Ironman, beginner level: how many weeks of preparation?

For an athlete at beginner level, Endu builds a 25-week preparation. If your race is closer, the plan compresses phases while keeping the taper; if it's further away, it lengthens the preparation, and when the gap is large the preparation starts right away, gently and at your current volume, before building up.

How many sessions per week?

This example has 7 sessions per week. You choose 6 to 7 training days and the exact days (e.g. Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun): the plan sticks to them.

Can I follow sessions on my watch?

Yes, on Garmin and COROS. On Garmin, the Endu app (Connect IQ Store) shows today’s session and starts it as a guided workout. On COROS, link your account from your profile: your running, trail and cycling sessions land in the watch calendar. Other brands are not supported yet.

How much does it cost?

14-day free trial, then €7.99/month with no commitment or €59.88/year (€4.99/month). Unlimited objectives and sports.

Beginner Ironman plan

226 km · swim 3.8 · bike 180 · run 42.2

25 weeks, 7 sessions a week, up to 13.8 h of training a week at the peak. Here is the structure Endu generates for a runner at beginner level preparing a Ironman. Volume, long run and intensity change with the declared level.

Create my plan for Ironman

weeks: 25
sessions: 173
sessions / week: 7
peak week: 13.8 h

Plan structure

Periodised in phases: build the base, move to race-specific work, then taper before the race.

General preparation
Weeks 1–2 · 2 wk
Base
Weeks 3–10 · 8 wk
Build
Weeks 11–16 · 6 wk
Specific
Weeks 17–21 · 5 wk
Taper
Weeks 22–24 · 3 wk
Race week
Weeks 25–25 · 1 wk

Volume progression

Week by week: lighter recovery weeks are built in to absorb the load.

Wk	Phase	Hours	km
1	General preparation	7.3 h	20
2	General preparation	7.5 h	20
3	Base	9.1 h	21
4	Base	9.4 h	22
5	Base	9.5 h	22
6	Baserecovery	8 h	18
7	Base	9.7 h	22
8	Base	10.1 h	24
9	Base	10.3 h	24
10	Baserecovery	8.5 h	20
11	Build	10.9 h	25
12	Build	11.2 h	26
13	Build	11.6 h	27
14	Buildrecovery	9.1 h	21
15	Build	11.8 h	28
16	Build	12 h	28
17	Specific	12.9 h	30
18	Specificrecovery	9.8 h	23
19	Specific	13 h	30
20	Specific	13.5 h	32
21	Specific	13.8 h	33
22	Taper	8.8 h	22
23	Taper	7.1 h	18
24	Taper	6 h	16
25	Race week	4 h	7

Sample week — week 15 (Build)

Real sessions from the plan with their targets. Each session is detailed step by step, and can be sent to a Garmin or COROS watch.

TuesdayRunningModerate
10 × 1 min 30 s at marathon pace
1 min 30 s jog recovery
49 min · 7.2 km
TuesdaySwimmingEasy
1 h continuous swim
1 h · 2.8 km
WednesdayCyclingEasy
30 min at endurance pace
30 min
ThursdayBrickModerate
1 h 34 bike + 30 min run
including 34 min at tempo on the bike
2 h 12
FridaySwimmingEasy
1 h continuous swim
1 h · 2.8 km
SaturdayCyclingEasy
4 h 23 at endurance pace
4 h 23
SundayRunningEasy
Long run 1 h 51
1 h 51 · 14.9 km

Example generated for a beginner-level profile (MAS 12.5 km/h, 7 days available per week). Your plan will depend on your level, availability and feedback.

This plan’s check-up

Pass with remarks

A 25-week build (recommended minimum: 20); a longest run never more than 5% above the previous month’s; volume rising at most 16% from one week to the next; 89% of the time at easy effort; the longest session 4 weeks before the race; a taper cutting volume by 71% in race week.

4 worth knowing · 22 checks passed

Remarks

Lighter weeks — 5 loading weeks in a row without a lighter week (up to week 5).
Long run after the long ride — The long run falls the day after the long ride in 3 weeks.
Strength training — No strength session.
Fueling — Long sessions (up to 300 min in this plan) are where race fueling is rehearsed.

The 22 checks passed, in detail

Length of the build — 25 weeks: enough for this race (recommended minimum: 20).
Sessions per week — 7 sessions a week: the minimum for this race is met.
Volume progression — Running volume rises at most 16% from one week to the next (a signal appears beyond 20%).
Long run increase — Each week, the longest run is at most 5% longer than the longest of the previous month (benchmark: 10%).
Intensity distribution — About 89% of the time at easy effort: the most common distribution among trained endurance athletes.
Demanding sessions — No more than 2 demanding session(s) a week: suited to the level.
Hard days back to back — Demanding sessions are separated by easy days.
Rest days — At least one rest day a week.
Timing of the longest session — The longest session falls 4 weeks before the race: the right time.
Bike-run bricks — 9 bike-run bricks over the last 12 weeks.
Taper — Volume drops 71% in race week.
Intensity during the taper — Short race-pace efforts remain in the last two weeks.
Frequency during the taper — The number of sessions stays close to usual (86%).
Swim / bike / run balance — Swim 17%, bike 56%, run 27%: within coaches’ benchmarks.
Frequency per discipline — Each discipline comes back at least 2 times a week.
Sessions per week — 7 sessions a week: enough for a long format.
Open water — 5 open-water session(s) before the race.
Longest ride — The longest ride lasts 300 min (benchmark: 300 to 390 min).
Longest run — The longest run lasts 127 min (benchmark: 120 to 180 min).
Swim distance — The longest swim covers 92% of the race distance.
Long ride increase — The long ride grows in small steps.
A beginner’s first month — No very intense session in the first four weeks.

Endu runs its own plans through the plan check open to everyone: same public rules, same thresholds, same sources. The rules and their sources, and a check of your own plan.

Your plan, not a template athlete's

This plan is generated for an athlete at beginner level with 7 days available per week. Yours will be calibrated on your MAS, your available days and your feedback after every session. 3 minutes. 14-day trial, cancel anytime.

Create my plan for Ironman

Frequently asked questions

Ironman, beginner level: how many weeks of preparation?: For an athlete at beginner level, Endu builds a 25-week preparation. If your race is closer, the plan compresses phases while keeping the taper; if it's further away, it lengthens the preparation, and when the gap is large the preparation starts right away, gently and at your current volume, before building up.
Is this plan well built?: Pass with remarks at Endu’s plan check, the same as for any plan: 22 of 22 checks passed. A 25-week build (recommended minimum: 20); a longest run never more than 5% above the previous month’s; volume rising at most 16% from one week to the next; 89% of the time at easy effort; the longest session 4 weeks before the race; a taper cutting volume by 71% in race week. The rules and their sources are public on endu.fr/en/controle-technique.
How many sessions per week?: This example has 7 sessions per week. You choose 6 to 7 training days and the exact days (e.g. Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun): the plan sticks to them.
Can I follow sessions on my watch?: Yes, on Garmin and COROS. On Garmin, the Endu app (Connect IQ Store) shows today’s session and starts it as a guided workout. On COROS, link your account from your profile: your running, trail and cycling sessions land in the watch calendar. Other brands are not supported yet.
How much does it cost?: 14-day free trial, then €7.99/month with no commitment or €59.88/year (€4.99/month). Unlimited objectives and sports.