Triathlon training plans

I have 207 days, or nearly 30 weeks until the race. I don’t expect to record a spectacular time, but I don’t want to be struggling home in the last few. I wasn’t very well at the end of last year and haven’t exercised at all since October, so I’m starting from a low level of fitness.

Last year there were 602 entrants and 585 finishers. If I can complete the course in under 2 hours, I will be among the main pack, rather than the stragglers.

Finishing times in the 2007 London Triathlon

30 weeks should be plenty of time, but I’ve started looking at a few triathlon training plans, and they’re quite bewildering in their variety, although similar in fundamentals. The ones I’ve looked at have varied from 8 -20 weeks in duration. I fancy leaving it as late as possible before getting locked into a program that will make me anxious if I deviate much from it, so I’ll probably be opting for a very short program, but I want to be as fit as possible when I start it.

In the short term, I guess that my goals are to get back to a reasonable level of fitness, to lose some weight and to get to the point where I can comfortably do the distance for each individual discpline.

Current state and short-term goals:

Swimming: I haven’t swum since summer 2000, but used to be quite good. Short term aim: swim 750m without breaks by end of February.

Plan: Join local pool, try to swim 3 x per week.

Cycling: I cycled for first time since October last Thursday, and have cycled twice more since then. It has been satisfyingly easy to get back into, and I have no doubt I could do 20km without breaks already. My spuds broke last autumn, and I’m using toe-clips, but I really want to get back into cleats.

Plan: use cycling as default mode of transport, get new pedals.

Running: I ran for first time for 6 months last Friday, and again today. I’m taking it slowly, as I think this is the discipline in which it would be easiest to injure myself if I try too much too soon. Assuming that the swim goes to plan, I’m fairly sure that running will be my weakest discipline, but as the last leg, I don’t need to leave anything in the tank at the end of it.

Plan: Gradually increase duration of run and eliminate walk breaks until I can run about 35 minutes without breaks by end of February. Try to run 3 x per week.

Weight: I’m fat.

Plan: Try to eat sensibly, a bit less, and at more regular times. Cut out sweets. Only drink at weekends, and not too much. Aim to lose 3 kg by end of February.