These Ironman training plans are intended for those triathletes who are doing their Ironman in three months time. It is assumed that you currently have a solid fitness base and therefore able to handle the rigors of these Ironman training plans.
Ironman is as much a mental battle as it is a physical contest. Proper preparation will boost your confidence on race day and train both your body and mind to stay on task for 10, 12, 14 or more hours. It all comes down to planning and executing that plan.
These Ironman training plans are designed to suit three different triathletes with diverse goals. Take the following training plans at face value if you are shooting for a strong age-group finish or an Ironman Hawaii slot. If, however, you are an experienced Ironman triathlete, or alternatively an Ironman rookie, then we have sugested some changes below that you should make to the following Ironman training plans.
Those triathletes who are experienced at racing Ironman distance events who plan to finish strongly – say 11-14 hours for men, 12-15 hours for women – should review the Ironman Veteran training plan notes at the bottom of this page and add the suggested changes into their training plans.
Ironman rookies, for whom finishing is the primary goal, can likewise incorporate into their training plans the suggestions that are found at the bottom of this page.
Ironman Training Plans – Training Zones
It is critical that you do each day’s workout in the training zone indicated.
- Z1 – Lactate threshold minus 15-22%
- Z2 – Lactate threshold minus 9-14%
- Z3 – Lactate threshold minus 4-8%
- Z4 – Lactate threshold plus/minus 3%
- Z5 – Lactate threshold plus 4-8%%
To read more about lactate threshold click here
Click on the following links to view the Ironman training plans or simply scroll down.
Ironman Training Plans – Overview
(Do each day’s workout in the training zone indicated)
| Week | MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT | SUN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | swim Z3-4 | run Z3-4 bike Z1-3 |
bike Z3-4; run Z1 swim Z2-3 |
swim Z4-5 bike or run Z1 |
swim Z3-4 bike Z2 |
run Z2 swim Z2 |
Brick: bike Z2-3 run Z3-4 |
| 2 | swim Z3-4 | run Z3-4 bike Z1-3 |
bike Z3-4; run Z1 swim Z2-3 |
swim Z4-5 bike or run Z1 |
swim Z3-4 bike Z4 |
Brick: bike Z2-3 run Z3-4 |
run Z2 swim Z2 |
| 3 | swim Z3-4 | run Z3-4 bike Z1-3 |
bike Z3-4; run Z1 swim Z2-3 |
swim Z4-5 bike or run Z1 |
swim Z3-4 bike Z4 |
run Z2 swim Z2 |
Brick: bike Z2-3 run Z3-4 |
| Week | MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT | SUN |
| 4 Recovery |
off | swim Z2-3 | bike Z3-4; run Z1 swim Z2-3 |
bike or run Z1 | off | run Z2; run Z2 | Brick: bike Z2-3 run Z3-4 |
| 5 | swim Z3-4 | run Z3-4 bike Z1-3 |
bike Z3-4; run Z1 swim Z2-3 |
swim Z4-5 bike or run Z1 |
swim Z3-4 bike Z4 |
Brick: bike Z2-3 run Z3-4 |
run Z2; swim Z2 run Z2 |
| 6 | swim Z3-4 | run Z3-4 bike Z1-3 |
bike Z3-4; run Z1 swim Z2-3 |
swim Z4-5 bike or run Z1 |
swim Z3-4 bike Z4 |
run Z2; swim Z2 run Z2 |
Brick: bike Z2-3 run Z3-4 |
| Week | MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT | SUN |
| 7 Recovery |
off | swim Z2-3 | bike Z3-4; run Z1 swim Z2-3 |
bike or run Z1 | off | run Z2; run Z2 | Brick: bike Z2-3 run Z3-4 |
| 8 | swim Z3-4 | run Z3-4 bike Z1-3 |
bike Z3-4; run Z1 swim Z2-3 |
swim Z4-5 bike or run Z1 |
swim Z3-4 bike Z4 |
Brick: bike Z2-3 run Z3-4 |
run Z2; swim Z2 run Z2 |
| 9 | swim Z3-4 | run Z3-4 bike Z1-3 |
bike Z3-4; run Z1 swim Z2-3 |
swim Z4-5 bike or run Z1 |
swim Z3-4 bike Z4 |
run Z2; swim Z2 run Z2 |
Brick: bike Z2-3 run Z3-4 |
| Week | MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT | SUN |
| 10 | off | run Z3-4 bike Z1-3 |
bike Z3-4; run Z1 swim Z2-3 |
swim Z4-5 bike or run Z1 |
swim Z3-4 bike Z4 |
run Z2; swim Z2 | Brick: bike Z2-3 run Z3-4 |
| 11 Taper |
off | off | swim Z2; run Z1 | run Z2; bike Z5 | swim Z5; bike Z1 | swim Z3; run Z3 | bike Z3-4 |
| 12 Taper |
swim Z3-4 | swim Z5 bike Z1; run Z1 |
run Z2; bike Z4 | off | swim Z1-2 bike Z1-2 |
RACE | recover |
Ironman Training Plans – Swim Workouts
(Add a 1000 to 1500 meter warm-up plus a cool-down to all main sets.
