First Time Finisher Training Plans
These free weekly training plans have helped hundreds of finishers complete their first sprint distance triathlon. If you are looking for a more advanced plan for the GNC Pittsburgh Triathlon Sprint or Olympic Distance, check this page.
Sprint Distance, Week #5
Week 5 is about 4:55 hours of training with 1400 yards of swimming. The numbers listed for bike & run are total minutes of cycling or running. The Swims are listed in yards and suggested practices are linked below. There are now 8 weeks remaining until the Pittsburgh Triathlon. Over the next two weeks we’ll continue increasing the distances for your training days and on week 6 we’ll introduce bricks.
| Day | Run Minutes | Bike Minutes | Swim – Yards | Swim Minutes | Core Minutes |
| Monday | 15 | ||||
| Tuesday | 600 | 30 | |||
| Wednesday | 50 | 15 | |||
| Thursday | 20 | ||||
| Friday | 800 | 40 | 15 | ||
| Saturday | 70 | ||||
| Sunday | 40 | ||||
| Weekly Total | 60 | 120 | 1400 | 70 | 45 |
Runs 1 & 2: The short run this week is only 20 minutes long which by now should feel very easy, even if you are still doing run/walk. You can try to do the entire thing running this week if you havn’t done so yet. The longer run is 40 minutes, which should include at least a 5 minute brisk walking warmup & cooldown if you cannot complete the entire run jogging or running. Take your time on these and don’t get flustered at the increased distance.
Bike 1 & 2: The bikes gradually increase in length as well and for most people, are slightly longer than the distance you’ll be biking during the race depending on your speed. This is a good way to continue to build up some aerobic endurance and is generally low risk as far as injury. If you had to choose run, bike or swim to put some extra time into, the bike makes the most sense at this stage.
Swim 1 – Practice Sprint C
Swim 2 – Practice Sprint D
Core/Flexibility
Continue to do 15 minutes 3 times a week of Core work and Flexibility. Or better yet, take a class in yoga or pilates.
Pittsburgh Personal Trainer Sue Falvey and I put together these videos that will give you a number of ideas for basic and advanced core training for cyclitsts and triathletes.
Core Exercises for Cyclists & Triathletes I
Core Exercises for Cyclists and Triathletes II
More Triathlon Training Plans
Click here for an overview of all the triathlon training plans available.