About the Triathlon Supreme Program
This Triathlon Supreme Training Program is simply the 8-week Triathlon 1 and Triathlon 2 Training Programs connected in a 16-week version.
At a glance
Author: Hal Higdon Length: 16 Weeks Typical Week: 2 Swim, 2 Bike, 2 Run, 1 Day Off, 2 Strength Longest Workout: 90 minutesHal on his Triathlon Supreme Program
SWIMMING: A simple bathing suit will suffice. No flippers, but you may want to purchase a wet suit to keep you warm if the water is cold. Wet suits also provide a degree of buoyancy that will make swimming easier. Noseplugs and goggles are a necessity. If you live near a lake or the ocean, and it is summer, that may be your best training venue. You can also train effectively in a lap pool, but remember that almost all triathlons are in open water. If you are not a good swimmer (and few runners are), consider engaging a swim coach to teach you how to do the strokes right. I offer some tips on form in my Interactive program. Mainly, you need to swim well enough to get you through this first triathlon leg without drowning, no small feat in itself.
BICYCLING: Biking can be an expensive sport when it comes to equipment. If you don’t care that much about speed, you can pick up a fat-tired bike for a couple of hundred dollars that will carry you to the finish line. High-tech bicycles will get you to that line faster, but they also cost thousands of dollars more. Specially designed pedals, handlebars and wheels also can improve speed, but at a cost. As for training, I suggest you just get out and ride at whatever speed seems comfortable. If you have a fat-tired bike like mine, you can sit up and enjoy the scenery more than the serious cyclists who ride in chains at speeds faster than 20 mph. I designed this program to prepare you for a sprint triathlon, not Ironman, so you might as well enjoy your training, not flagellate yourself.
RUNNING: The simplest of sports, the main equipment needed is a pair of shoes which you also can use for biking. If I am right in assuming that most individuals signing up for this Triathlon Supreme Training Program are runners, you already should have your equipment in place. Plus you should know how to train. Just go out and run at whatever speed seems comfortable. You can save the speedwork for your next 10-K, or if and when you do decide to move up to the next level: an Olympic-distance triathlon.
TRANSITIONS: To avoid wasting time, you need to learn how to do transitions, the period between the swim and the bike and the bike and run where you change clothes and equipment. Doing workouts where you swim first and bike second or bike first and run second will teach you to make smooth transitions. Consider that in a sprint triathlon with short distances, it may be just as easy to bike and run while still in your swimming trunks and wear your running shoes during the bike leg.
Week | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Bike & strength | Run 30 min | Strength & swim | Run 30 min | Rest | Run 30 min | Bike 60 min |
2 | Run 30 min | Strength & swim | Run 30 min | Bike & strength | Rest | Walk 60 min | Run 35 min |
3 | Strength & swim | Run 35 min | Bike 60 min | Run & strength | Rest | Run 40 min | Walk 60 min |
4 | Run 30 min | Strength & swim | Run 30 min | Bike & strength | Rest | Run 45 min | Bike 70 min |
5 | Strength & swim | Run 40 min | Bike & strength | Run 30 min | Rest | Run 50 min | Walk 60 min |
6 | Run 30 min | Strength & swim | Run 30 min | Bike & strength | Rest | Walk 60 min | Bike 80 min |
7 | Strength & swim | Run 45 min | Bike 60 min | Run & strength | Rest | Run 55 min | Walk 60 min |
8 | Run 30 min | Strength & swim |
Run 30 min | Bike & strength | Rest | Run 60 min | Bike 90 min |
9 | Strength | Run 30 min | Bike 45 Strength | Swim 20 Run 25 | Rest | Run 30 min | Swim 30 Run 30 |
10 | Strength | Bike 30 Run 15 | Swim 15 Run 30 | Run 30 Strength | Rest | Run 35 min | Swim 30 Bike 30 |
11 | Strength | Run 35 min | Bike 50 Strength | Swim 30 Run 20 | Rest | Run 40 min | Swim 30 Run 45 |
12 | Strength | Bike 40 Run 10 | Swim 30 Run 15 | Run 30 Strength | Rest | Run 45 min | All 3 90 Min |
13 | Strength | Run 40 min | Bike 30 Strength | Swim 30 Run 25 | Rest | Run 50 min | Swim 30 Run 45 |
14 | Strength | Bike 40 Run 15 | Swim 15 Run 40 | Run 40 Strength | Rest | Run 55 min | Swim 30 Bike 60 |
15 | Strength | Run 45 min | Bike 40 Strength | Swim 30 Run 30 | Rest | Run 60 min | Swim 30 Run 60 |
16 | Strength | Bike 30 Run 30 | Swim 30 Run 30 | Run 30 | Rest | Rest | Triathlon |
Week | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Bike & strength | Run 30 min | Strength & swim | Run 30 min | Rest | Run 30 min | Bike 60 min |
2 | Run 30 min | Strength & swim | Run 30 min | Bike & strength | Rest | Walk 60 min | Run 35 min |
3 | Strength & swim | Run 35 min | Bike 60 min | Run & strength | Rest | Run 40 min | Walk 60 min |
4 | Run 30 min | Strength & swim | Run 30 min | Bike & strength | Rest | Run 45 min | Bike 70 min |
5 | Strength & swim | Run 40 min | Bike & strength | Run 30 min | Rest | Run 50 min | Walk 60 min |
6 | Run 30 min | Strength & swim | Run 30 min | Bike & strength | Rest | Walk 60 min | Bike 80 min |
7 | Strength & swim | Run 45 min | Bike 60 min | Run & strength | Rest | Run 55 min | Walk 60 min |
8 | Run 30 min | Strength & swim |
Run 30 min | Bike & strength | Rest | Run 60 min | Bike 90 min |
9 | Strength | Run 30 min | Bike 45 Strength | Swim 20 Run 25 | Rest | Run 30 min | Swim 30 Run 30 |
10 | Strength | Bike 30 Run 15 | Swim 15 Run 30 | Run 30 Strength | Rest | Run 35 min | Swim 30 Bike 30 |
11 | Strength | Run 35 min | Bike 50 Strength | Swim 30 Run 20 | Rest | Run 40 min | Swim 30 Run 45 |
12 | Strength | Bike 40 Run 10 | Swim 30 Run 15 | Run 30 Strength | Rest | Run 45 min | All 3 90 Min |
13 | Strength | Run 40 min | Bike 30 Strength | Swim 30 Run 25 | Rest | Run 50 min | Swim 30 Run 45 |
14 | Strength | Bike 40 Run 15 | Swim 15 Run 40 | Run 40 Strength | Rest | Run 55 min | Swim 30 Bike 60 |
15 | Strength | Run 45 min | Bike 40 Strength | Swim 30 Run 30 | Rest | Run 60 min | Swim 30 Run 60 |
16 | Strength | Bike 30 Run 30 | Swim 30 Run 30 | Run 30 | Rest | Rest | Triathlon |