Week 12 swim workouts should be performed in open water)
| Week | MON (mid-race pace) |
TUE | WED (pull/strength) |
THU (speed) |
FRI (endurance) |
SAT (recovery) |
SUN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 x 100 @ 15 sec rest |
6 x 300 @ 30 sec rest |
20 x 50 @ 20 sec rest |
3 x 800 @ 60 sec rest |
Drills: 10 x 50 @ 20 sec rest |
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| 2 | 10 x 150 @ 20 sec rest |
8 x 250 @ 30 sec rest |
2 x (15 x 25 @ 15 sec rest) |
2 x 1000 @ 90 sec rest |
Drills: 5 x 100 @ 20 sec rest |
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| 3 | 8 x 200 @ 25 sec rest |
5 x 400 @ 30 sec rest |
20 x 50 @ 25 sec rest |
2000 straight | Drills: 10 x 50 @ 20 sec rest |
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| Week | MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT | SUN |
| 4 Recov |
20 x 50 @ 10 sec rest |
1000 straight | |||||
| 5 | 12 x 100 @ 10 sec rest |
8 x 300 @ 30 sec rest |
16 x 50 @ 30 sec rest |
2000 straight | Drills: 10 x 50 @ 20 sec rest |
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| 6 | 10 x 150 @ 15 sec rest |
10 x 250 @ 30 sec rest |
20 x 50 @ 30 sec rest |
1 x 1500 1 x 1000 @ 60 sec rest |
Drills: 5 x 100 @ 20 sec rest |
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| Week | MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT | SUN |
| 7 Recov |
20 x 50 @ 10 sec rest |
2 x 1000 @ 90 sec rest |
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| 8 | 12 x 100 @ 20 sec rest |
6 x 400 @ 20 sec rest |
2 x (15 x 25 @ 20 sec rest) |
3000 straight | Drills: 5 x 100 @ 20 sec rest |
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| 9 | 10 x 150 @ 30 sec rest |
6 x 250 @ 45 sec rest |
20 x 50 @ 30 sec rest |
3 x 800 @ 60 sec rest |
Drills: 10 x 50 @ 20 sec rest |
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| Week | MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT | SUN |
| 10 | 8 x 200 @ 40 sec rest |
4 x 300 @ 60 sec rest |
10 x 50 @ 45 sec rest |
2 x 1000 @ 90 sec rest |
Drills: 5 x 100 @ 20 sec rest |
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| 11 Taper |
8 x 100 @ 60 sec rest (mid-race pace) |
10 x 50 @ 45 sec rest (speed set) |
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| 12 Taper |
6 x 100 @ 20 sec rest |
10 x 25 @ 30 sec rest (speed set) |
6 x 50 @ 20 sec rest (aerobic set) |
RACE | recover |
Ironman Training Plans – Bike Workouts
| Week | MON | TUE (aerobic strength) |
WED (aerobic threshold) |
THU (aerobic recovery) |
FRI (aerobic base) |
SAT (brick) |
SUN (brick) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 hours hilly including 6-8 min overgear hills |
Intervals 4 x 10 min @ 3 min recovery |
60-90 min aerobic | 2 hrs flat including 30 min high cadence |
Ride: 4 hours Run: 30 min |
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| 2 | 3 hours hilly including 6-8 min overgear hills |
Intervals 5 x 8 min @ 3 min recovery |
60-90 min aerobic | 2 hrs flat including 2 x 20 min high cadence |
Ride: 4.5 hours Run: 40 min |
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| 3 | 2.5 hours hilly including 6-8 min overgear hills |
Intervals 5 x 10 min @ 3 min recovery |
60-90 min aerobic | 2 hrs flat including 3 x 15 min high cadence |
Ride: 5 hours Run: 30 min |
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| Week | MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT | SUN |
| 4 Recov |
60-90 min aerobic | Ride: 4 hours Run: 30 min |
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| 5 | 3.5 hours hilly including 4-8 min hills steady |
Intervals 2 x 20 min @ 5 min recovery |
60-90 min aerobic | Intervals 10 x 2 min @ 60 sec recovery |
Ride: 6 hours Run: 30 min |
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| 6 | 3 hours hilly including 4-8 min hills steady |
Intervals 3 x 15 min @ 4 min recovery |
60-90 min aerobic | Intervals 10 x 1:30 @ 45 sec recovery |
Ride: 6 hours Run: 30 min |
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| Week | MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT | SUN |
