A sprint triathlon can be any triathlon where each leg is shorter than the olympic distance triathlon. The official sprint distances are a 750 meter swim, 20K Bike and a 5K run. However, if you look around at your local sprint races, you may find some deviation from these distances.
Sprints are fun, they don’t take too long to complete and they really get your heart rate going. If this is your first triathlon, get ready to have some fun! and if you are a seasoned triathlete looking to get faster or more efficient, then a solid sprint triathlon training plan is what you need.
Before looking at various plans, there are a couple tips to keep in mind and questions to ask yourself:
1) Which leg is going to be my weakest?
Are you strong in one of the 3 sports and weak in another? As tempting as it will be to train more in your strong sport, it is more important to train in your weak sport. Take it from me, it doesn’t matter how fast you can run if your legs are shot after the bike ride. The mantra that helps me is “Punish Your Weakness”
So if during training, you end up missing a workout or two, make sure these missed workouts are in your strong sport and do all the training for your weaker sport(s).
2) What is my goal for this race(s) or season?
Is your goal simply to finish your first triathlon? then get ready for a lot of fun and learning. Figuring out how transition works is probably the biggest deal for first timers. Also, mass swim starts in the open water will probably be a new experience. The key here is to remember it is all for fun and just keep calm. Both transition and swim start are not nearly as bad as you may have heard.
If your goal is to get faster at all triathlon distances, then sprint training is the way to go. Similar to how marathon runners can focus a portion of their season improving their 5K and 10K times to run faster marathons, training for a fast sprint will help you get faster at all distances.
Depending on your goal, the training plan will obviously be different. For those looking to finish, the focus should be on skill work and time in the water, on the bike, and running. You should complete a number of “brick workouts” where you finish a bike then quickly change into your running shoes and go out for a short run.
If you are looking to get fast, you should be doing a lot of interval work. Such as 10 x 200m repeats running, 4 x 1mile bike repeats, etc. The swim is so skill based, that until you have solid technique, intervals should only be as fast as you can go while maintaining good form.
Which Sprint Triathlon Training Plan is right for you? If you are new and just dabbling the sport a book such as the Triathlon Training in Four Hours a Week: From Beginner to Finish Line in Just Six Weeks
will suit you well. Also look into a local tri club so you can train with other like minded athletes.
If you are looking to get fast and strong I would go with either a local coach or a good online coaching program such as the one at iTrain. Train for your next Triathlon with iTRAIN! Start now and save 10%! Use coupon code ITRAIN10 This is a great program where the coaches keep you motivated to get faster and stronger with each workout.
If your goal is to get strong and fast, then I would suggest a mixed weight and triathlon training plan like the one at Tri Ripped
Any one of these options will suit you well for a solid performance at any sprint triathlon.
