Complete 16-Week Half Ironman Training Plan

This comprehensive 16-week half ironman training plan will prepare you for your half Ironman 70.3 race, progressively building fitness while incorporating appropriate recovery periods. The plan is structured in phases to optimize your preparation and ensure you reach race day in peak condition.

Training Plan Overview

Below is a week-by-week breakdown of your 16-week journey to 70.3 readiness. Each week includes specific workouts across swimming, cycling, running, and strength training, with a progressive increase in volume and intensity.

Week 1: Build Phase 1 (6 hrs 16 mins)

Day	Workout	Duration	Focus
Monday	Swim	35 mins (1400m/y)	Steady/Endurance
Tuesday	Bike	38 mins	Hard/Threshold
Wednesday	Run	28 mins	V hard/VO2 Max
Thursday	Swim + Strength	40 mins + 45 mins	Hard/Threshold + Adaptation
Friday	Rest Day	–	Recovery
Saturday	Bike	2 hrs	Steady/Endurance
Sunday	Run	30 mins	Steady/Endurance

Week 2: Build Phase 1 (7 hrs 24 mins)

Day	Workout	Duration	Focus
Monday	Swim	40 mins (1600m/y)	Steady/Endurance
Tuesday	Bike	49 mins	Hard/Threshold
Wednesday	Run	40 mins	V Hard/VO2 Max
Thursday	Swim + Strength	40 mins + 45 mins	Hard/Threshold + Adaptation
Friday	Rest Day	–	Recovery
Saturday	Bike + Run	2 hrs 20 mins + 20 mins	Hard/Threshold + Brick
Sunday	Run	50 mins	Steady/Endurance

Week 3: Build Phase 1 (8 hrs 19 mins)

Day	Workout	Duration	Focus
Monday	Swim	45 mins (1800m/y)	Steady/Endurance
Tuesday	Bike	55 mins	Hard/Threshold
Wednesday	Run	44 mins	V Hard/VO2 Max
Thursday	Run + Strength	40 mins + 45 mins	Hard/Threshold + Endurance
Friday	Swim	50 mins (1800m/y)	Endurance/Tech
Saturday	Bike	60 mins	Steady/Endurance
Sunday	Run	30 mins	Steady/Endurance

Week 4: Recovery Week (5 hrs 30 mins)

Day	Workout	Duration	Focus
Monday	Rest Day	–	Complete Recovery
Tuesday	Swim	30 mins (1200m/y)	Technique Focus
Wednesday	Bike	45 mins	Easy/Z2 Only
Thursday	Run	30 mins	Easy/Z2 Only
Friday	Swim + Strength	35 mins + 30 mins	Easy + Maintenance
Saturday	Bike	1 hr 30 mins	Steady/Z2 Only
Sunday	Run	20 mins	Easy/Recovery

Week 5: Build Phase 2 (8 hrs 06 mins)

Day	Workout	Duration	Focus
Monday	Strength	45 mins	Endurance Phase
Tuesday	Bike	56 mins	Mod Hard/Tempo
Wednesday	Run	58 mins	Hard/Threshold
Thursday	Swim	50 mins (2000m/y)	V Hard/VO2 Max
Friday	Rest Day	–	Recovery
Saturday	Bike + Run	2 hrs 30 mins + 20 mins	Endurance + Brick
Sunday	Run	1 hr 7 mins	Steady/Endurance

Week 6: Build Phase 2 (8 hrs 34 mins)

Day	Workout	Duration	Focus
Monday	Strength	45 mins	Endurance Phase
Tuesday	Bike	61 mins	Mod Hard/Tempo
Wednesday	Run	53 mins	Hard/Threshold
Thursday	Swim	55 mins (2200m/y)	Steady/Endurance
Friday	Rest Day	–	Recovery
Saturday	Bike + Run	2 hrs 45 mins + 25 mins	Endurance + Brick
Sunday	Run	1 hr 20 mins	Steady/Long

Week 7: Build Phase 2 (9 hrs 19 mins)

Day	Workout	Duration	Focus
Monday	Strength	45 mins	Endurance Phase
Tuesday	Bike	1 hr 06 mins	Mod Hard/Tempo
Wednesday	Run	58 mins	Hard/Threshold
Thursday	Swim	1 hr (2400m/y)	Mod Hard/Tempo
Friday	Rest Day	–	Recovery
Saturday	Bike + Run	3 hrs + 30 mins	Endurance + Brick
Sunday	Run	1 hr 30 mins	Steady/Long

Week 8: Recovery Week (6 hrs)

Day	Workout	Duration	Focus
Monday	Rest Day	–	Complete Recovery
Tuesday	Swim	40 mins (1600m/y)	Technique Focus
Wednesday	Bike	50 mins	Easy/Z2 Only
Thursday	Run	40 mins	Easy/Z2 Only
Friday	Swim + Strength	40 mins + 30 mins	Easy + Maintenance
Saturday	Bike	2 hrs	Steady/Z2 Only
Sunday	Run	40 mins	Easy/Recovery

