What’s the best beginner 70.3 plans you’ve used. I’m looking at doing my first 70.3 this spring. I have zero triathlon experience, but I’m a huge cyclist and an above average runner. I’m a good swimmer, but have very little experience when it comes to laps in a pool or any type of competition swimming
I like the TrainerRoad plans. Used one for my first 70.3. Obviously cheap (free) if you’re already paying for TR. Beyond that buying a TrainingPeaks plan is probably your best bet.
https://www.triathlete.com/training/super-simple-ironman-70-3-triathlon-training-plan/
This what I used for my first tri (70.3). I have thought a couple of times that it is probably the best for those of us not front-of-pack.
Strongly recommend these plans by Mikael Eriksson.
Strongly recommend these plans by Mikael Eriksson.
https://scientifictriathlon.com/plans/
Second this.
Shameless plug for our plans. We’ve built them out with the ideal being a “foundation” plan first since we’ve found that most athletes need pretty similar stuff (strength, aerobic conditioning, basic speed and skills) during offseason/foundation phase and then can transition to their race distance plan afterwards. We’ve had especially good success and feedback regarding our swim workouts. Easy to read with a good mix of speed and aerobic conditioning have seen a lot of athletes surprised by how much their swim improved following the plan.
https://www.paragontraining.org/training-plans
What about any senior athlete type coaches or programs? I’ll hit 50 in May, did my last full iron back in 2013 and now I’d just like to get back out there and get to the starting line to enjoy a race. Not trying to KQ or win anything, just trying to get training ramped back up and not get injured.
Currently running about 3 times a week, 10-12 miles a week. The body just doesn’t recover like it used to unfortunately
I like the TrainerRoad plans. Used one for my first 70.3. Obviously cheap (free) if you’re already paying for TR. Beyond that buying a TrainingPeaks plan is probably your best bet.
I took at look at that free plan and honestly thought it would suck or be only for rank beginners, but it actually looks totally legit. I’m sure I could use this plan successfully and do really well in 70.3s based on what I’ve been doing in my 80/20 training plans (which aren’t altogether that different)
It’s worked well for me, granted I’m not super competitive. they do have examples on their podcast of people who have gotten to Kona using only their plans. Of course at some point your success is more a function of training consistency, diet, etc and not the specific plan you use. Pick one that looks good for you.
Strongly recommend these plans by Mikael Eriksson.
https://scientifictriathlon.com/plans/
Second this.
Me too! Their podcast is also an amazing resource.
The Fitzgerald plan I mentioned previously worked for at age 60 - with five previous years of running (doing half marathons) and nothing real after college to age 55.
I subscribed to 80/20 Endurance for my first 70.3 last year. I appreciated that they had a plan incorporating both bike and run power meters. Their Gold subscription service also comes with Training Peaks premium. However, their swim workouts are 100% focused on building fitness and contain no drills, etc. to help with form. This year I had 1:1 coaching and my coach incorporated drills into my workouts; my 70.3 swim time came down 10 minutes as a result.
Our foundation training plans are pretty moderate when it comes to intensity and overall volume. They also have a good bit of strength training which is especially important for older athletes. I think one of those would be a great fit.
Year ago I used indoor cycling as a key part of my training plan or an Ironman 70.3. There are platforms like Rouvy and others that provide a great variety of routes and workouts to improve over time and track my progress. And just googled this training plan on theie website maybe it could be useful https://blog.rouvy.com/en/192/Ironman-Long-Course-70.3-or-140.6-distance-workouts