Twelve-Week Super-Sprint Triathlon Schedule
(Supplied by Triathlete’s World Magazine)

This is a 12 week Super Sprint triathlon training programme that for anyone doing the Lido triathlon would start on 11th June 2012. However you should start your training then but be building up from now with regular runs and bike rides. Swimming would obviously good too but with the Lido opening on 21st April this can wait for a while longer. Using the lido is a great training tool as it is a 50m pool which although the overall distance is not that daunting a 50m pool can appear overly large if you’re not used to it.

Where the plan refers to a session code e.g. Swim session A please refer to Appendices A (swim), B (bike) and C (run) at the end of this document for details.

Week 1

Monday Rest

Tuesday Swim session A

Wednesday Run session: 5-minute warm-up jog, 4 x (1-minute jog, 2-minute run),

3-minute cool-down jog

Thursday Bike session: 5-minute warm-up cycle, 5 x (20 seconds fast cycling @ 100+revolutions per minute (rpm), 40 seconds recovery), 5 x (20 seconds harder gear, 40 seconds recovery), 10-minute recovery easy cycle

Friday Swim session B

Saturday Run session: 5-minute warm-up jog, 3 x (2-minute run, 1-minute jog, 30 seconds walk), 2 x (60 seconds faster, than running pace, 30 seconds recovery walk), 5-minute cool-down jog to walk and stretch

Sunday Bike session: 10-minute warm-up cycle, 4 x (25 seconds fast cycling – no faster than 110rpm – 35 seconds recovery), 4 x (20 sections hard gear/resistance, 40 seconds recovery), 4 x (10-20 seconds standing as you pedal, 30-40 seconds recovery), 10-minute recovery easy cycle

Week 2

Monday Rest or light stretching

Tuesday Swim session C

Wednesday Run session: 5-minute warm-up jog, 4 x (1.5-minute jog, 2.5-minute run), 5-minute cool-down jog, then walk and stretch

Thursday Bike session A

Friday Swim session D

Saturday Run session B

Sunday Bike session B; Swim session E

Week 3

Monday Run session A

Tuesday Swim session F

Wednesday Run session: 5-minute warm-up, 5-minute jog, 10-minute run, 5-minute cool-down jog, then walk and stretch

Thursday Bike session C

Friday Swim session G

Saturday Run session C

Sunday Bike session D; Swim session E

Week 4

Monday Rest or stretch

Tuesday Swim session C

Wednesday Run session: 5-minute warm-up jog, 4 x (1-minute jog, 2-minute run), 3-minute cool-down jog

Thursday Bike session: 5-minute warm-up cycle, 7 x (20 seconds fast cycling @ 100+rpm,

40 seconds recovery), 7 x (20 seconds harder gear, 40 seconds recovery), 10-minute recovery easy cycle

Friday Swim session H

Saturday Run session D

Sunday Bike session E

Week 5

Monday Swim session A; Run session: 20-minute recovery jog with D&S and long stretch

Tuesday Brick session: Bike session A followed by 10-minute run

Wednesday Run session C

Thursday Bike session B

Friday Swim session F

Saturday Run session D

Sunday Bike session: 40-minute cycle @ 100rpm on the flat and 70rpm on hills; Swim session G

Week 6

Monday Rest day

Tuesday Swim session B; Run session: 15-minute recovery jog with D&S and long stretch

Wednesday Run session B

Thursday Brick session: Bike session D followed by 10-minute run

Friday Swim session D

Saturday Run session D; Swim session G

Sunday Brick session: 45-minute cycle @ 100rpm on the flat and 70rpm on hills, followed by 10-minute run

Week 7

Monday Swim session G; Run session: 20-minute recovery jog with D&S & long stretch

Tuesday Brick session: 20-minute spin on the bike followed by 10-minute run

Wednesday Run session C: Swim session A

Thursday Bike session B

Friday Swim session B

Saturday Run session D

Sunday Brick session: 50-minute cycle @ 100rpm on the flat and 70rpm on hills, followed by 15-minute run; Swim session F

Week 8

Monday Rest day

Tuesday Swim session A; Run session: 15-minute recovery jog with D&S and long stretch

Wednesday Run session B

Thursday Brick session: Bike session D followed by 12-minute run

Friday Swim session B

Saturday Run session D; Swim session A

Sunday Bike session: 30-minute cycle @ 100rpm on the flat and 70rpm on hills

Week 9

Monday Swim session D; Run session: 15-minute recovery jog with D&S & long stretch

Tuesday Brick session: 20-minute cycle followed by 10-minute run

Wednesday Run session C; Swim session F

Thursday Rest day

Friday Swim session D

Saturday Run session D

Sunday Bike session: 35-minute cycle @ 100rpm on the flat and 70rpm on hills; Swim session G

Week 10

Monday Rest day

Tuesday Swim session F; Run session: 15-minute recovery jog with D&S and long stretch

Wednesday Run session B

Thursday Brick session: Bike session C followed by 12-minute run

Friday Swim session B

Saturday Run session D

Swim session D

Sunday Bike session: 45-minute cycle @ 100rpm on the flat and 70rpm on hills

Week 11

Monday Rest day

Tuesday Swim session D; Bike session A

Wednesday Brick session: Bike session D followed by 10-minute run

Thursday Run session C

Friday Swim session F

Saturday Brick session: 50-minute cycle @ 100rpm on flat and 70rpm on hills, followed by 10-minute run

Sunday Run session C; Swim session G

Week 12

Monday Swim session D; Brick session: 25-minute cycle followed by 7-minute run

Tuesday Swim session A

Wednesday Bike session C

Thursday Run session A

Friday Run session: 10-minute recovery jog with D&S and long stretch; Swim session G

