.

On my jacket, I tried it on and did an overall assessment:  what did I like, what needed more work?  On my training program, I know that I like to push myself and I want to sharpen my fitness so I can push it on race day or any other day.  In that case, I need to includes some key workouts in my program:

1.  I'll need some long aerobic sessions to build endurance for the target race.
2. In order to build speed, sport-specific strength and power, I'll need to add interval sessions./
3. In order to maintain form, I should have some technique and strength work.
4. Colour coding is fun and makes it easy to get a overview of the week at a glance.

So, I want to make sure that I incorporate some of those workouts into the schedule.  Here's the plan I came up with:

The numbers in each row show me how many workouts of each type I think I need to do per week and the totals of the columns show how many workouts of each discipline I am planning.  So, I've got 2 swims, 2 gym sessions (both short, under 45 minutes), 3 bikes & 3 stand-alone runs.  The transition run is something I might do only every second or third week outside of race season.  Still, I've got 9 to 10 workouts besides gym sessions so I already know there are days I'll have to double up my workouts.  Next, I'll just add those colours to the boxes on my spreadsheet where I plan that type of session.

Step 5 - "Finesse It' = Identify Key Workout Sessions

This is where I went back to my jean jacket and gave it some more love.  On my program, I'm going to try to identify which workouts already are or are going to be those key sessions.  Again, my plan might look a little daunting so here are some points that might add some perspective:

1. I ride entirely indoors in the winter so most of the bike workouts are short and are interval based just to maximize the quality of the time spent and to keep it interesting. It looks like a lot of intensity work on the bike but that's partly just to keep the workouts engaging.
2. I do a little technique work in every bike workout so I haven't included a specific technique session for cycling.
3.  My gym sessions are short, just 30 to 45 minutes each.  If you can only make one gym session, you can still get an overall body workout in 30 to 60 minutes.  My gym is a 3 minute walk from my front door so I don't have to plan for commuting time.   
4. I've been doing triathlons a long time and one of the reasons I'm still doing it is that I do enjoy training.  I might train more than some of people and less than others.  

Here's what I end up with:

There you have it:  a basic schedule to get you started.  In the next DIY issue, we'll talk about how to set up specific workouts.  Maybe I'll even tackle another DIY project for myself.  I'm pretty handy with a sewing machine and a set of knitting needles so I'm thinking something warm for winter.

NOTE:  Please contact me if you want a copy of the spreadsheets in order to get started. They're pretty simple but if I can save you a step in getting started, let me know and I can share the Google sheet with you.