Week 9: Peak Phase (8 hrs 39 mins)

Day	Workout	Duration	Focus
Monday	Strength	45 mins	Strength Phase
Tuesday	Bike	1 hr 02 mins	Hard/Threshold
Wednesday	Run	52 mins	V Hard/VO2 Max
Thursday	Swim	1 hr (2400m/y)	Hard/Threshold
Friday	Rest Day	–	Recovery
Saturday	Bike + Run	3 hrs 15 mins + 30 mins	Race Simulation + Brick
Sunday	Run	1 hr 15 mins	Endurance/Pacing

Week 10: Peak Phase (7 hrs 33 mins)

Day	Workout	Duration	Focus
Monday	Strength	45 mins	Strength Phase
Tuesday	Bike	50 mins	Hard/Threshold
Wednesday	Run	43 mins	V Hard/VO2 Max
Thursday	Swim	1 hr 05 mins (2600m/y)	Hard/Threshold
Friday	Rest Day	–	Recovery
Saturday	Bike + Run	2 hrs 45 mins + 30 mins	Race Pace + Brick
Sunday	Run	55 mins	Race Pace Practice

Week 11: Peak Phase (8 hrs 15 mins)

Day	Workout	Duration	Focus
Monday	Strength	45 mins	Strength Phase
Tuesday	Bike	55 mins	Hard/Threshold
Wednesday	Run	50 mins	V Hard/VO2 Max
Thursday	Swim	1 hr (2400m/y)	Hard/Threshold
Friday	Rest Day	–	Recovery
Saturday	Bike + Run	3 hrs 30 mins + 30 mins	Race Simulation + Brick
Sunday	Run	45 mins	Race Pace Practice

Week 12: Pre-Race Taper (6 hrs 15 mins)

Day	Workout	Duration	Focus
Monday	Strength	30 mins	Maintenance
Tuesday	Bike	45 mins	Race Pace Intervals
Wednesday	Run	40 mins	Tempo/Threshold
Thursday	Swim	50 mins (2000m/y)	Race Pace Practice
Friday	Rest Day	–	Recovery
Saturday	Bike + Run	2 hrs + 20 mins	Endurance + Short Brick
Sunday	Run	1 hr	Long Steady

Week 13: Race Preparation (5 hrs 30 mins)

Day	Workout	Duration	Focus
Monday	Strength	30 mins	Maintenance
Tuesday	Bike	45 mins	Race Pace Intervals
Wednesday	Run	35 mins	Speed Work
Thursday	Swim	45 mins (1800m/y)	Race Simulation
Friday	Rest Day	–	Recovery
Saturday	Bike + Run	1 hr 45 mins + 20 mins	Race Specificity + Brick
Sunday	Run	50 mins	Steady/Endurance

Week 14: Race Preparation (4 hrs 45 mins)

Day	Workout	Duration	Focus
Monday	Strength	30 mins	Maintenance
Tuesday	Bike	40 mins	Race Pace Intervals
Wednesday	Run	30 mins	Speed Work
Thursday	Swim	40 mins (1600m/y)	Race Pace Practice
Friday	Rest Day	–	Recovery
Saturday	Bike + Run	1 hr 30 mins + 15 mins	Race Specificity + Brick
Sunday	Run	40 mins	Steady/Endurance

Week 15: Race Taper (3 hrs 30 mins)

Day	Workout	Duration	Focus
Monday	Rest Day	–	Recovery
Tuesday	Bike	35 mins	Short Intervals
Wednesday	Run	25 mins	Race Pace
Thursday	Swim	35 mins (1400m/y)	Technique/Confidence
Friday	Rest Day	–	Recovery
Saturday	Bike + Run	1 hr + 10 mins	Easy + Short Transition
Sunday	Run	25 mins	Easy with Strides

Week 16: Race Week (2 hrs plus race)

Day	Workout	Duration	Focus
Monday	Swim	25 mins (1000m/y)	Easy Technique
Tuesday	Bike	30 mins	Easy with 2-3 Short Pickups
Wednesday	Run	20 mins	Easy with 3-4 Strides
Thursday	Swim	20 mins (800m/y)	Easy/Confidence
Friday	Rest Day	–	Complete Rest
Saturday	Bike + Run	15 mins + 10 mins	Very Easy Shakeout
Sunday	RACE DAY	70.3 miles	Execute Race Plan!

What Is a 70.3 Training Program?

A 70.3 training program is a structured training plan designed specifically to prepare athletes for a half Ironman triathlon, which consists of a 1.2-mile (1900-meter) swim, a 56-mile (90-kilometer) bike ride, and a 13.1-mile (21.1-kilometer) run. This distance gets its name from the total mileage covered: 70.3 miles. These events typically take between four and eight hours to complete, depending on your fitness level and experience.

