NOVICE ATHLETE 24-Week Half Distance Triathlon

NOVICE ATHLETE

24-Week

Half Distance Triathlon

Training

Plan

Description Document

™

brought to you by:

By David Glover, MSE, MS, CSCS

Waiver of Liability

What you are about to undertake is a fitness program. Injuries may occur in any exercise

program, as

with this specific program written by David Glover and ENDURANCEWORKS, LLC. By using this

program, you are waiving any liability to David Glover or ENDURANCEWORKS, LLC. Although this

is a recommended program that has worked for many others, it may not be right for you. It is recom-

mended that you consult a physician before undertaking any new fitness regiment.

mission from the author. Any unauthorized transmission electronic or printed is prohibited.

Please note: IRONMAN®, IRONMAN Triathlon® and IRONMAN 70.3® are registered trademarks of the World

Triathlon Corporation. Any non-race specific references to the word “Ironman” or “iron distance” in this document simply

refer to a triathlon that is the standard length established by the original IRONMAN race in Hawaii (2.4-mile swim, 112-

mile bike and 26.2-mile run).

ENDURANCEWORKS, LLC

Website: enduranceworks.com

e-mail: [email protected]

Congratulations for taking on the challenge of a Half IRONMAN

distance triathlon — an event like

no other half day physical challenge in sport — a 70.3-mile swim, bike and run odyssey!

Racing a Half Ironman distance triathlon is your personal challenge. No matter if your goal is the win

or simply to finish, training successfully requires motivation, discipline and the proper training plan to

give you the ability and the confidence to succeed.

I want to help make your training and racing experiences the best possible as I share the lessons

learned, best practices and expert knowledge that I’ve accumulated from more than 15 years of tri-

athlon racing (including 28 Ironman distance and dozens of half Ironman distance finishes) and from

coaching hundreds of athletes to consistently succeed.

Over the years, I’ve learned how to plan my training efficiently, how to balance my time and life

effectively, how to execute better on race day, both physically and mentally, and how to consistently

achieve top end results year after year.

I share this knowledge and experience with the athletes I coach, and in this Half Distance Triathlon

Training Plan and with the accompanying Triathlon Training Plan Guide I’ll share what I know with

you and give you the tools you need to succeed in your race...beyond what you knew you could do.

All you need now is the motivation and the

desire.

Good luck and happy training,

David B. Glover, MSE, MS, CSCS

Elite Athlete, Author and Coach

Introduction

The ability to conquer oneself

is no doubt the most precious of

all things sports bestows on us.

— Olga Korbut, Olympic Gold Medal Gymnast

— David Glover

Attitudes influence outcomes.

Positive attitudes drive positive

outcomes.

— Douglas Malloch

Never became a forest king

But lived and died a scrubby thing…

Good timber does not grow with ease,

The stronger wind, the stronger trees.

— Aristotle

Excellence is not a singular act

but a habit. You are what you

repeatedly do.

— Arthur Ashe

You are never really playing

an opponent. You are playing

yourself.

— Lance Armstrong

You wouldn’t hunt without a

weapon. So, why would you train

without a heart rate monitor?

— Knute Rockne,

former Notre Dame football coach

Build your weaknesses until

they become your strengths.

— Edmund Hillary,

first man to climb Mt. Everest

It’s not the mountain we

conquer, but ourselves.

— David Glover

Pick your goals based on your

own performance, not the

performance of others. You

have no control over anyone

except yourself.

— Paul William “Bear” Bryant

It’s not the will to win but the

will to prepare to win that

makes the difference.

— Olaf Sabatschus,

pro German triathlete

Train hard, rest harder,

race hardest...!

Plan Objective

The objective of this training plan is to provide the NOVICE AGE GROUP triathlete with a structured

and periodized plan to successfully prepare for a half Ironman distance triathlon (1.2-mile swim /

56-mile bike / 13.1-mile run).

Plan Overview

The training plan progresses from 6 up to 13.5 hours (peak) of training per week (including strength

training) prior to tapering and breaks down the 24-week training schedule into the following periods:

A “typical” week during a Base Period looks like:

Within your plan, I adjust the frequency, intensity and duration of the workouts each week in order

to meet the desired objectives for that training period. Level of intensity is given in order to stimulate

desired training adaptations and maximize training time while minimizing risk of overtraining, burnout

and injury. Training intensity can be measured by a variety of methods including rate of perceived effort

(RPE) — i.e. how you “feel” — and a heart rate monitor. I recommend using a heart rate

monitor in combination with RPE. You will be given field tests in your plan to determine

your individual intensity training zones for swimming, biking and running. Your plan also

WEEKS PERIOD MAX WEEK HOURS

1–6 Prep 5.5

7–10 Base 1 9

11–14 Base 2 11

15–18 Base 3 12

19–21 Build 13.5

22–23 Peak/Taper 12

24 Race 4

DAY WORKOUT

Monday O Day

Tuesday Swim / Bike

Wednesday Run / Strength

ursday Swim / Bike

Friday Swim / Run

Saturday Long Bike / BRICK

Sunday Long Run / Strength

Plan Overview (continued)

includes a downloadable comprehensive 40+ page training guide with detailed instructions

on how to use your plan as well as guidelines for making schedule adjustments, race week

planning, nutrition and hydration.

Athlete Requirements

You should be able to complete the following workouts prior to beginning the plan:

• Swim: 250 meters or yards continuously

• Bike: 60 minutes

• Run: 40 minutes (run/walk)

About the Author

David B. Glover, MSE, MS, CSCS

Author of Full Time & Sub-Nine: Fitting Iron Distance

Training into Everyday Life, David Glover is certified as

a coach by IRONMAN Triathlon, TrainingPeaks, USA

Triathlon and USA Cycling and has the prestigious

CSCS certification from the National Strength and

Conditioning Association. David enjoys working

with a full range of triathletes from first timers to

experienced veterans qualifying for the IRONMAN

World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.

A triathlete since 1995, David has completed more

than 100 triathlons including twenty-eight IRONMAN

distance races. His Ironman distance accomplishments

include qualifying for the IRONMAN World

Championship in Hawaii multiple times, achieving

a personal best time of 8:51 and winning five races

overall including winning the Vineman Full twice.

David raced professionally from 2007–2009 and is a

7x USA Triathlon All-American. He was inducted into

the Vineman Hall of Fame in 2007.

David has his BS (Computer Science) from the U.S. Naval Academy, MSE (Engineering Management)

from Catholic University and an MS (Exercise Physiology) from Eastern Michigan University. In

addition to writing regulary in his blog (davidbglover.com), David also writes for both online and

print magazines and organizations.

For more information about ENDURANCEWORKS, LLC, please visit: enduranceworks.com.