This 9-week training plan is for experienced triathletes looking to race an Olympic distance event under three hours - or improve their current time. To improve your speed we'll use a combination of heart rate monitoring (be sure to read the Intensity document), pace (speed) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE). I've also included a few power-based workouts for those of you that have access to power meters on your bike. (No, a powermeter is not a "must" to use this plan)

To get the most out of this training plan, you need to know or estimate your open 10k run time (run time not at the end of a triathlon.) To get your open 10k run time, use a recent result from a running event. To estimate your open 10k pace from a triathlon event, subtract 10 to 20 seconds per mile. (Your open 10k time is typically faster than a triathlon 10k time.) If you have a powermeter for your bicycle, know your average power output for an all-out 30-minute time trial (CP30).

Your training hours remain steady at 10:30 for all working weeks and recovery weeks are at 5:45. Improved speed is achieved by specific quality workouts, strategically planned. Part of the strategy is recovery within a week and recovery weeks.

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Training volume: