1. sports
2. running and jogging

TriAthy - 6 Weeks to Try
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Week
3
11 May - 17 May
This is a training schedule specifically designed to
encourage and help people who are ready to step up to
the challenge of their first triathlon. It is tailored to suit
people who have never taken part in a triathlon and who
have a modest base fitness. !
We understand that some users of this training schedule
may have already successfully participated in short
distance running races. Others perhaps are accomplished
cyclists or swimmers. Our suggestion is, if you have
fitness in any one of these sports, then feel free to modify
the intensity of the relevant training session to suit your
own ability. Please be careful not to push too hard, as you
still have three disciplines to conquer for race day!
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This schedule will help prepare you for our short-course
TryAthy Race on 30th May. We hope that you enjoy using
it and have fun along the way! !
Important
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It is strongly recommended that you consult with a GP to establish that you are physically and medically able
to undertake this “TriAthy - 6 Weeks to Try” training schedule. This schedule is provided in good faith and is
based on widely accepted training principles. Please note you use this schedule at your own risk and TriAthy
Ltd accepts no responsibility whatsoever for any injuries, loss or accidents that may occur in relation hereto.
Monday
Rest Day
• As you are new to the sport of triathlon, it is worthwhile having an initial think about what gear you will
need for your first event. While there is a boundless array of items targeted at triathletes, swimmers,
runners and cyclists, for your first race your concern should only be with the essentials. This week, focus
on what you are going to need for the swim section.
• TryAthy is an open-water swim, which in Ireland means a wetsuit only swim. Wetsuits are neoprene suits
that keep your body warm in water, and also provide additional buoyancy. This is great news, particularly
for the beginner triathlete as the wetsuit will not only act to improve your buoyancy in the water, it also
raises your swim position relative to swimming at the pool in a bathing suit – and this raised position
makes your swim stroke more efficient.
• Your wetsuit must fit you ‘snug’; too tight and you will be uncomfortable and even restricted in your arm
and leg movements; too loose and you will accumulate water within the suit, which will slow you down. It
is therefore a very good idea to visit a store and try on some sizes; or to ask a triathlete with a similar body
shape to yours if you can try their wetsuit. Simply ordering something straight off a website is a risky
endeavour – you may end up with an ill-fitting suit that you cannot (easily) return.
• Wetsuits can cause uncomfortable ‘friction burns’ where they come into contact with skin. It is worthwhile
buying a lubricant (such as BodyGlide) along with your wetsuit and applying it around your neck and
under your arms. Please check that the lubricant you buy is compatible with the suit …
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Monday...continued
Rest Day
• ….some petroleum jelly type products can degrade neoprene.
• In addition to a wetsuit, you will need a good pair of goggles. NOTE: Your swim cap will be provided by
us. We will give it to you at Registration in Athy (for safety reasons, you must wear the swim cap
provided).
• We will email our EVENT INFORMATION GUIDE in a few weeks. It will contain all of the information
that you will require for race day, including registration times & location, maps, race starting times,
parking & changing facilities etc. So please take a few minutes to read it carefully!
Tuesday
Bike 12km or 45 minutes in total
• For the session this week, you should find a new course. You will notice that the session is focussed on
distance of 12km. 12km is about 80% of the distance you will be covering on Race day, so this session is
about getting a feel for what is involved distance-wise at TryAthy. See if you can find a local route that
offers 6km on a straight / near-straight road. The idea will be to cycle out 6km and back 6km, mimicking
the race route in Athy. (If you have a choice of routes, it is worthwhile facing into any wind on the way
out).
• To get the distance right, use either a bike computer on your bike as you go, or if you do not have access
to one, drive half the distance by car in advance of the session, and note where you will turn around
(Google maps is also very useful for planning routes in this way).
• Bring a drink with you, and also note the time you start the session. If you reach 22 minutes before the
6km mark, you should turn around and head for home; a 45 minute session is a long workout at this
stage. If you are to complete the training sessions for the rest of the week, you do not want to push your
endurance beyond this range.
Wednesday
Run 20 min (Jog, run/walk)
• Week 3 is underway, and with more than 10 training sessions under your belt, you can be proud of your
work to date. Already your fitness is improving, and this week is about consolidating your gains. For this
run session, you will be working out for 20 minutes, so you might need a slightly longer course than last
week.
• Next week you will be coming back to this same route, so make sure and choose something that is easy
to access.
