Beginner Olympic triathlon plan
15 weeks, 5 sessions a week, up to 6 h of training a week at the peak. Here is the structure Endu generates for a runner at beginner level preparing a Olympic triathlon. Volume, long run and intensity change with the declared level.
- weeks
- 15
- sessions
- 74
- sessions / week
- 5
- peak week
- 6 h
Plan structure
Periodised in phases: build the base, move to race-specific work, then taper before the race.
- General preparationWeeks 1–2 · 2 wk
- BaseWeeks 3–6 · 4 wk
- BuildWeeks 7–9 · 3 wk
- SpecificWeeks 10–12 · 3 wk
- TaperWeeks 13–14 · 2 wk
- Race weekWeeks 15–15 · 1 wk
Volume progression
Week by week: lighter recovery weeks are built in to absorb the load.
| Wk | Phase | Hours | km |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | General preparation | 3.6 h | 13 |
| 2 | General preparation | 3.8 h | 13 |
| 3 | Base | 4.6 h | 9 |
| 4 | Base | 4.7 h | 10 |
| 5 | Baserecovery | 3.9 h | 9 |
| 6 | Base | 4.9 h | 10 |
| 7 | Build | 5.1 h | 11 |
| 8 | Build | 5.1 h | 11 |
| 9 | Buildrecovery | 3.8 h | 9 |
| 10 | Specific | 5.5 h | 11 |
| 11 | Specific | 5.7 h | 12 |
| 12 | Specific | 6 h | 12 |
| 13 | Taper | 4.2 h | 14 |
| 14 | Taper | 4 h | 13 |
| 15 | Race week | 2.3 h | 6 |
Sample week — week 8 (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.
- MondaySwimmingEasy31 min continuous swim31 min · 1.4 km
- TuesdayBrickModerate50 min bike + 40 min runincluding 17 min at threshold on the bike · run at threshold1 h 38
- FridaySwimmingEasy31 min continuous swim31 min · 1.4 km
- SaturdayCyclingEasy1 h 27 at endurance pace1 h 27
- SundayRunningEasyLong run 57 min57 min · 7.7 km
Example generated for a beginner-level profile (MAS 12.5 km/h, 5 days available per week). Your plan will depend on your level, availability and feedback.
This plan’s check-up
Pass
A 15-week build (recommended minimum: 12); a longest run never more than 7% above the previous month’s; 86% of the time at easy effort; a taper cutting volume by 61% in race week.
3 worth knowing · 20 checks passed
Remarks
Demanding sessions — Up to 3 demanding sessions in a single week (1 week(s)).
Strength training — No strength session.
Fueling — Long sessions (up to 118 min in this plan) are where race fueling is rehearsed.
The 20 checks passed, in detail
Length of the build — 15 weeks: enough for this race (recommended minimum: 12).
Sessions per week — 5 sessions a week: the minimum for this race is met.
Volume progression — Running volume rises smoothly from week to week.
Long run increase — Each week, the longest run is at most 7% longer than the longest of the previous month (benchmark: 10%).
Lighter weeks — A lighter week comes back regularly (weeks 5, 9, 13).
Intensity distribution — About 86% of the time at easy effort: the most common distribution among trained endurance athletes.
Hard days back to back — Demanding sessions are separated by easy days.
Rest days — At least one rest day a week.
Bike-run bricks — 10 bike-run bricks over the last 12 weeks.
Taper — Volume drops 61% 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 (90%).
Swim / bike / run balance — Swim 23%, bike 45%, run 33%: within coaches’ benchmarks.
Frequency per discipline — Each discipline comes back at least 2 times a week.
Open water — 3 open-water session(s) before the race.
Longest ride — The longest ride lasts 100 min (benchmark: 90 to 150 min).
Longest run — The longest run lasts 66 min (benchmark: 60 to 105 min).
Swim distance — The longest swim covers 153% 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 5 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 Olympic triathlonFrequently asked questions
- Olympic triathlon, beginner level: how many weeks of preparation?
- For an athlete at beginner level, Endu builds a 15-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 at Endu’s plan check, the same as for any plan: 20 of 20 checks passed. A 15-week build (recommended minimum: 12); a longest run never more than 7% above the previous month’s; 86% of the time at easy effort; a taper cutting volume by 61% in race week. The rules and their sources are public on endu.fr/en/controle-technique.
- How many sessions per week?
- This example has 5 sessions per week. You choose 4 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.