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The best IRONMAN® training plan for beginners
Mark Saroni, MS Kinesiology, USAT Level II Triathlon Coach
A full-distance triathlon, most often an event branded by IRONMAN®, is the pinnacle of triathlon endurance. The 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run is a daunting day. The feat takes months or years of arduous training, but the rewards are immense. The feeling of finally crossing the finish line of an IRONMAN® event and hearing the words "You Are An IRONMAN®" is bound to fill the soul.
Our team at Paragon Training wants to help you get to your finish line.
What is an IRONMAN® training plan and how do I use it to complete an IRONMAN® event?
If you’ve decided you want to complete an IRONMAN® triathlon, congratulations! Now what? You'll need a plan mapping out the steps you need to take to achieve your goal of reaching the finish line. The hardest part about IRONMAN or any full-distance triathlon is actually reaching the start line. Doing too much training at one time or an imbalance of the wrong kinds of training could leave you with a serious injury. Using the right plan is essential.
Our free IRONMAN® training plan will lay out the workouts that you need to do each day for 20 weeks.
An IRONMAN® is a long event. You will need to build you mental and physical strength in order to complete a single, long day of exercise. Complete at least 85% of our free IRONMAN® training plan, and you will be in great shape to complete your event.
Long-distance triathlon training and racing may not be for everyone. Consult with your doctor prior to starting endurance training.
Ready to start with the free training plan from Paragon Training? Enter your email below and we will send you the PDF version of our beginner IRONMAN® training plan for free.
The training plan is sent as a PDF. If you would like to track progress on your training plan in your TrainingPeaks Account, please review our training plans available for purchase. We also have half-distance IRONMAN® 70.3 training plans available, as well as plans for strength and base conditioning, swimming, running, and cycling.
How should a beginner train for an IRONMAN® event or other long-distance triathlon?
Be diligent about training every day.
Our free plan focuses on the key factor of IRONMAN® performance, which is consistently training your aerobic system. Aerobic = low intensity. Our IRONMAN® training plan has a larger volume (more weekly training hours) than our free IRONMAN 70.3® training plan. Your longer workouts will get longer under the full-distance training plan, and these long workouts are crucial to successfully getting to the finish line in under 17 hours.
The aerobic system takes a long time to develop. You will improve your aerobic fitness and perform better in your event by training consistently throughout the week AND completing the long workouts on weekends. Don't try to "make up" big workouts or cram everything into the weekend. Consistent training throughout the week is key.
Here are 4 quick tips for beginners attempting their first long-distance triathlon:
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Get your family and friends on board! You are going to be training a lot. Incorporating friends and family into your training will not only help your training and mental well-being, it will help loved ones better understand the time commitment required to train adequately for an IRONMAN® event.
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Hold back at the right times, which is most of the time. With the full-distance IRONMAN® training, you especially need to control your intensity so you only occasionally train at moderate or high intensity. Otherwise, you will start to accumulate fatigue that makes it difficult to stay consistent. In fact, 80-90% of your training needs to be easy! You can even train 100% easy and make great improvements because the IRONMAN® race is so aerobically dependent.
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Recover as much as possible. Recovery includes adequate nutrition and hydration, rest and sleep, foam rolling, mobility, and massage.
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If you're new to swimming, you might need extra help. The 2.4 mile swim is often the most daunting for beginner triathletes. Review our Beginner Swim Series to get you started. You might also want to consider hiring a coach specifically for swimming and/or joining a USA Master's Swimming group.
How many months in advance should I start training for an IRONMAN® or other long-distance triathlon?
The time you need to train in order to complete an IRONMAN® event depends on your past athletic background and current fitness.
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If you’re starting from zero endurance training, then plan for 12 months of training to prepare for your IRONMAN® event.
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If you have a solid base of aerobic fitness, have some triathlon experience, and are accustomed to endurance training 4-5 days per week for multiple years, then you might be able to train for 6 months to complete your IRONMAN® event.
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If you already have the above experience and have recently done shorter endurance events, such as multiple Olympic distances or half-distance triathlons (e.g. IRONMAN 70.3®) events, then give yourself at least 4 months to train for an IRONMAN® event.
At any level of experience, the most important things you need to train for a full IRONMAN® are a plan, commitment, and consistency.
How many hours per week should I train for an IRONMAN®?
The weekly hours are essential! A slow build and easy miles are key to staying free of injury, and injury is the most likely scenario that keeps athletes from being able to come to the start line on race day. A typical beginner will start their IRONMAN® training plan with 4-6 hours per week. Toward the end of the plan, the weekly load will increase to 8-13 hours. An intermediate or advanced plan may include up to 20 hours during the biggest week.
Most training plans for beginners include 1 day off per week. This day is "off" from training but not preparing for your race—it is key for recovering. Use it to sleep a little longer, get a massage, meal plan, or spend more time working on mobility and foam rolling.
Staying in the right training zones during your workouts will enable you to handle 6 days per week of training. Training 6 days per week will be a superior stimulus for your aerobic system, compared to only training 2-3 times per week.
What is a good time for a first IRONMAN®?
