July 21, 2024
On September 1, 2024, I want to do my first Olympic Triathlon, which consists of 1.5km swimming, 40km cycling, and 10km running. I've already completed the Sprint distance (750m swimming, 20km cycling, and 5km running) twice, but I've never done the Olympic distance. It's time to change that!
When it comes to endurance sports, I have a solid foundation, but I'm still far off where I would like to be on race day. In the last couple of weeks, I have done an endurance-focused training block and taken swimming lessons. However, I have yet to do any triathlon-specific training. I will be training specifically for a triathlon in the next ten weeks, starting on June 24, 2024.
There are three main building blocks of my training plan:
| Day | Activity |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Swim (zone 2/aerobic) |
| Day 2 | Strength |
| Day 3 | Bike (zone 2/aerobic) |
| Day 4 | Swim (technique/race pace) |
| Day 5 | Strength |
| Day 6 | Bike + Run (race pace) |
| Day 7 | Run (zone 2/aerobic) |
| +3 optional short morning runs (race pace or faster) |
My training plan mainly includes strength training to avoid training only cardio and add variety. In addition, deadlifts and squats have been proven to help endurance athletes perform better. During my triathlon-specific training, I'll reduce my strength training to a 3-5 sets of 3-5 reps of 80%-95% of my one-rep max for three exercises only: deadlift, squat, and bench press. I do strength training twice a week.
I'll dedicate three days per week to zone 2/aerobic training (one day per discipline). Those easy runs/swims/rides should feel like little work. Zone 2, or aerobic work, is fundamental in increasing the base speed, pushing lactate thresholds up, and increasing the overall endurance. The good news is that training in that zone feels easy and fun. The bad news is that it takes a lot of volume and, with that, time. But hey, why not pop in an audiobook or a good podcast and zone out during the long runs or rides?
The rest of the workouts will be high-intensity training. Those challenging runs/swims/rides should feel like work I want to avoid. (Wait, what?! Why?!) I'll include one swim at a higher pace mixed with technique work (breathing, strokes, etc.) and one brick workout at a race pace, where I combine cycling with running. These two additional high-intensity workouts and all the other sessions already add up to 7 workouts. If I have the energy and am well rested, I'll add a maximum of 3 short but high-intensity runs where I do sprints, hill training, etc. But only if I feel ready to do so.
There are no rest days in my training plan. Knowing that I want to avoid beating myself up too much if I miss a session here or there. That's OK. However, I believe the mix of disciplines will make it possible to stick to the plan in the next ten weeks. I'd aim high and miss a few sessions rather than not give my best.
I'll include two weeks with lighter workouts and some rest days as I'll be on vacation for 2 of the next ten weeks. I'll use those weeks, plus the last week before the triathlon, to give my body more rest and balance things out a bit.
I plan to start light and gradually increase the intensity of my training. I'll start with 30 minutes for the swim sessions, 1 hour for the run and bike sessions, and a 20km ride + 5km run for the brick workout. Week by week, I want to increase the time I spend training and the distance I run/bike/swim. I want to keep the 3-5 sets of 3-5 reps for the strength training and stick to my calculated one-rep max throughout the whole training plan.
I aim to consume 1-2g of protein per kilogram of body weight daily and plan to reduce my caloric intake by 500 kcal per day for the first two-thirds of the training program to achieve a slightly lighter weight for the race. Other than that, I don't have anything specific planned. Carb loading should be fun to try. I'll review the concept a few weeks before the race and judge if it makes sense.
Let's get to it!
Starting triathlon training last week was challenging due to a heavy workload and numerous social events. Despite this, I completed the seven planned workouts and one additional bonus session. The training load felt good, but I recogniz the need to prioritize my available time better to ensure I'll have enough time for all planned training sessions in the future.
| Workout | Details |
|---|---|
| Strength | Completed my two planned sessions |
| Swim | Swam for 1 hour and 6 minutes |
| Run | Covered 22km (including one optional short tempo run!) |
| Ride | Logged 54km on the bike |
The highlight of the week was doing my first brick workout, which was challenging but rewarding. I rode 20km in 38 minutes, completed the 5km run in around 26 minutes, and had about 4 minutes of transition time in between.
