Duathlon | 6 months to go training programme

About the programme

This is the first stage in a six month training programme that will help you to complete a 7.5k run 30k cycle 7.5k run duathlon. It incorporates strength and endurance exercises to bring you up to speed by the time of your main event.

In the plan, you'll see runs and cycles marked as 'endurance' or 'speed'. Endurance runs and cycles should be slow and steady. Speed runs and cycles should be run at around a seven on the rating of perceived exertion scale. 

THE PROGRAMME

At this initial stage in training do three sessions per week - one run, one cycle and one strength and conditioning. 

Tip for this month:
Ease your self into training, if you go too hard too fast you can do more harm than good and make the next training stage harder. 

By the end of this month you should:
Start to feel fitter, stronger and familiar with training for two disciplines separately. 

The programme:
Repeat the following each week this month.

Day 1	Run – endurance – 3k
Day 2	REST
Day 3	Cycle - endurance - 15k
Day 4	REST
Day 5	Strength
Day 6	REST
Day 7	REST

Strength workout

Increase the number of reps and sets of the following exercises as you progress through the training programme.

Begin in the first week with two sets of the following with a minute's rest in between:
10 x Squats – one of the key movements to be strengthened and worked on for a better range of movement 
10 x Lunges – great development for sports-specific movement
10 x Step ups - to activate the glutes and prepare your legs for the stresses of cycling
10 x Press ups into TRX row – for upper body strength in both push and pull movements
30 secs x Swiss ball plank – for core strength, which will help with explosive power, holding the correct bike position and torso control when running 
30 secs each x Stretches - Hip flexor, quads, hamstrings, glutes, lats and chest to help prevent injury.

Last updated Friday 10 June 2016

First published on Thursday 12 May 2016