Free 6-month Ironman base training plan

Your Ironman may be a dot on the horizon, but now’s the time to lay some swim/bike/run foundations. Here’s Dermott Hayes with his six-month base plan for iron-distance

Published: November 21, 2017 at 12:19 pm

Building a solid base for Ironman is crucial to laying down the foundations for the season ahead. It'll also ensure your body is in the best shape possible for when it comes to starting the intensive training phase.

The volume of the training is fairly light at the start, but it’ll build progressively at a rate that allows you to stay injury-free and motivated to keep developing.

Most of the sessions here are aerobic and this is perfect for promoting the kind of energy systems that are used predominantly in long-course triathlon racing. Keep training routes simple for now and the terrain doesn’t need to be too technical or challenging: just get out there and get moving.

For all athletes, complete interval sessions in a location that allows you to control the environment, meaning they’re often best conducted indoors. All pool sessions are based around a 25m pool but adjust accordingly. And, of course, adapt these plans to your own tri strengths and weaknesses. Download the Six Month Ironman base training plan below

Once completed you'll be the perfect place to begin your intensive IM training, and in particular our six month Ironman training plan