Being invited to three (sic!) BBQs in one week made sticking to a caloric deficit impossible. In the end, I had a caloric surplus of 71 kcal per day instead of a caloric deficit of around 500 kcal as planned. Oops. The BBQs were all delicious, though.No regrets!
Next week, I'll try to increase the zone 2/aerobic sessions and want to squeeze in two optional runs instead of one.
The second week of training is in the books. I've completed all planned workouts and one additional relaxed swim session.
| Workout | Details | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | Two sessions | ±0% |
| Swim | 1 hour and 27 minutes | +32% |
| Run | 22km | ±0% |
| Ride | 70km | +30% |
The second week felt great. I've slightly increased the swim and ride times, and my second brick session (24km ride + 5km run) felt much better than the first one. But as I did the brick again at tempo pace, it was still very tough.
Swimming with and without the wetsuit feels more and more natural to me. I've always been a good swimmer, but a few weeks ago, I couldn't swim 25m freestyle, and in the last few days, I have felt real progress when it comes to swimming freestyle.
I ate less than I needed and was in a slight caloric deficit of around 300kcal per day. Eating less than I burn is not the highest priority; if it works out that way, while I still have enough energy, great; if not, it's not a big deal, and I eat more. Overall, this week, the slight caloric deficit worked out well.
The optional short runs are challenging to do in the morning as I have difficulty going to bed that early. But they are optional. As long as I finish the rest of the plan, I'm OK with skipping them.
I couldn't do three planned sessions last week: I missed the brick run and my two strength training sessions. The week was busy, and on the weekend, my wife and I spent time at Lake Atter relaxing and celebrating our seventh wedding anniversary. As I said when I laid out my training plan, I don't want to be too hard on myself if I miss a session here or there. It's time to put my money where my mouth is. But oh, boy, is it hard. Being ambitious and goal-driven, I struggle with this. I need to remind myself that I'm not a robot and that life is much more important than checking every box of my training plan.
| Workout | Details | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | No sessions | -100% |
| Swim | 1 hour and 32 minutes | +4% |
| Run | 23km | +5% |
| Ride | 46km | -34% |
random.rest
The highlight of my week was swimming the 1,500m, the required distance for the race, in 34 minutes (2:16 /100m).
I ate at a calculated caloric deficit of around 300 kcal again. A 300 kcal deficit seems to be my sweet spot right now. It's easy to achieve and still enough to keep me from going to bed hungry.
Last week, I missed one of the two biking sessions. This week, I want to make sure to spend more time on the bike, as I'll be on vacation the next week. During my vacation, I'll be able to swim and run, but I won't be able to jump on the bike.
I spent most of my time training on the bike. In addition to over 120km riding, I've done two strength training sessions and two short additional workouts (a swim and a run). Saturday and Sunday were travel days, so I did not do any workouts on those two days.
| Workout | Details | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | Two sessions | +∞% |
| Swim | 8 minutes | -91% |
| Run | 8km | -65% |
| Ride | 121km | +163% |
random.rest
Based on the calculation from the previous weeks, I ate more or less what my body needed, so I didn't end up with a caloric deficit last week.
I'll be on vacation this week. Of course, I want to run and maybe swim, but I planned the week as a recovery week.
As I was on vacation, I spent most of my time relaxing and enjoying the vacation. I did run a few times and did some strength training, but I did not do any swims or bike rides.
| Workout | Details | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | Two sessions | ±0% |
| Swim | 0 minutes | -100% |
| Run | 39km | +387% |
| Ride | 0km | -100% |
random.rest
I ate more or less what my body needed, so I didn't end up with a caloric deficit last week.
I'm still on vacation until Wednesday and have limited chances to do workouts. Saturday and Sunday will be vacation days again, so I only have Thursday and Friday for workouts.
