9 week training program for beginner?

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2008-05-27 8:22 PM


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Subject: 9 week training program for beginner?

Okay, I know I'm probably making a big mistake, but I want to do an Olympic length triathlon on August 2 or 9 and I haven't been training for the past several months. Prior to that I had fairly intense strength and cardio workouts in the gym. It's been years since I did any big biking, running, or swimming, but I have, at least, trained all of those areas in the past. I have no goal other than to finish. The bike and run terrain will be primarily flat. My question is simply if there is a good training program I can follow for the next 9 weeks that is structured for someone like me, which is to say someone who started training late, with a very small base, for an Olympic distance event and whose only objective is to finish injury free? Should I just take one of the 16-week courses and cut off the first 7 weeks?

My apologies if this has been covered earlier. I'm brand new, and, as you can see, trying to hit the ground running to make up for lost time.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Delp

 

2008-05-27 9:13 PM
in reply to: #1427414

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Subject: RE: 9 week training program for beginner?

There is the free 16 week plans as you mentioned, even a 13 week plan.  The key as to what part of the plan to 'lop off' would be your current fitness.  A lot of the sprint an olympic plans have plenty of overdistance training in them for an average person with an average pace.  So if you don't make it to the last 4 weeks, if your goal is to finish, then it should still work.

You want to START the plan at a week where it is not a big jump in training.  Starting the 16 week plan on week 9 may lead to big injuries if the jump in training is a lot.  Find a spot that looks comfortable and start it there.  Example, start on week 5.  Then do it through week 12.  Week 12 is a rest week which will correspond to a taper anyway so that is good if you must race on week 12.

The key to finish injury free is to not start mid-plan and work to the end, but start at a comfortable spot and work till race day...if your goal is to finish, you should be fine even if you have to bike a little more than you may have had to in your training.  If you have to walk part of the run cause you didn't get that far in training, so be it.  Swimming is another matter, you DO want to make sure you can at least swim the distance continuously once or twice at the minimum...and can resort to an 'easy' stroke (sidestroke, breaststroke) if needed.

It's all about starting at a volume that is not a jump to minimize injury.  And then if you are consistent in training, ending a 16 week plan at week 12 should be fine...for example.

Give us some more details if needed.  Good luck!

EDIT, you may even want to start further back on the last part of a sprint plan if that suits your current abilities better, THEN transition to the olympic and do it till race day, though leaving one of the 'rest' weeks for the week before the race.

2008-05-27 9:43 PM
in reply to: #1427493


2

Subject: RE: 9 week training program for beginner?

Thanks Ron.  That was exactly the information I was looking for.  I'm pretty sure I can swim the distance now, just not at any type of pace, but I will definitely take your advice and swim it in full twice before the race.

Delp 

 

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