Ironman

The following is an example of an Ironman Training program (phase 3). Before starting any training, you must have a medical examination to ensure it is safe for you to do so.

Any training program application is at the athlete's discretion and risk.

Key to notations and terms used

k = kilometres

tpb = "target personal best" time for the Triathlon event

Phase 2

Each training session should include an appropriate warm-up before the session and a cool-down after the session.

Week 1

Day	Develop	Session	Effort
Monday	Rest
Tuesday	Specific Strength	Weight Training
Wednesday	Specific Endurance	Swim 2k	tpb
Thursday	Rest
Friday	Specific Endurance	Run - 20k	tpb
Saturday	Rest
Sunday	Specific Endurance	Bike - 100k	tpb

Week 2

Day	Develop	Session	Effort
Monday	Rest
Tuesday	Specific Strength	Weight Training
Wednesday	Specific Endurance	Swim 2.5k	tpb
Thursday	Rest
Friday	Specific Endurance	Run - 25k	tpb
Saturday	Rest
Sunday	Specific Endurance	Bike - 125k	tpb

Week 3

Day	Develop	Session	Effort
Monday	Rest
Tuesday	Specific Strength	Weight Training
Wednesday	Specific Endurance	Swim 3k	tpb
Thursday	Rest
Friday	Specific Endurance	Run - 30k	tpb
Saturday	Rest
Sunday	Specific Endurance	Bike - 150k	tpb

Week 4

Day	Develop	Session	Effort
Monday	Evaluation	Bike - 60 min maximum distance	100%
Tuesday	Strength Specific	Weight Training
Wednesday	Evaluation	Run - Cooper Test	100%
Thursday	Strength Specific	Weight Training
Friday	Evaluation	Swim - 20 min maximum distance	100%
Saturday	Rest
Sunday	Rest

Race

If there is a major race, then taper for 14 days when you:

reduce the total mileage by 80%
focus on high interval sessions (90% VO₂ max)
reduce the frequency of training by 20%

For a minor race taper for 7 days and use the same strategy.

Page Reference

If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:

MACKENZIE, B. (2009) Ironman - Phase 3 [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/triathlon/ironph3.htm [Accessed 5/5/2025]

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