Olympic Triathlon

The Olympic Distance: Triathlon's Sweet Spot

The Olympic distance (1.5km swim, 40km bike, 10km run) is triathlon's most popular format. It's long enough to reward smart pacing and endurance, but short enough to race hard throughout. This plan is designed for athletes who have completed a sprint triathlon or have solid fitness in at least two of the three sports.

The Training Architecture

Olympic distance training requires balancing volume, intensity, and recovery across three sports. Your training week will typically include:

Swimming (2-3 sessions/week): Building from 2,000m to 3,500m+ per session. Focus on open water skills, sighting technique, and sustained threshold efforts.

Cycling (2-3 sessions/week): Progressing from 60-minute rides to 2-3 hour endurance efforts. Include tempo intervals, hill work, and race-pace practice.

Running (3-4 sessions/week): Base runs, tempo efforts, and brick runs. Building from 15-20 miles to 25-30 miles per week.

The Four Phases

Base Building (Weeks 1-4): Establish consistent training across all sports. Swimming focuses on technique and building to 2,500m sessions. Cycling builds to 90-minute rides. Running establishes 20-25 mile weeks with easy pace focus.

Build Phase (Weeks 5-9): Add quality work in each sport. Swimming includes threshold sets (400m-800m repeats). Cycling adds tempo intervals and extends long rides to 2-2.5 hours. Running incorporates tempo runs and the first brick workouts appear.

Peak Training (Weeks 10-12): Your highest volume and intensity. Regular brick sessions, race-pace practice in each sport, and full transition rehearsals. Long rides reach 3 hours, run volume peaks at 30 miles/week.

Taper & Race (Weeks 13-14): Volume drops 40-50% while maintaining sharpness with short, intense efforts. You'll practice your race-morning routine and arrive ready to execute.

Critical Training Concepts

The long bike is essential: Your weekend long ride builds muscular endurance and mental toughness. These 2-3 hour efforts teach your body to stay aero and powerful when fatigued.

Brick workouts teach specificity: Running off the bike is a unique sensation. Regular bike-to-run workouts prepare your legs for this neuromuscular challenge.

Swimming efficiency matters most: In a 1.5km swim, poor technique costs minutes. Focus on reducing drag, improving rotation, and maintaining consistent tempo.

Pacing is everything: The Olympic distance is short enough that poor pacing decisions have immediate consequences. Train at race effort to internalize what sustainable feels like.

Nutrition and Hydration

During Training: Practice taking nutrition on the bike during your long rides. You should be able to eat and drink without slowing down or compromising form.

Race Day Protocol: You'll need 30-45g carbohydrates per hour. Plan to consume most of this on the bike through a combination of sports drink and gels or bars.

Hydration Strategy: Start the race hydrated. Take water at every aid station on the bike. The run has aid stations every 1-2km—use them.

Race Day Execution

Swim (1.5km): Start strong but controlled. Find feet to draft behind by the first buoy. Sight every 6-8 strokes. Stay relaxed and save your legs for the bike.

T1 (Swim-to-Bike): Take 15-20 seconds to compose yourself. Get your helmet on properly, grab your bike, and start smooth.

Bike (40km): The first 10km should feel easy—you're recovering from the swim. Build into race effort by 15km. Fuel consistently every 15-20 minutes. Stay aero and smooth.

T2 (Bike-to-Run): Your legs will feel heavy. Rack your bike properly, grab your race number and hat, and start the run conservatively.

Run (10km): The first kilometer will feel strange—let your legs find their rhythm. Settle into pace by 2km. The run is where you prove your fitness. Stay strong, stay present, finish proud.

The Olympic Distance Reality

This distance demands everything—swim technique, bike power, run endurance, and mental toughness. There's nowhere to hide. But that's exactly why finishing feels so rewarding. You've earned every second of that finish line.