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 7
Week 7 is about 6:25 hours of training and 1800 yards of swimming. This week we introduce a new type of workout called the “brick”. A brick is a run immediately following the bike. There are 3 types of bike:run bricks. The first is a transition run, which is a very short run after the bike. The purpose of a transition run is to get used to transitioning from the muscles that are working while cycling (mostly quad dominant, and in a hunched forward, flexed position) to the muscles that are working while running (opening up the hip flexors and engaging the gluts & hamstrings). This is the type of brick you’ll be doing this week, noted in the highlighted red row. 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.
| Day | Run Minutes | Bike Minutes | Swim – Yards | Core Minutes |
| Monday | 15 | |||
| Tuesday | 800 | |||
| Wednesday | 10 Brick | 70 Brick | 15 | |
| Thursday | 30 | |||
| Friday | 1000 | 15 | ||
| Saturday | 90 | |||
| Sunday | 50 | |||
| Weekly Total | 90 | 160 | 1800 | 45 |
| Total Time | 6:25 | |||
| Total Yards | 1800 | |||
Runs 1 & 2
Run 1 is on the shorter side at 30 minutes and run 2 is 50 minutes. At this point, you may be running further than race distance…that’s OK. The more durability and endurance you develop now, the better prepared you will be on race day. Continue your pattern of run/walk that is working for you. If you are not running continuously at least 20 minutes by now I would suggest running/jogging very slowly simply to try and create continous forward movement. It’s still OK to walk if you need to but by week 7 you should ahve developed enough endurance to do the short run continously, so feel free to slow your pace if needed to make that a goal. if you’re running 30 minutes with no problem and are looking for extra challenge, then throw in a few short hill climbs to add some variety.
Bike 1 & 2
The bikes are now getting longer and reaching their peak duration of 2 hours. Again, this is further than race distance. If you are short on time, it is OK to cut 15 minutes off of these bikes, but if you have the time, you’ll be glad you prepared. Following the shorter bike ride this week, you’ll do your first transition run.
Brick/Transition 1
This is your first Brick of the 12 week training plan. The first one is designed to just get you used to the feeling of starting to run after biking. You’ll notice a different type of fatigue in your legs when you start. The first 10 minutes of this post-bike run are the most challenging, and that’s all you’ll do this week. The purpose of this is not to create a “run workout” following the bike, but simply experience the transition from bike to run. Enjoy the feeling … you’ll be getting more and more of it in the following weeks !
Swim 1 – This is the first of a race simulation swim. We’ll do 1 each week. This is a broken 600, timed.
Sprint Distance Swim Workout “G”
Swim 2 – In this swim we’ll focus on BOTH a endurance as well as speed.
Sprint Distance Swim Workout “H”
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.