As last week was my second vacation week, I struggled to keep up with my training plan. I couldn't do both my strength workouts, and I did only one short swim session. In addition, I only did the bare minimum of running.
The highlight of the week was another brick workout. I rode 32km in an hour and ran 5km in under 24 minutes right after. The ride felt good, and I felt that I had finally improved my running.
| Workout | Details | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | One session | -50% |
| Swim | 32 minutes | +∞% |
| Run | 12km | -69% |
| Ride | 72km | +∞% |
random.rest
Again, I ate more or less what my body needed, so I didn't end up with a caloric deficit.
I was sick more or less the entire week. I wasn't able to do a single workout.
| Workout | Details | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | No sessions | -100% |
| Swim | 0 minutes | -100% |
| Run | 0km | -100% |
| Ride | 0km | -100% |
random.rest
Last week, I managed to stick to the diet plan again, except for one day when I didn't care as I was at a friend's bachelor party.
Being sick sucks. It sucks even more if you can't stick to the training plan you want to follow, and the planned triathlon is coming closer and closer. I'll need to pick it up this week as I feel much better and ready to be out on the road or in the pool again.
Coming back to training after a week off was a great feeling. However, I felt I missed a lot of progress I could have made last week.
| Workout | Details | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | One session | +∞% |
| Swim | 1 hour and 22 minutes | +∞% |
| Run | 16km | +∞% |
| Ride | 90km | +∞% |
random.rest
Last week, I ate around maintenance. It feels like too much effort to reduce caloric intake currently.
Being back on the road and in the water feels great. I'd like to train much more before the race, as with a few days to go, I'm still leaving a lot of potential on the table. On the other hand, I'm also considering moving the race date, as I might have a scheduling conflict. Doing the race a few days earlier would give me even less training time but could help avoid potential date collisions.
I spent most of last week with my family in Carinthia. As Lake Wörth was only a few steps away, I swam a lot and did a few runs early morning or late at night when the temperature was bearable.
| Workout | Details | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | No sessions | -100% |
| Swim | 3 hours | +105% |
| Run | 27.5km | +71% |
| Ride | 23.5km | -74% |
random.rest
Last week, I continued to eat around maintenance.
Swimming was great, and I started feeling much more comfortable in the water.
Initially, I wanted to do the triathlon early last week. However, my shoulder started to throb after the intense swimming the week before. I still wanted to give it a shot on Monday, but I didn't find my rhythm in the water, and as I went out of the 1.5km swim, both legs cramped up. I had to abort the race.
This painful experience indicated that I needed to take my injuries more seriously. Last week, I went to the doctor to check up on my shoulder. It turned out not to be a severe injury, but I was told to take it easy for a few days and to avoid swimming, which I did.
| Workout | Details | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | No sessions | ±0% |
| Swim | 1 hour | -66% |
| Run | 6km | -78% |
| Ride | 22km | -6% |
random.rest
Again, I continued to eat around maintenance.
I'm really frustrated that I couldn't do the triathlon. I'll try to do it in the next few days.
Yesterday, I completed the triathlon in 2 hours and 54 minutes.
| Discipline | Distance | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Swim | 1.5km | 33 minutes |
| T1 | - | 3 minutes |
| Ride | 40km | 1 hour and 18 minutes |
| T2 | - | 1 minute |
| Run | 10km | 59 minutes |
Ultimately, I didn't manage to break the 2-hour and 45-minute mark. The swim went smoothly. However, going out of the water, a small cramp, made the start of the bike ride very uncomfortable. Winds on the bike course also slowed me down, and I was 1-2km/h slower than I expected. Finally, the run was more challenging than I anticipated. Luckily, the cramps stopped at some point during the bike race, but the heat and the exhaustion from the two disciplines before the run made me much slower than I wished I was.
The last paragraph might sound negative, but nonetheless, I'm stoked that I did the Olympic distance in a respectable time. Doing a triathlon on my own was an exciting experience. However, staying motivated during the race was a challenge. If I do another one, I'll likely do a race with other people.