Triathlon base training plan
- 8 weeks
- Swimming
- Cycling
- Running
- Duration
- 8 weeks
- Sessions
- 65 in total
- avg. 8.1 per week
- Training time
- avg. 5.4 h/week
- Peak week 6.4 h
- Key sessions
- 13 key sessions
How the training load develops
Training time per week over 8 weeks. The toughest week is week 7 with 6.4 h.
Plan structure
65 sessions spread over 8 weeks, around 43 hours of training and a total load of 1,781 TSS.
- Swimming 16 sessions 19.8 km in total
- Cycling 16 sessions 540 km in total
- Running 16 sessions 66.8 km in total
- Strength training 17 sessions
| Week | Sessions | Sports | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 1 Key |
|
5.1 h |
| 2 | 8 1 Key |
|
5.2 h |
| 3 | 8 1 Key |
|
4.1 h |
| 4 | 8 2 Key |
|
5.7 h |
| 5 | 8 2 Key |
|
6.1 h |
| 6 | 8 1 Key |
|
4.3 h |
| 7 | 8 2 Key |
|
6.4 h |
| 8 | 8 3 Key |
|
6.4 h |
A look inside the plan
Sample week: week 5 of 8
This is exactly how your plan will look in the Aspect App after you buy it. Tap a session to see its structure, intervals and target ranges.
You can also download bike and run workouts as FIT files for Garmin, Wahoo, COROS and others, or as ZWO files for Zwift. Swim workouts come as a PDF to take to the pool.
Week 5 Base Phase 2 – Load Week 2 8 sessions 5:12 h 82.5 km 9.3 km 2.8 km 2
About this training plan
Over the winter you lay a calm, structured foundation for your first or second triathlon season. You improve your technique in the water, build aerobic endurance on the bike and on the run, and go into your next race plan with fresh test results. Your bike and run sessions are guided by heart rate; a chest strap is all you need.
Who the plan is for
You are new to triathlon or have completed your first sprint-distance race. You should be able to swim 400 m of front crawl non-stop, even slowly, because the swim test at the end requires exactly that. You should already be comfortable with an easy hour on the turbo trainer and an easy half-hour run. If you have been training for several seasons and can get in the water three times a week, Level 2 is the better choice.
How the plan works
Almost everything is easy endurance work, with hardly any hard intervals. Three short phases build on each other; in each of the first two, two load weeks are followed by a shorter recovery week.
- Swim: Every session starts with drill sets for breathing, kick and body position. The main sets build up to 800 m continuous.
- Bike: First cadence drills, then a weekly Sweet Spot session: brisk blocks just below your threshold that grow from 3 x 8 to 3 x 12 minutes. The Sunday ride extends from one hour to 105 minutes.
- Run: An endurance run with short strides and a short brick run straight after the Sunday ride. This teaches your legs to handle the transition. You run the strides by feel, as they are too short for heart rate.
- Strength: Heavy compound lifts such as squats and Romanian deadlifts with about two reps in reserve, plus triathlon-specific stretching.
The plan does not end with a race but with a test week: a CSS test, a 20-minute bike test and a 10 km run. The results are the basis for the sprint or Olympic-distance plan that follows.
What you need before you start
- A turbo trainer or smart trainer and a fan. You don’t need power measurement; on the turbo trainer, ride in standard mode (not ERG). The Sunday ride can also be done outdoors.
- Your threshold heart rate (threshold HR) on the bike, determined before you start with Joe Friel’s 30-minute test; the protocol is in the plan. Stopgap without a test: start from about 90% of your reliably known bike HRmax.
- Your running threshold HR from an all-out 10 km run, around 98% of your average HR over the 10 km, or from a lab performance test. You also need a chest strap and a watch with heart rate display, as all bike and run targets are given as a percentage of your threshold HR. Wrist-based measurement reacts too slowly.
- Your CSS (your sustainable pace in the water) from a test over 400 m and 200 m. You will also need a pool and a pull buoy.
- Weights for the strength sessions, at a gym for example.
Support within the plan
Mental coaching prompts help you set goals, hold back rather than add extra work in the recovery week, measure progress in the water by your stroke count and break long blocks into manageable pieces in your head. There are also tips for the turbo trainer, on pacing and evaluating the 20-minute test and on calculating your CSS, plus a look at what comes next.
Which level is right for you?
- Level 1: First or second season, technique focus in the water, Sunday ride up to 105 minutes.
- Level 2: Several triathlons completed, a third swim day with 1,200 m continuous, ride up to 120 minutes.
- Level 3: Several seasons, Sweet Spot up to 3 x 20 minutes, long run over 90 minutes, ride up to 150 minutes.
Intensity guidance
Your training thresholds
Session intensity is based on your personal thresholds. After buying, you enter them in the Aspect App – the plan then converts every target for you. If they’re already stored in Intervals.icu, you can import them with one click during setup. Here’s how to find your values:
- CSS (swimming)Your CSS (Critical Swim Speed) is your sustainable pace per 100 m at threshold. Test: after warming up, swim 400 m as fast as you can, recover well, then swim 200 m as fast as you can. CSS per 100 m = (400 m time − 200 m time) ÷ 2 (6:40 and 3:10 → 1:45 per 100 m).
