Your First Triathlon
This beginner triathlon program will help to get you ready to take on a short triathlon in only 8 weeks. While this program is for beginners, it is expected that you are able to swim at least 50m non-stop, run for 10 minutes (at your own pace) and ride a bicycle for 30 minutes.
The aim is for you to complete each taking the time which doesn’t force you to stop or leave you exhausted. Hopefully as you progress you will be able to do the sessions at a higher intensity for the same level of effort with some sessions at the end of this plan being designed to help make you faster too.
Your rest day is also critical. There is no point in doing all of this training if you are not going to recover properly. If you are feeling good on these rest days feel free to add in 30-45 minutes of an exercise of your choice but not every week, every 2nd week at most.
Super Beginner (Couch to 5K Run)
For people who have been sedentary for a year or more and want to finish a 5K for the first time. This 12-week plan starts off with walking to improve cardio fitness, then incorporates running.
On race day you can choose to run-walk either 30/30 or 40/20.
16-Week Marathon
Whether running your first or nth marathon, it's important to be methodical in loading the body with run volume and intensity. Our marathon training plan gets you fit to run those 26.2 miles so you can finish strong.
Sprint Distance Beginner
This 8-week Sprint Beginner plan is designed for members new to the sport of triathlon. With this plan you will easily finish your first triathlon while getting fit and healthy in the process.
Starts with 5 hours per week and peaks at 7 hours
Sprint Distance Intermediate
This 10-week Sprint Intermediate plan is designed for our members looking to take their short course racing a little more seriously. With this plan, you will be positioned to chase a new PB and start to focus on delivering an improved short course performance.
Sprint Distance Advanced
This 12-week Sprint Advanced plan is designed for our members looking to excel at short course racing. This demanding 12-week plan is designed to push athletes to reach their maximum potential
Olympic Distance Beginner
This is a perfect program for the athlete new to the sport of triathlon. No background required! With this program, we will slowly adapt you to the three disciplines and start to build a foundation while getting you healthy and fit.
Total Weekly hours : 6 to 8
Olympic Distance Intermediate
This program is indicated for the athlete with a few races’ experience and is looking to improve and/or even place in their age division. This program increases in volume from the Beginner plan with a couple of extra workouts per week.
Total Weekly hours : 7 to 9 hours per week
Olympic Distance Advanced
This Olympic distance plan is designed for the seasonal athlete looking to perform at their best. This program requires a bit more time to train as it increases one or two more workouts a week from our Intermediate plan.
Total Weekly hours : 8 to 11 hours a week
70.3 Beginner
This program is designed for the athlete looking to do their first 70.3 race. You may or may not have done other shorter races and have limited time to train during the week.
Total Weekly hours : 7 to 10 hours
70.3 Intermediate
This plan is designed for the athlete that has a few 70.3 races under their belt, has a bit more time to train, and are looking to improve their times. You will also see here an increase of the number of workouts per week.
Total Weekly Hours : 8 to 12 hours
70.3 Advanced
This plan is designed for the serious athlete looking to be competitive at their age group rankings. This plan has one more workout then the Intermediate for an increase in weekly volume.
Total Weekly Hours: 10 to 14 hours
Full Beginner
This Full Distance triathlon program is designed for the athlete looking to do his first iron distance race. You may or may not have done a 70.3 race(s) and have limited time to train during the week.
Total Weekly hours : 8 to 14 hours
Full Intermediate
This Full Distance triathlon plan is designed for the athlete that has done at least one IM race and is looking to improve their time. It is suited for the athlete that has a bit more time to train. You will also see here an increase of the number of workouts per week.
Total Weekly Hours : 8 to 15 hours
Full Advanced
This Full Distance triathlon plan is designed for the serious athlete looking to be competitive at their age group rankings. This plan has one more workout than the Intermediate for an increase in weekly volume.
Total Weekly Hours: 10 to 17 hours
Offseason Beginner
During the off-season, athletes start to wonder: What should I do now? My season is almost over so what can I do to race faster next year?
This off-season training program concentrates on aspects often forgotten by most athletes during the racing season, such as Motor Skills, Training Weaknesses, Strength Training, and Building into the Season.
Weekly Total Hours: 7 to 9 hours
Offseason Intermediate
During the off-season, athletes start to wonder: What should I do now? My season is almost over so what can I do to race faster next year?
This off-season training program concentrates on aspects often forgotten by most athletes during the racing season, such as Motor Skills, Training Weaknesses, Strength Training, and Building into the Season.
Weekly Total hours – 8 to 10 hours
Offseason Advanced
During the off-season, athletes start to wonder: What should I do now? My season is almost over so what can I do to race faster next year?
This off-season training program concentrates on aspects often forgotten by most athletes during the racing season, such as Motor Skills, Training Weaknesses, Strength Training, and Building into the Season.
Weekly Total Hours: 9 to 11 hours
9-Week Offseason
One of the biggest mistakes age-group triathletes make is taking too big a break when there are no races. An extended period without training provides the perfect opportunity to lay a solid strength base that you simply do not have the time to do in season.
Strength training lays the foundation for your training when you start to focus on a specific event and by having a solid base, you are able to improve your starting point each year as you start your season build.
This program is made up of 2x 4-week blocks with the volume increasing every week. While this is technically 8 weeks of off-season training, it may be extended out further by simply adding more reps or shortening the rest intervals or increasing the distances covered.
Feel comfortable taking a day off as required. This plan only allocates rest days during the middle recovery week. If you do need a day to recover feel comfortable taking it as required.