• For this session, your approach will be the same – jog, or run/walk as you feel you are able to. After you
have warmed up by gradually upping your pace from a walk to a comfortable level, start your run and if
you need to stop, take a mental note of the place where you stopped to walk, or where you needed to
slow the pace. Finish out the run as last time, making sure to keep moving for the full session.
SwimAthy 24th May
Don’t forget to book your
place.Warm-up, fun event to
help you quench your nerves.
www.swimathy.com
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T
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FRIE
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How to Transition:
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T1: Swim to Bike: Exit the water. Peel off wetsuit. Shoes on.
Tshirt on - if no tshirt; then number belt on.
Helmet on. Get your bike and follow the oneway system to the exit line to the bike route.
No cycling is permitted in transition so you
mount your bike at the exit line or beyond.
Tip: set the bike in an easy gear to get away.
Nothing is worse than suddenly finding you're
in top gear as you try to turn those pedals!
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T2: Bike to Run:
Rack your bike back where you got it.
Remove your helmet. Change out of bike
shoes and into running shoes. Follow the oneway system out to the run route.
Thursday
Swim 25 mins (total time, including breaks)
• With two weeks swimming done you will have a good sense of your current level of endurance in the pool,
i.e. how many lengths you can cover without stopping. For this session, you will be aiming to repeat this
number of lengths, with a recovery between repeats. • So, thinking about your last two weeks in the pool, pick the number of lengths you feel you can
comfortably do without stopping, this could be a single lap, it could be 4 lengths, or it could be more –
each person will be different. !
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• Then, based on this number, plan to take a complete rest at the end of the pool according to the numbers
below:
• 1-2 lengths – 1 minute break (more if required)
• 3-4 lengths – 90 second break
• More than 4 lengths – 2 minute break
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• Repeat the swims / recovery as many times as you can in 25 minutes. After each recovery, you should
feel refreshed, your heartbeat should feel normal (not elevated), and you should have confidence that you
will be able to swim the next interval without stopping (if you do not feel like this, extend the break time
until you feel ready to repeat). !
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• Overall, do not exceed 25 minutes in the pool between swimming and recovery.
Friday
Rest Day
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• The theme for this rest day is support. Support from your friends, support from your family. Let’s face it,
triathlon is a difficult sport, it is a sport that takes up time on a daily basis, and unless you can rely on the
support of your loved ones, you would find it difficult to make the commitment it requires. !
• Support is also important on race day, and when you cross the finish line for your first triathlon, the people
who support you deserve to share it with you. So, how about you put the feelers out now and ask them to
join you in Athy on Saturday 2 June? They will be able to watch your swim and each transition, and will
be able to see you cross the finish line, all without moving from the main spectators location in Emily
Square. Their shouts and roars – and the anticipation of seeing them at the finish – will power you forward
through your race.
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Saturday
Cycle / Run Brick Session !
• One of the things you will discover about triathlon is a strange ‘jelly-leg’ feeling you get as you start the
run section of your race. This is something all triathletes experience, and is something that usually
disappears after the first kilometre or so.
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• It is always a good idea to practice this transition in training, not only so that your body can better deal
with the phenomenon, but also so that you are not completely surprised on race day.
• So for this session, you will cycle for 15 minutes, and then dismount your bike and run for 8-10 minutes. The length of the run is not that important here – you have a long run in the plan for tomorrow – what is
important is that you feel the run in your legs after the cycle. An ideal location for this session is a park
setting, somewhere with a quiet road or path that you can use to cycle / run short laps.
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• During the cycle leg, spend 8 minutes gently warming up – keep the pace low, spinning the pedals in an
easy gear, gradually raising your effort and heart rate. For the next five minute section, consciously push
the pace – not to an all-out effort, but to a level that you feel you could sustain for 15 minutes. For the
last 2 minutes of the session, change to an easier gear, but keep your legs spinning – it has been shown
that spinning legs at an easy gear for the last 2 minutes of the cycle ‘prepares’ your legs for running and
eases the transition.
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• Once your bike is done, move as swiftly as you can to the run leg; select a comfortable pace and try to
keep that pace until you notice that your legs feel ‘normal’. Gently jog or walk out the last 2-3 minutes of
the session.
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Sunday
Long Walk / Run (20-25 mins)
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• Your long walk / run is an important session for building endurance. As per weeks 1 and 2, walk or jog as
you require, but consciously aim to lengthen the parts of the run where you are running. The length of
this session can be decided by you, but do not exceed 25 minutes.
Log your weekly training
TRAINING DIARY
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
WEEKLY TOTAL
SWIM
CYCLE
RUN