- Threshold heart rate (cycling)Targets are given as a percentage of your threshold heart rate on the bike – the highest heart rate you can sustain for about 60 minutes. How to find it: after a good warm-up, ride a 30-minute time trial on your own as hard as you can hold evenly – your average heart rate over the last 20 minutes is your threshold HR. A chest strap gives the most accurate reading. Stopgap without a test: about 90% of your reliably known maximum heart rate on the bike (185 bpm → 167 bpm).
- Threshold HR (running)Your threshold heart rate is the highest heart rate you can sustain for about 60 minutes. How to find it: after a good warm-up, run on your own for 30 minutes as fast as you can hold evenly – your average heart rate over the last 20 minutes is your threshold HR. Alternatively, from an all-out 10K run: 98% of your average HR over the full 10 km (average 176 bpm → threshold HR 172 bpm). A chest strap gives the most accurate reading.
- Perceived exertion (running)You don’t need any measurements for this: intensity is given on the Borg scale from 6 (no exertion) to 20 (maximal exertion). You run by feel.
Device sync via Intervals.icu
Your plan on your watch
Send your plan to your free Intervals.icu calendar in just a few clicks. From there, your bike, run and swim sessions go to your watch and bike computer as structured workouts with intervals and target ranges – or into Zwift. No retyping and no file imports.
Ready in six steps
- Buy the planOnce your payment has been received, you’ll get your access link by email.
- Save it to your Aspect accountWith a free Aspect account, you save the plan under “My plans”.
- Connect Intervals.icuTap “Intervals.icu” at the top of your plan and connect your free account on intervals.icu (opens an external site). No account yet? You can create one there in a minute.
- Match your target valuesThe app checks whether Intervals.icu holds the same values as your plan (e.g. FTP, threshold heart rate or threshold pace). Any differences can be matched with one click.
- Choose a start date and sendChoose your start Monday, check the preview, send.
- Connect your deviceIn Intervals.icu, go to Settings → Connections, connect your device or platform and enable uploading of planned workouts (e.g. “Upload planned workouts”).
What arrives where
| Platform | What arrives |
|---|---|
| Garmin | Cycling, running and swimming as structured workouts; strength: title only, no exercises (supported) |
| Wahoo ELEMNT, BOLT, ROAM | Bike workouts (supported) |
| Zwift | Bike and run workouts (supported) |
| Suunto | Planned workouts (watches with SuuntoPlus Guides) (supported) |
| COROS | Planned workouts – the first time only, drag the “Intervals.icu” training plan into your calendar in the COROS app. (supported) |
| Hammerhead Karoo | Bike workouts – you set up the connection with Hammerhead (on the Karoo or in the Hammerhead dashboard) (limited) |
| Huawei | Only the next run session at a time (sent to the watch in the Huawei app) (limited) |
| Apple Watch | No official integration – only via third-party apps (e.g. Watchletic – the Intervals.icu import is a paid feature) (limited) |
| Polar, TrainerRoad | No direct transfer (not supported) |
- Most services receive roughly the next 7 days at a time. The complete plan is in your Intervals.icu calendar.
- Intervals.icu calculates the target ranges from your values there (e.g. FTP, threshold HR, threshold pace). If you change them, upcoming workouts are adjusted with the next sync.
- During setup, the Aspect App checks whether your values in Intervals.icu match your plan. You resolve any differences with one click – in either direction, with a side-by-side comparison first.
- If you move a session within its week in the Aspect App, Intervals.icu updates automatically – and so does your device at the next sync.
- Zwift uses the values in your Zwift profile (FTP, 5K time). Enter the same values there as in Intervals.icu.
- Swim workouts arrive on Garmin watches in structured form (distance and pace). Stroke and technique drills are in the text.
- Strength sessions appear in the Intervals.icu calendar with a description and planned duration. On your watch they only show their title. You’ll find the exercises in the Aspect App.
In the Aspect App you can also download bike and run workouts as FIT files (e.g. for Garmin, Wahoo, COROS) or as ZWO files for Zwift. Swim workouts are available as a PDF to take to the pool.
What you get
- The complete 8-week plan65 sessions, structured week by week and day by day.
- All sessions in the Aspect AppEvery session with its full structure. In the browser on your smartphone, tablet or computer.
- Flexible within your weekIf a day doesn’t suit you, you can use a free Aspect account to move sessions to another day within the plan week or change their order – by drag & drop on a computer, or via “Move to…” on a smartphone. You can restore the original order at any time. If you’ve sent the plan to Intervals.icu, it is updated there automatically.
- Straight to your watch and bike computerAs structured workouts via your free Intervals.icu account – to Garmin, Wahoo, COROS & more. Or as a FIT/ZWO download. How it works
- 13 marked key sessionsThe sessions that matter most in each week. They take priority if you need to reschedule.
