8-Week Olympic Distance Training Plan

This 8-week plan is for triathletes who can already comfortably complete a sprint distance and want to step up to Olympic distance (1500m swim, 40km bike, 10km run). It assumes a base fitness of 4-5 hours training per week and builds to 7-8 hours at peak.

Prerequisites

• Able to swim 750m continuously without stopping
• Comfortable cycling for 60-90 minutes
• Can run 5km at an easy pace
• Currently training 3-4 times per week

Plan Structure

Weeks 1-3 (Volume Build): Gradually extend your long sessions in each discipline. Swim up to 2000m, bike up to 90 minutes, run up to 50 minutes. Include one brick session per week. 5-6 sessions per week.

Weeks 4-6 (Intensity): Introduce threshold and interval sessions. One hard swim, one hard bike, one hard run per week alongside easier sessions. Practice open water swimming. 5-6 sessions per week.

Week 7 (Peak Week): Highest volume week. Long brick session (60min bike + 30min run). 2000m swim. This is your hardest week — embrace it.

Week 8 (Taper and Race): Cut volume by 50%. Keep 2-3 short, sharp sessions to maintain sharpness. Focus on sleep, nutrition, and race prep.

Sample Week (Week 5)

• Monday: Rest day
• Tuesday: Pool Swim — 2000m with threshold intervals
• Wednesday: Easy 40-Minute Recovery Run
• Thursday: 60-Minute Turbo Trainer Session with 4x5min threshold efforts
• Friday: Rest or easy 20-minute swim
• Saturday: 75-minute bike ride at steady effort + 20-minute transition run
• Sunday: 50-minute run with 3x8min at race pace

Nutrition During Training

At Olympic distance, you’ll need to fuel during the bike leg. Practice taking on 60g of carbohydrate per hour on the bike during your longer training rides. This could be energy gels, bars, or a concentrated drink. Find what works for your stomach before race day.