Your off-season is also a great time to get into the gym and work on any imbalances or weaknesses you may have.
Women’s Offseason Beginner
When the off season approaches and the weather changes, motivation to continue a training regime can fall by the wayside. Next tri season can feel very far away and mapping out season goals feels like a waste of time. This is when you need a change of pace and perhaps some other activities that are not so performance-driven.
This women’s specific off-season training plan provides 12 weeks of mixed women’s targeted training. The goal is to keep motivation and enjoyment high whilst performing workouts that actually add benefit to your physicality as a female triathlete.
This plan gives you options to select workouts that you normally (on a triathlon training plan) would not have the time to do or experience. Includes up to 10 hours of sessions per week.
Women’s Offseason Intermediate
During the off-season, athletes start to wonder: What should I do now? My season is almost over so what can I do to race faster next year?
This off-season training program concentrates on aspects often forgotten by most athletes during the racing season, such as Motor Skills, Training Weaknesses, Strength Training, and Building into the Season.
Weekly Total hours – 8 to 10 hours
Women’s In-Season Intermediate
Maintaining fitness while not training for a specific event is often a juggle and you can end up doing meaningless sessions when you have the time to train.
This women’s specific in-season training plan will ensure that you maintain your fitness to the point that you will feel confident to complete a race at short notice. This plan will also build your fitness so that you are ready to jump into any race-specific training plan in the lead up to a targeted event, like a full distance race.
The women’s specific sessions that this plan is built around provide quality work that is targeted to our needs and fitness requirements. These sessions give the greatest returns and you will feel better about doing the training that is designed specifically for women. This plan runs for 12 weeks and provides just over 10 hours of training per week.
Macca’s 12-Week Olympic Distance Beginner
This plan is designed for new members looking to start the sport of triathlon. With this plan you will be able to comfortably finish the race. Starts at 6 hours per week and peaks at 8 hours.
Macca’s 12-Week Olympic Distance Intermediate
This plan is designed for the athlete that has been racing for a couple of seasons (or more) and is looking for improvements in time or age group classification. With this program we will address more fundamentals of triathlon than in our Beginner plan and the overall hours per week will be a little bit more. Starts at 9 hours per week and peaks at 11 hours.
Macca’s 12-Week Olympic Distance Advanced
With this 12-week Olympic Distance training plan we have created a platform that will build the necessary speed, power and endurance to race at the best of ones ability in any standard distance race. Enjoy a fantastic selection of training sessions incorporated into the weekly schedule so you feel the fitness gains weekly.
Macca’s 70.3 Beginner
This program is designed for the athlete looking to do their first 70.3 race. You may or may not have done other shorter races and have limited time to train during the week.
Total Weekly hours : 7 to 10 hours
Macca’s 70.3 Intermediate
If you’re looking to improve your performance against your age group or set a new PR after a season or two at this distance, this plan is for you.
This very specific plan will get you ready for your 70.3 race without too many training hours. Just a little more training from an Olympic Distance.
Starts with 8 hours per week and peaks at 13 hours.
Macca’s 70.3 Advanced
If you believe that you have the dedication and drive to be at the pointy end of your age group, then this 16-week Half Distance plan is designed for you.
We have thought long and hard about the most valuable key sessions used by the sport’s best pros and condensed them into a plan that is of manageable volume and intensity for the top tier age grouper. With a workload of 10+ hours per week, this plan will have you firing on all cylinders on race day.
Macca’s 140.6 Beginner
If you are a beginner and are planning to do your first full distance race, this plan is for you!
Here you will learn and practice all skills necessary to tackle the distance while building fitness in a healthy way. This plan is designed for people with commitments (family, job, etc) that limit their time to train. Starts at 6 hours per week building slowly with only 3 weeks of 12 plus hours.
Macca’s 140.6 Intermediate
This plan was designed for athletes that have completed one or two full distance events and are looking to improve their times and be more competitive without making their lives miserable. With this approach you will be able to improve but have a balanced and healthy life so you can keep your job and family.
You will start with 8-10hours/week and will build slowly with only few weeks of “long distance volume” (14-16 hours). This way it will be easier for you to plan work, family and other obligations.
Macca’s 140.6 Advanced (15+ Hrs/Wk)
This 16-week Iron Distance training plan suits the experienced long-distance triathlete who has over 15 hours/week to train for an upcoming event. The specific workouts and structure provide consistent volume and intensity to successfully improve fitness and compete at the best of one’s ability.
This plan consists of 4 blocks of 3 weeks each followed by a recovery week (4th week). The first three blocks increase in volume with the third block starting a volume decrease. Each block contains a calculated blend of endurance, strength endurance and speed to cover all facets of fitness. This is
a plan designed to provide major improvement to your IM performance.
A 2-week taper is included in the last block.
Macca’s 140.6 Advanced (3 Blocks)
The first 4 weeks focus on strength endurance, then a recovery 5th week with the focus on the swim. The next block is 4 weeks of distance focused workouts, building on aerobic base fitness. This is followed by a recovery week with a focus on running. The last block is speed based with sufficient distance work added to ensure aerobic fitness is not compromised. To finish off, the 15th week is recovery with a bike focus.
A 1 week taper is applied to the plan making 16 weeks.
Together We Rise
The Pho3nix Foundation assists and inspires children worldwide to achieve their dreams and live healthy, inspired lives through sport.
From kids triathlons and workshops to teen sports camps and assistance for aspiring Olympians, Pho3nix projects create a pathway from participation to professionalism. Pho3nix Club memberships and donations support every step on that pathway.