kovaaWeekly hours, beginner20 weeks
Lighter bars are recovery weeks. Peak week 7.8 h.
1.9 km swim, 90 km bike, 21.1 km run
70.3 triathlon training plan
A 20-week plan for a 70.3 triathlon (1.9 km swim, 90 km bike, 21.1 km run). If you're intermediate, expect 7–13 hours a week through base, build, peak and taper. Here's how the season is laid out for beginner, intermediate and advanced athletes, with its phases and some of the key workouts.
Updated
20weeks
4–8hours a week
7sessions a week
The phases
| Phase | Weeks | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Base | Weeks 1–9 | Aerobic fitness, technique and strength. Mostly easy, with one or two controlled harder sessions a week. |
| Build | Weeks 10–16 | Race-specific work: longer threshold and race-pace efforts, plus bricks. |
| Peak | Weeks 17–18 | Your biggest weeks, and race rehearsals. |
| Taper | Week 19 | Volume drops but the intensity stays, so you arrive fresh. |
| Race | Week 20 | Short openers during the week, then race day. |
Key workouts
Run
Race-Pace Run
Rehearses your race pace until it feels automatic.
| 01 | Warm UpZ2 | 15:00 |
| 02 | Race PaceZ3 | 3 × 12:00 |
| 03 | Cool DownZ1 | 10:00 |
Race pace should feel almost too easy early on.
Bike
Sweet Spot, Short
Sweet spot work that fits in an hour.
| 01 | Warm UpZ2 | 15:00 |
| 02 | Sweet SpotZ3 | 2 × 15:00 |
| 03 | Cool DownZ1 | 5:00 |
Shorter warm-up, so ease into the first block.
Swim
Long Swim
Builds the endurance to swim the full distance and still ride well.
| 01 | Warm UpZ2 | 400 m |
| 02 | Long SwimZ2 | 2000 m |
| 03 | Cool DownZ1 | 200 m |
Settle into a rhythm you could hold all day; sight every 6–9 strokes even in the pool.
20weeks
7–13hours a week
7sessions a week
Weekly hours, intermediate20 weeks
Lighter bars are recovery weeks. Peak week 12.5 h.
The phases
| Phase | Weeks | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Base | Weeks 1–9 | Aerobic fitness, technique and strength. Mostly easy, with one or two controlled harder sessions a week. |
| Build | Weeks 10–16 | Race-specific work: longer threshold and race-pace efforts, plus bricks. |
| Peak | Weeks 17–18 | Your biggest weeks, and race rehearsals. |
| Taper | Week 19 | Volume drops but the intensity stays, so you arrive fresh. |
| Race | Week 20 | Short openers during the week, then race day. |
Key workouts
Run
Cruise Intervals
Five 1 km repeats at threshold, with short jogs between them.
| 01 | Warm UpZ2 | 15:00 |
| 02 | StridesZ5 | 4 × 20s |
| 03 | CruiseZ4 | 5 × 1000 m |
| 04 | Cool DownZ1 | 10:00 |
Short rests keep it aerobic; don't take extra.
Bike
Race-Pace Blocks
Rehearses 70.3 race power until it's automatic.
| 01 | Warm UpZ2 | 20:00 |
| 02 | Race PaceZ3 | 2 × 30:00 |
| 03 | Cool DownZ1 | 15:00 |
Aero position, race nutrition: 60–90 g carbs an hour.
Swim
Long Swim
Builds the endurance to swim the full distance and still ride well.
| 01 | Warm UpZ2 | 400 m |
| 02 | Long SwimZ2 | 2000 m |
| 03 | Cool DownZ1 | 200 m |
Settle into a rhythm you could hold all day; sight every 6–9 strokes even in the pool.
20weeks
9–14hours a week
8sessions a week
Weekly hours, advanced20 weeks
Lighter bars are recovery weeks. Peak week 13.2 h.
The phases
| Phase | Weeks | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Base | Weeks 1–9 | Aerobic fitness, technique and strength. Mostly easy, with one or two controlled harder sessions a week. |
| Build | Weeks 10–16 | Race-specific work: longer threshold and race-pace efforts, plus bricks. |
| Peak | Weeks 17–18 | Your biggest weeks, and race rehearsals. |
| Taper | Week 19 | Volume drops but the intensity stays, so you arrive fresh. |
| Race | Week 20 | Short openers during the week, then race day. |
Key workouts
Run
Cruise Intervals
Five 1 km repeats at threshold, with short jogs between them.
| 01 | Warm UpZ2 | 15:00 |
| 02 | StridesZ5 | 4 × 20s |
| 03 | CruiseZ4 | 5 × 1000 m |
| 04 | Cool DownZ1 | 10:00 |
Short rests keep it aerobic; don't take extra.
Bike
Race-Pace Blocks
Rehearses 70.3 race power until it's automatic.
| 01 | Warm UpZ2 | 20:00 |
| 02 | Race PaceZ3 | 2 × 30:00 |
| 03 | Cool DownZ1 | 15:00 |
Aero position, race nutrition: 60–90 g carbs an hour.
Swim
Long Swim
Builds the endurance to swim the full distance and still ride well.
| 01 | Warm UpZ2 | 400 m |
| 02 | Long SwimZ2 | 2000 m |
| 03 | Cool DownZ1 | 200 m |
Settle into a rhythm you could hold all day; sight every 6–9 strokes even in the pool.
Your own plan will look different.
The app builds yours from your race date, the days you can train and your thresholds. The Plan tab shows each week next to what you've actually done, and every session lists its steps and targets before it goes to your Apple Watch.
When your week doesn't go to plan.
- A short night or a low HRVThe hard session turns into an easy one and moves later in the week.
- A missed sessionKey sessions get moved, easier ones get dropped, and the week's load stays in a safe range.
- Sick, injured or travelingTell kovaa and it rebuilds the next few days around it, then eases you back in.
- You get fasterWhen a test or race shows a new FTP, threshold pace or CSS, kovaa suggests new targets.
Questions
How many weeks do I need to train for a 70.3 triathlon?
kovaa builds a 20-week plan for a 70.3 triathlon if you have that long. With fewer weeks, it keeps the taper, cuts the base phase the most, and trims build and peak to fit. A full race plan needs at least 20 weeks for beginners, 12 for intermediate and 8 for advanced athletes. With less time than that, kovaa gives you a plan to finish safely instead.
How many hours a week does 70.3 training take?
Beginner: about 4–8 hours a week. Intermediate: about 7–13 hours a week. Advanced: about 9–14 hours a week. Every third or fourth week is a lighter recovery week. Short on time? The intermediate plan also fits into 6–8 hours.
What happens if I miss a session?
kovaa rebuilds the rest of the week. Key sessions get moved, easier ones get dropped, it won't stack two sessions on one day, and the week's load stays within safe limits. Small changes happen on their own. Bigger ones show up as a suggestion you can accept or skip.
Is this the plan I would get in the app?
Yes, it's the same engine. Yours is built around your race date, the days and hours you have, your thresholds (FTP, threshold pace and CSS) and any injuries, then adjusted every morning from your sleep, HRV and resting heart rate.