- Access with or without an accountPersonal access link by email. With a free Aspect account, saved permanently under “My plans” – and ready to send to your watch and bike computer.
How it works
- OrderAdd the plan to your basket and pay with PayPal, card and more (via Stripe) or by bank transfer.
- Check your inboxOnce your payment has been received, you’ll get your personal access link.
- Open your planThe link opens your plan straight in the Aspect App – nothing to install.
- Save it to your accountOptional and free: save the plan to your Aspect account and open it again at any time.
- Get it onto your watchOptional: send it to your calendar via Intervals.icu with your start date – and from there to your watch and bike computer. Here’s how
Created by your coach
Hi, I’m Alex – coach and the mind behind aspect®. My training plans grow out of my endurance coaching work in triathlon, cycling and running. If you’d rather have individual coaching than a ready-made plan, take a look at 1:1 coaching.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get the training plan after purchase?
Once we’ve received your payment, you’ll get an email with your personal access link. Use it to open the plan directly in the Aspect App – in the browser on your smartphone, tablet or computer. You’ll also receive your invoice by email.
How does the plan get onto my watch and bike computer?
Via Intervals.icu. Open your plan in the Aspect App, tap “Intervals.icu” at the top and follow the steps: connect your free Intervals.icu account, match your target values, choose your start Monday, check the preview and send the plan to your Intervals.icu calendar as structured workouts. From there, Intervals.icu sends the upcoming sessions to Garmin, Wahoo, Zwift, Suunto and COROS – to set this up, go to Settings → Connections in Intervals.icu, connect your device or platform and switch on the upload of planned workouts (e.g. “Upload planned workouts”). For Hammerhead Karoo, set up the connection in your Hammerhead account. Zwift uses the values in your Zwift profile (FTP, 5K time). Most services receive roughly the next 7 days at a time.
Does it work with the Apple Watch?
Not directly: there’s no official Intervals.icu integration for the Apple Watch. It’s only possible via third-party apps (e.g. Watchletic – the Intervals.icu import is a paid feature). Polar and TrainerRoad aren’t supported directly either. You can still see all your sessions in the Aspect App at any time – including in your smartphone’s browser.
Does Intervals.icu cost anything?
No. A free Intervals.icu account is all you need for the transfer. Intervals.icu also offers an optional supporter subscription – you don’t need it for this. Transferring from the Aspect App doesn’t cost anything extra either.
Do I have to keep my values up to date in two places?
No. In the plan view, the “Match target values” step (“Intervals.icu” button) checks whether Intervals.icu holds the same values as your plan – FTP, threshold HR, threshold pace or swim threshold pace (CSS), depending on what your plan uses. If anything differs, you see both values side by side, choose which one applies for each, and match them with one click. Nothing is overwritten without asking. To do this, you confirm access to your Intervals.icu sport settings once when connecting. Your indoor FTP stays unchanged, and HR zones are only recalculated if you explicitly ask for it. Zwift still uses the values in your Zwift profile.
Do I need an account in the Aspect App?
Not to view it: the access link also works without an account. With a free Aspect account, you save the plan permanently under “My plans” – and only then can you transfer it to your watch and bike computer via Intervals.icu.
When can I start the plan?
Whenever you like. The plan isn’t tied to a date but built in weeks (week 1 to 8), and each week starts on a Monday. If you have a race in mind, simply count back 8 weeks from race day. For the transfer to Intervals.icu, you choose your start Monday yourself – the Monday of the current week at the earliest.
What happens if I start later or need to reschedule?
No problem. If you want to start the whole plan later, simply choose a new start date in the plan view under “Intervals.icu” → “Reschedule” – the sessions are moved in your Intervals.icu calendar without any duplicate entries. If you no longer need the plan there, you can remove it again. Your own entries in Intervals.icu remain untouched. If just a single day doesn’t work, move the session within its week (see the next question).
Can I move sessions to other days?
Yes, within the plan week in question. With a free Aspect account, you can move a session to another day of the same week in the plan view or change the order within a day – by drag and drop on a computer, or via the “Move to…” menu on each session on a smartphone. The plan itself stays unchanged: moved sessions are marked with a small icon (e.g. “originally Tuesday”), and “Reset week” or “Reset whole plan” restores the original order. If the plan has been transferred to Intervals.icu, moves and resets are applied there automatically – and to your watch and bike computer at the next sync. If you move a transferred session within its week directly in the Intervals.icu calendar, the Aspect App picks this up (it can take about a minute). If a session ends up outside its plan week there, the app moves it back to its week and lets you know. Without an account, you can view the plan but not move sessions.
Is the plan tailored to me personally?
No – it’s a ready-made training plan that works for many athletes with a similar goal. If you’d like individual support, you’ll find 1:1 coaching at aspect-sports.com.
Do I have a right of withdrawal?
The training plan is digital content. With your express consent, it is made available before the withdrawal period has expired – your right of withdrawal then expires when provision begins (Section 356(5) of the German Civil Code, BGB). You’ll find the details in our withdrawal policy.
Base Building (Heart rate)
8 weeks · 65 sessions · €12.00 (final price*)
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