◂ ALL REPORTSTHE ROAD TO 70.3

WEEK 3 TRAINING PLAN

AUG 17 – 23, 2026  ·  IRONMAN 70.3 · 2027-05-16  ·  T-MINUS 272 DAYS  ·  PHASE: BASE-1 (WEEK 3 OF ~40)

Weekly Targets

SPORTTARGETBANKEDREMAININGSHAPE
Swim1,000 m250 m (Mon)750 m3 sessions total — frequency over distance
Bike20 mi—20 mi2–3 easy rides; safest place to add volume
Run12 mi—12 mi3–4 runs, longest 5 mi — deliberately below last week
Strength / MobilityongoingPushups & squats most days; 10 min stretching after sessions

Suggested Schedule (swap days freely — protect the rest day)

DAYSESSIONEFFORT CAP
Mon 8/17Swim 250 m — done · stretch 10 min—
Tue 8/18Run 3 mi easy · pushupsHR ≤ 145
Wed 8/19Bike 7–8 mi easy · squatsHR ≤ 135
Thu 8/20Swim 375 m · stretch 10 minno HR cap — technique focus, rest freely
Fri 8/21Rest (or easiest 3 mi run if feeling strong)—
Sat 8/22Bike 12 mi easy (longest ride) · pushupsHR ≤ 135
Sun 8/23Run 5 mi easy (longest run) · swim 375 m · stretchrun HR ≤ 145 (ceiling 150) · swim no cap

Morning Go / No-Go

Check resting HR on the dashboard before training.
  • ≤ 62 (at/below 7-day avg) — green light, train as planned
  • 63–65 — train, but easy only
  • ≥ 66 — swap to rest or stretching; the previous work isn't banked yet

The One Rule This Week

Every run and ride at conversational effort. (Swimming is exempt — HR there reflects technique, not fitness; rest freely and stop when form degrades.) Last Saturday's 10.4 mi averaged HR 171 — a race effort that cost three days of elevated RHR. The aerobic base you need is built at 130–145 bpm. If you can't speak in full sentences, slow down. Slower is the assignment, not a concession.

Fueling

  • ~2,300–2,500 kcal on training days (est. burn ≈ 2,400)
  • Protein ≥ 135 g every day — currently averaging ~36–70 g; this is the biggest gap in the program
  • Log complete days or none — partial days corrupt the averages
  • Fluids + electrolytes during any session over 60 min
  • Fiber typo class of error: macros should roughly satisfy 4P + 4C + 9F ≈ kcal (the build now checks this)

Week Checklist

  • [ ] 3 swims   [ ] 2–3 rides   [ ] 3–4 runs
  • [ ] No run over 5 mi, none over HR 150
  • [ ] Rest day actually rested
  • [ ] Protein logged ≥ 135 g on 5+ days
  • [ ] Stretching 3+ sessions
  • [ ] RHR back at ≤ 60 by end of week

Why These Numbers

Week 1 actual: 6.2 mi run / 1.7 mi bike / 0 swim. Week 2 actual: 13.5 / 7.0 / 200 m — inflated by one oversized run. Sustainable progress is +10–20% per week on what you've absorbed, not what you attempted. This week consolidates run volume slightly below last week, grows the bike (lowest injury risk, biggest race deficit), and triples swim frequency because at 450 lifetime meters the swim is a skill problem, not a fitness problem. Target weekly training load ≈ 400–450 TRIMP — normal and absorbable, no single day above ~150. It is week 3 of 40. Consistency beats heroics by nine months.