| 7 Recov |
60-90 min aerobic | Ride: 4.5 hours Run: 40 min |
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| 8 | 3 hours including long steady climb: 30-45 min |
Intervals 4 x 10 min @ 5 min recovery |
60-90 min aerobic | Intervals 10 x 2 min @ 1 min recovery |
Ride: 6 hours Run: 30 min |
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| 9 | 3 hours including long steady climb: 30-45 min |
Intervals 5 x 8 min @ 4 min recovery |
60-90 min aerobic | Intervals 10 x 1:30 @ 60 sec recovery |
Ride: 5.5 hours Run: 40 min |
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| Week | MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT | SUN |
| 10 | 2 hours flatter | Intervals 5 x 5 min @ 2:30 min recovery |
60-90 min aerobic | Ride: 5 hours Run: 40 min |
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| 11 Taper |
Intervals 5 x 5 min @ 2:30 min recovery |
Ride: 2.5 hours (no run) |
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| 12 Taper |
60 min aerobic | Intervals 5 x 2 min @ 60 sec recovery |
20 min aerobic | RACE | recover |
Ironman Training Plans – Run Workouts
(Begin workouts on double-run days six hours apart)
| Week | MON | TUE (aerobic strength) |
WED (aerobic threshold) |
THU (aerobic recovery) |
FRI (aerobic base) |
SAT (brick) |
SUN (brick) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steady state 40 min | Aerobic 45-60 min | Aerobic 20-35 min | Run 1:30 | |||
| 2 | Steady state 50 min | Aerobic 45-60 min | Aerobic 20-35 min | Run 1:45 | |||
| 3 | Steady state 60 min | Aerobic 45-60 min | Aerobic 20-35 min | Run 2 hours | |||
| Week | MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT | SUN |
| 4 Recov |
Aerobic 20-35 min | Aerobic 20-35 min | Run 1:45 run 30 |
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| 5 | Intervals 6 x 5 min @ 2 min recovery |
Aerobic 60-75 min | Aerobic 20-35 min | Run 1:30 run 30 |
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| 6 | Intervals 5 x 6 min @ 2 min recovery |
Aerobic 60-75 min | Aerobic 20-35 min | Run 2:15 run 30 |
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| Week | MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT | SUN |
| 7 Recov |
Aerobic 20-35 min | Aerobic 20-35 min | Run 2:30 run 30 |
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| 8 | Intervals 6 x 5 min @ 2 min recovery |
Aerobic 45-60 min | Aerobic 20-35 min | Run 2 hours | |||
| 9 | Intervals 8 x 3 min @ 1:30 min recovery |
Aerobic 45-60 min | Aerobic 20-35 min | Run 2:30 run 30 |
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| Week | MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT | SUN |
| 10 | Intervals 10 x 2 min @ 60 sec recovery |
Aerobic 45-60 min | Aerobic 20-35 min | Run 2 hours | |||
| 11 Taper |
Aerobic 45-60 min | Aerobic 20-35 min including 4-6 x 30 sec at 10K pace |
Run 45 min steady state | ||||
| 12 Taper |
Aerobic 20-35 min | Aerobic 20-35 min including 4-6 x 30 sec at 10K pace |
RACE | recover |
Ironman Training Plans – Experienced Ironman Triathletes
If you have a couple of Ironmans under your belt and plan to finish strongly, adjust the above Ironman training plans as follows.
| MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY | FRIDAY | SATURDAY / SUNDAY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mondays off | Swin only on weeks 2,4,5,7,8 | No bike/run Thursday | Bike only weeks 1,3,6,9 | Weekend ride add 30 mins to week 2 Weekend ride add 1 hr to weeks 4,7 |
Ironman Training Plans – Rookie Ironman Triathletes
If you’re training for your first Ironman or just want to be able to go the distance, adjust the above Ironman training plans as follows.
| MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY | FRIDAY | SATURDAY / SUNDAY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mondays off | Tuesdays off in weeks 4 & 6 | No swim on Wednesdays | No bike/run Thursdays | No bike on Fridays Swim only weeks 1,2,5,8,10 |
Add 30 mins to week 3 ride Add 60 mins to week 6,8,9 No weekend swims |