12 Week Winter Base Training for Olympic and Long Course Triathletes

A 12 week winter training plan for experienced triathletes that want to race next season. These endurance based weekly workouts will build your aerobic base so that you can race faster and longer.

Contains time, mileage or yardage and pacing intensities for each specific workout.

There is no magic pill you can swallow to be successful at endurance sports. It takes hard work to race fast and be successful. This detailed plan builds in volume through the 12 week program and is designed for athletes with a strong work ethic.

Written by Scott James, an Ultraman World Championship finisher, Masters Swim Coach and University of Oregon Triathlon Club Coach. He has been coaching since 2002 and has had athletes qualify for the Boston Marathon and Ironman Kona.

Scott is a veteran triathlete and has participated in other ultra-distance endurance events.

Example

Week #1

Weekly
Swimming 3600 yards/meters
4 hours
15 miles

Swim #1 1500
300 swim
8 x 50
skate with switch/free
kick/free
8 x 75 rest :15
kick/finger tip drag/free
backstroke flag drill/kick/backstroke
4 x 100 swim, 4th 25 fist swimming

Swim #2 2100
500 swim with 4th 25 backstroke
6 x 100 rest :15 as
50k/25 hand rotation backstroke drill/25 backstroke
all free, with 2nd 25 modern catch up
500 swim, 4th 25 backstroke
5 x 100 free all stroke counting, use the same stroke count per 25

Bike #1
60 min spin

Bike #2
60 min steady effort

Bike #3
2 hours steady effort

Run #1
4 miles steady with rolling hills

Run #2
5 miles steady flats

Run #3
30 min easy

Run #4
4 miles steady effort