A finish time! Celebrate your ability to complete the race first and foremost. Training for a long-distance triathlon is a feat in itself, and getting to the start line is a challenge. Racing and finishing is a celebration of all your hard work. If you are looking to estimate a specific time, it depends on many factors, including level of fitness, age, gender, elevation, course, and weather conditions on the day of the event. Look at the results of your age group at the event from previous years and it may help you determine realistic goals.
You can start with a rough estimate of your finish time by multiplying your average speed in each discipline by the distance of each leg in the IRONMAN® race.
For example:
Swim [2:30min/100m] x [3800m race] = 95min = 1.58hr
Bike [112mile race] / [15miles/hr] = 7.46hr
Run [12min/mile] x [26.2mile race] = 314.4min = 5.24hr
Transition: Guess your time, maybe 8-10 minutes each for total of 16-20min = 0.27hr - 0.33hr
TOTAL: ~14hr 37min IRONMAN® finish time
Activation & Warm Ups in the Plan
The activation routines and warm ups in the plan are essential. Start each workout by activating and warming up, then end each workout with a cool down. We suggest the following warm-up protocol for each discipline:
NOTE: The videos provided are meant for example purposes and are not meant to replace proper instruction from a certified specialist. If you feel unusual pain or discomfort at any time during these exercises, then stop.
Swim
5-10 minutes easy swimming, then 4-6x50yd drills with long rests of 30sec
Bike
10 minutes easy Z1 (“Zone 1 intensity,” see abbreviations above) spin, then 4x30sec moderate to hard effort up to Z3 effort with 1:30min recoveries, then 5min easy spin before main set.
Run
Do the routines in the activation videos (or similar), then 10-20min easy Z1 jog.
Strength
10min easy movement that may include easy swim, bike, or run before to get your muscles warm.
Strength & Mobility in the plan
We have three Strength & Mobility Routines built into our IRONMAN® Training Plan.
NOTE: The videos provided are meant for example purposes and are not meant to replace proper instruction from a certified specialist. If you feel unusual pain or discomfort at any time during these exercises, then stop.
1. Core/Pelvis Stabilization
Complete 2 rounds of each of the exercises below. Make sure each movement is slow and controlled.
10 each leg Single Leg glute bridges
10 each side opposite arm/leg raises from kneeling
20 glute bridge w/ ball squeeze
10 Heel taps (keep lower back flat)
10 each side clamshells
10 adduction/abduction each leg
You can add a band around your knees to increase difficulty on the exercises.
2. Hips/Glutes Band Routine
Strengthens hip abductors. Use a band around the knees or ankles. Complete 10-20 reps of each exercise.
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Side walks in half squat
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Side walks with legs straight (hips tucked)
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"Monster walks" with knees bent. Forwards and backwards.
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"Penguin Shuffle" with legs straight. Forwards and backwards.
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Standing pulses
3. Basic Foam Roll Routine
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CALF: Stack your opposite leg on top and rock back and forth.
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QUAD: Roll hip to knee. Hold on tight spot and bend knee up and down to release.
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BACK: Roll mid-back to upper-back w/ arms behind head like a crunch position. Side-to-side between shoulder blades.
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IT BAND: Side of leg stopping before the knee. DON'T roll on the actual hip bone.
Swimming Drills & Equipment
Swim Drills
Try incorporating a few of the following swim drills into the warm up of each swim.
IRONMAN® Training Plan
Paragon Training's free IRONMAN® Training Plan is designed to help you finish your first IRONMAN® triathlon within 20 weeks.
Training Phase | Weeks |
|---|---|
Phase 1: Base | 10 |
Phase 2: Build | 8 |
Phase 3: Taper + Race | 2 |
Helpful Abbreviations
RPE = Rate of Perceived Exertion
Scale of 1-10 with 1 being very easy and 10 being very hard.
Zone 1 = Z1 = RPE 1-2
Zone 2 = Z2 = RPE 3-4
Zone 3 = Z3 = RPE 5-6
Zone 4 = Z4 = RPE 7-8
Phase 1: base
GOAL: Build a foundation. At least 80% of all your training time should be at a low intensity. As a beginner triathlete, your primary task is to build your aerobic engine in all three disciplines. A solid base will enable you to go harder and faster when the time is right—during intervals and in the build phase of the plan.
If time permits, consider adding a third weekly swim that focuses on improving your swim form with drills. Keep it between 1000-2000 yards, all easy intensity. A few good times for this swim based on the plan below would be Sunday afternoons or Monday mornings.
Phase 2: Build
GOAL: Build specificity. Now that you have a good foundation to get you started, the BUILD phase means it is time to push up the pace, raise your threshold and VO2Max, and incorporate some work on the anaerobic system.
Phase 3: Taper + race
GOAL: Get ready to perform. The last two weeks before race day are focused on getting you there fast and fresh, not fit and tired. You'll still need to do workouts that include some intensity, but the amount and duration of the intensity is greatly reduced. The taper optimizes recovery while keeping your muscles ready to fire.
Happy training!
We hope you enjoy your free plan and finish your race with success! Follow us and leave us a review!
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