The primary purpose of a 70.3 training program is to systematically build the specific fitness required to complete all three disciplines back-to-back. Unlike preparing for three separate events, a half ironman training plan focuses on developing the endurance and resilience needed to transition between disciplines while managing energy expenditure throughout the race.

Key Elements of a 70.3 Training Program

A comprehensive half ironman training program includes:

• Structured workouts for swimming, cycling, and running
• Progressive build-up of distance and intensity
• Brick workouts (combining disciplines in a single session)
• Recovery periods and rest days
• Nutrition and hydration strategies
• Race-specific preparation

Most athletes require at least two sessions per week in each discipline (swim, bike, and run) to develop adequate fitness for a 70.3 event. This translates to training almost every day for several months, with longer rides and runs typically scheduled on weekends.

Training Progression and Phases

This 16-week program follows a systematic progression through several key phases:

Build Phases (Weeks 1-7)

During the initial building phases, you’ll progressively increase training volume and intensity to develop the endurance and strength needed for a 70.3 race. The workouts gradually increase in duration and intensity, with specific focus on building capacity in each discipline.

Recovery Weeks (Weeks 4 & 8)

Strategically placed recovery weeks allow your body to adapt to the training stimulus and prevent overtraining. These weeks feature reduced volume and intensity but maintain training frequency to preserve fitness while promoting recovery.

Peak Phase (Weeks 9-11)

The peak phase incorporates race-specific intensities and simulation workouts to prepare your body for race day demands. This is where the highest training volumes occur, with particular emphasis on brick workouts (bike-to-run transitions).

Taper Period (Weeks 12-16)

The final weeks involve a gradual reduction in training volume while maintaining some intensity to keep you sharp. This taper allows your body to fully recover and supercompensate, ensuring you arrive at the start line fresh and ready to perform.

Key Components of an Effective Half Ironman Training Plan

Swim Training for 70.3

Swimming is often the most technically demanding discipline in triathlon. An effective half ironman training program typically includes:

• Technique-focused sessions with drills
• Endurance-building sets in zone 2
• Higher-intensity intervals to develop speed
• Open water practice when possible

A sample swim workout from a beginner plan might include:

• Warm Up: 100 freestyle in Z2, 100 drill in Z2, 100 pull in Z2
• Main Set: 200 pull in Z2, 3 x 100 freestyle in Z3, 3 x 100 pull in Z2, 2 x 100 freestyle in Z3
• Warm Down: 50 choice in Z2 + 50 freestyle in Z2

Most training plans recommend 2-3 swim sessions per week, gradually building to comfortable completion of the 1.2-mile distance.

Bike Training for Half Ironman

Since cycling comprises the largest portion of a 70.3 race, bike training is a critical component of any half ironman training schedule. Effective bike workouts include:

• Long endurance rides at moderate intensity
• Threshold intervals to build sustainable power
• Hill repeats for strength development
• Technique and efficiency drills

A sample bike workout might look like:

• Warm Up: 15 minutes in Z2
• Main Set: 3 x (5 minutes in low Z4 + 60 second recoveries in Z1)
• Warm Down: 5 minutes in Z2

Most training plans gradually build to rides exceeding the race distance, with the longest training rides typically reaching 3-4 hours in duration.

Run Training for Half Ironman

Run training for a 70.3 requires building endurance while preserving your body, as running presents the highest injury risk of all three disciplines. A balanced run program includes:

• Base-building easy runs
• Threshold intervals for race pace development
• Progressive long runs
• Brick workouts (runs immediately following bike sessions)

A sample run workout from a beginner plan:

• Warm Up: 10 minutes in Z2
• Main Set: 6 minutes in Z4 + 2 minutes recovery in Z1-2, 3 minutes in low Z5 + 2 minute recoveries in Z1
• Warm Down: 5 minutes easy jog in Z2

Most half ironman training programs include 2-3 run sessions per week, with long runs building to at least the half marathon distance.

Strength and Conditioning

While often overlooked, strength training is vital for 70.3 success. Most comprehensive training plans include:

• Core strengthening exercises
• Sport-specific resistance training
• Mobility and flexibility work
• Injury prevention routines

Typically, 1-2 strength sessions per week of 30-45 minutes are recommended, focusing on functional movements that support triathlon performance.

Conclusion

This 16-week half Ironman 70.3 training program provides a structured approach to preparing for your race. By following this progressive plan, you’ll develop the specific fitness needed across all three disciplines while building endurance and resilience for race day.

Remember that consistency is more important than perfection. If you need to adjust the plan to accommodate your life schedule, prioritize the key workouts (weekend long sessions and brick workouts) and maintain the overall structure of build and recovery periods.

Good luck with your training and race!