Novice training plan beginning

Providing more information will get you more useful responses.  What is your racing experience?  What has your training looked like in recent months?

probably need more info for a real good response like how many hours have you been swimming biking and running per week.  what is your current longest so far in each area?  What's your swim background?

Over the next 15-20 weeks you should build to a minimum of 8 hrs a week, Minimum 3 swims 3 bikes and 3 runs. Long run 1:30 long bike should be 2 hr., long swim should be at 2000 m.  These are the minimum to start your ironman build.  Build up to these by starting where you are at and increasing your volume by no more than 10% a week.  Do one long and two intermediate on the bike and run (IE. 4 hrs bike per week  = 1, 2hr bike and 2, 1 hr bikes)  

The most important thing is consistency over time. be consistent life will happen but your 8 hr week can not consistently become a 4 or 6 hr week.  

Build fitness but not more than a 10 % increase per week or you will start overtraining.

eventually you will be getting to 15-20 hr training weeks but in order to get there, you have to start your build now and gradually increase.

good luck

Dave,

I started to train for a sprint tri using the olympic BT on here. I found it good. The trick was to do the time, and I did the race really well. That was 12mths ago, so if you try to do an Olympic distance, then on to the IM you should be Good. I found that the steps were good. Having done a couple of 1/2 marathons over the previous 2-3 yrs helped. I have to manage a crook back, and rugy knees. You should be OK with your knee. Just don't push and do damage. The 10%increase worked for me, and with learning to swim via U tube, setting a program Leading to my IM in sep, all is going well. You are on the right track. No prbs cobber