Coaches Corner
Half Ironman Training Schedule
Bob Dwenger
The Half Ironman Training Schedule is one I have used personally and with other triathletes I have coached. The schedule is based on three weeks of build with no more than a 10% increase in total workout time, and then one week recovery. The recovery week and the planned Mondays off, are important for resting your body and will allow you to train and ultimately perform better, and they are shown in blue. Any workout in blue is to be aerobic – EASY!
The Tuesday workouts are brick workouts (bike and then run immediately following the bike). You will notice some of those workouts shown as 2 x 30 bikes and 2 x 10 runs. This practice was used by Michelle Blessing when coaching the 2000 Olympic team. This works to get those legs used to the transition from bike to run and should also be used for transition practice.
The 800 repeats are called Yazoo 800’s, developed by Bart Yazoo. If you have any pulls or strains I would not do the 800’s, as speed work can make the pulls and strains turn into injuries, so be careful with the 800’s. If you do them though, you will see good results after but a few weeks. The early workouts where you may struggle to complete the 3 or 4 800’s become easy when you are completing the 6, 7, and 8 800’s. The 800’s should be completed at your AT speed (anaerobic heart rate). Over the years I have come to really like these and the speed they allow me to carry. Make sure you warm up and cool down with at least one mile of easy jogging before and after your workouts.
Since this is a generic plan, and not a beginner plan, it is not tailored specifically for you. So should you have any questions, please send them my way via email: tricoach.1@juno.com.
Bob Dwenger is a club member and a Certified USAT coach. He can be reached via e-mail at tricoach.1@juno.com
Previous Articles
Your First XTERRA Triathlon - Brian Holzhausen
Ironman Training - Part 3 - Mat Steinmetz
Ironman Training - Part 2 - Mat Steinmetz
Ironman Training - Part 1 - Mat Steinmetz
Injury Treatment - Dr. Kristin Boudreaux
Injury Prevention - Kathy Shardick
Avoiding Common Early-Season Training Pitfalls - Mike Smith
