Triathlon: how to balance swim, bike and run training
How much time to give each discipline in triathlon, how to combine them in the week and why total load matters more than each sport.
In triathlon the challenge isn't just improving in three sports, but doing so without the sum of all three wearing you out. That's why you should look at total load as well as each discipline.
A starting split
For an amateur triathlete, a reasonable starting point is about half of the time on the bike, 30% running and 20% swimming. The bike is where you spend the most time on race day and where there's the most to gain.
Adjust for your weaknesses
- If you come from swimming, you can trim pool time and add bike.
- If swimming is hard for you, two or three short technique sessions beat one long one.
- Running has the most impact: increase its volume more carefully.
Brick sessions
Bike-to-run sessions teach you to run on loaded legs. One a week during the specific block is usually enough.
One load
Fatigue doesn't care about sports. An easy running week with a lot of cycling can be a hard week. Measuring the load of every session on the same scale lets you plan recovery weeks sensibly.