Saturday Rest day and stretch; Visit the race course if possible

Sunday 10-minute warm-up jog; Super-sprint triathlon; 10-minute warm-down and stretch

Appendix A - Swim sessions:

Swim session A

100m easy warm-up (using

your choice of stroke)

8 x 25m front crawl (15 seconds rest)

4 x 50m (as 25m backstroke or breaststroke, followed by 25m front crawl, with 15 seconds rest)

2 x 50m front crawl (hard, with

40 seconds rest)

2 x 50m kick (15 seconds rest with

or without a kickboard)

100m cool-down (stretch out

your stroke)

Total: 800m

Swim session B

150m warm-up front crawl, including last 50m using a pull buoy

10 x 25m front crawl (build half

of the length working fast, half easy, followed by 20 seconds rest)

2 x 50m (as 25m breaststroke, then 25m front crawl, followed by 10 seconds rest)

4 x 50m (as 25m backstroke, then 25m front crawl, followed by 15 seconds rest)

100m front crawl (hard)

100m kick (with or without a kickboard)

100m cool-down (easy pace with your choice of stroke)

Total: 1000m

Swim session C

100m easy warm-up (using

your choice of stroke)

4 x 25m front crawl (15 seconds rest, build pace from 5-6.5 RPE)

4 x 50m (as 25m backstroke, followed by 25m front crawl, followed by 15 seconds rest)

8 x 50m front crawl, followed by

30 seconds rest (build pace from

7.5-9 RPE)

100m kick (with or without a kickboard)

100m cool-down (aim to stretch

out your stroke)

Total: 1000m

Swim session D

300m warm-up comprised of 100m front crawl, 100m pull, 100m kick (build pace from 4-5 RPE)

8 x 50m front crawl: build first 25m stretching out stroke, then second

25m hard pace (7.5 RPE), followed by

15 seconds rest

2 x 100m as 50m breaststroke, then 50m backstroke followed, by 15 seconds rest (6.5 RPE)

4 x 100m front crawl followed by

30 seconds rest (build pace from

7.5-8 RPE)

200m cool-down (easy pace with

your choice of stroke)

Total: 1500m

Swim session E

200m warm-up (5 RPE), including 2 drills and different strokes

8 x 50m (6 RPE)

4 x 100m (6.5 RPE)

1 x 200m (6.5 RPE)

8 x 25m, alternate front crawl

for one length with kicking for

one length

Total 1400m

Swim session F

100m easy warm-up (using

your choice of stroke)

8 x 25m front crawl, 15 seconds rest (build pace from 5-6.5 RPE)

4 x 50m drills (select 2 drills)

8 x 50m front crawl, followed by

30 seconds rest (build pace from

7.5-9 RPE)

200m cool-down (alternate 50m

kick with 50m front crawl – stretch

out your stroke)

Total: 1100m

Swim session G

300m warm-up of 100m front crawl, 100m pull, 100m kick (build pace from 4-5 RPE)

8 x 50m front crawl: build first 25m stretching out stroke then second 25m hard pace (7.5 RPE), followed by 15 seconds rest

300m drills (select 2 drills to alternate)

4 x 100m front crawl with 30 seconds rest (build pace from 7.5-8 RPE)

200m cool-down (easy pace with

your choice of stroke)

Total: 1600m

Swim session H

200m warm-up front crawl, including the last 50m using a pull-buoy

10 x 25m front crawl (build half of the length working fast, half easy with 20 seconds rest)

2 x 50m front crawl

4 x 50m (as 25m backstroke then 25m front crawl, followed by

15 seconds rest)

100m front crawl (hard)

100m kick (with or

without a kickboard)

100m cool-down (easy

pace with your choice

of stroke)

Total: 1050m

Appendix B - Bike Sessions

Bike session A

10-minute warm-up cycle (build pace from 3-5 RPE)

5 x (40-second cycle @ 80-110+rpm (build pace from 6-7RPE),

20 seconds recovery)

5 x (40 seconds in a harder gear or climbing @ 60-80rpm (build pace from 6-7 RPE), 20 seconds recovery)

10-minute recovery easy cycle

Bike session B

40-minute cycle building pace

from 4-6.5 RPE

Bike session C

10-minute warm-up cycle

(build pace from 3-5 RPE)

6 x 1-minute cycle

5-minute cycle (7 RPE)

10-minute recovery easy cycle

Bike session D

5-minute warm-up (4 RPE)

15-minute cycle (build pace

from 4-6.5 RPE)

20-minute cycle (6.5 RPE)

10-minute warm-down cycle @ 110rpm

Bike session E

10-minute warm-up cycle @ 90rpm

10-minute cycle (build pace from

6-7.5 RPE)

10-minute recovery cycle @ 100+rpm

Add 5 minutes each time you ride this session but stop at one hour

Appendix C - Running sessions

Running session A

15-minute recovery run, building pace from 3.5-4 RPE

Running session B

10-minute warm-up jog,

plus stretching

3 x (2-minute run (7 RPE),

1-minute jog)

3 x (1-minute run (7.5 RPE),

1-minute recovery jog)

6-minute cool-down jog to walk

and stretch

Running session C

10-minute warm-up plus stretching

5-minute run (build pace from 6-7 RPE )

5-minute run (7.5 RPE), 1-minute recovery jog

15-minute cool-down jog (4 RPE)

plus stretching

Running session D

5-minute warm-up jog

20-minute run (build pace from

6-6.5 RPE)

5-minute cool-down jog to walk

and stretch

Add 5 minutes to the main set every time you run this session