The PC Coach support team often receives the question, "How many hours do I need to train each week to prepare for a triathlon?" Sometimes the athlete is considering the Olympic distance; sometimes a Sprint, Half-Ironman or Ironman.

The PC Coach Mike Pigg's Triathlon Training plan can coach you for each of these distances, and in the start-up interview, the software asks you, "How much time do you have available for training each week?" The plan then schedules workouts accordingly.

What is a realistic number of hours per week to train for your event? The answer depends on how many hours you have available, what level of experience you have, and what your goals are for the season. (Remember to factor in your job, family time, and other commitments.)

We consulted the writings of leading Triathlon authors, and compiled the recommended weekly training time for different race formats and experience levels below. (For more information on these books, or to purchase one, please visit our store. )

Our first resource is Michael Finch's Triathlon Training - Race programs for sprint distance through Ironman ($17.95). This is a new book that was just released, and it's a great resource for the beginner to intermediate triathlete. The photos are inspiring and the content covers a variety of topics from training plans to transitions. I have to take this opportunity to quote from this book because it reinforces what we at PC Coach believe and why we're here!

"Call it a logbook or a training diary, this is almost as important as the training itself. A logbook serves two purposes. 1. It provides the triathletes with an accurate record of training before a major event. 2. It is probably the cheapest and most effective motivational tool on the market."

The book's detailed weekly training program for a sprint distance triathlon takes you from base building through an intensity phase to the race phase, all in about six hours per week. Michael's book also has programs for longer distance triathlons.

Another relatively new book on our list is Triathlete's Edge ($19.95) by professional triathlon coach Marc Evans. Marc offers annual training time in hours, and I've broken that down into weekly figures here.

Suggested weekly training time from the Triathlete's Edge:

Serious Training for Endurance Athletes by Rob Sleamaker and Ray Browning, in its second edition, is a comprehensive resource for triathlon training. This book will take your training through the base phase, intensity phase, peaking, racing and recovery. For those of you who are looking past a single season, the authors recommend adding a 5-10% increase over the previous year's total hours.

Suggested weekly training time from SERIOUS training:

Consistently throughout these books I've read about the importance of recovery. Take one day off (or make it an easy day) each week.

Another triathlon training expert is Sally Edwards, member of the Triathlon Hall of Fame, and the national spokesperson for the Danskin Women's Triathlon. Sally is the author of the Complete Book of Triathlons (16.95). Her training plans for the sprint distance tri start as low as five hours a week for an absolute beginner and progress up to 6-9 hours per week for more experienced athletes.

One important guideline that Sally included (and that was consistently applied by other authors, as well) was the 10% rule. You can increase time and you can increase intensity, but not both at the same time. Choose one and then increase it a max of 10% per week. Staying within this rule and allowing for proper recovery between workouts will help ensure you don't overtrain.

Finally, I'll pass along a helpful exercise that is offered in Swim Bike Run, ($17.95) by Hobson, Campbell and Vickers. There are 168 hours in a week. Deduct from that the number of hours that you work, sleep, travel, eat, spend with family, relax, attend social functions, spend on home maintenance projects or hobbies, etc. How many hours are left? That's your available training time.

This brings us back to the PC Coach Mike Pigg's Triathlon Training plan. The most important consideration in setting up the plan is deciding what is realistic for you. MOST triathletes have jobs. A lot have families. Some want to continue to have a social life. Be realistic about how much time you have to spend training.

If you only have 7 hours per week to train, you can train well for a Sprint or Olympic distance, but an Ironman race may not be realistic this year. Select a realistic number of training hours and race goal - then follow your plan. You will have the chance to "update" the Pigg plan every three weeks, so if you wish to increase or reduce the number of training hours you can.

The Pigg plan emphasizes the quality of that training time (rather than the quantity). It will give you a specific heart rate goal for each workout. And, with the MAF test measuring your progress every three weeks, the plan will detect if you are training too hard, or if you need to increase your intensity.

Train smart, stay healthy, and race a great season!

Find more information on our triathlon books, here.

Find information on the Pigg Triathlon software, here.