Want to train for an Olympic Triathlon and still maintain your half marathon running base? Wondering how to add swimming and cycling to an already full week of running? The answer is simple; run less. Yes, running fewer days during the week but keeping the intensity high, adding speed work, tempo runs and keeping your long runs long, and then adding swimming and biking makes it possible.

Below is an Olympic Triathlon plus Half Marathon Training Plan incorporating half marathon training for the run portion instead of a 10k allowing you to maintain your half marathon base while ramping up for the triathlon. Because it’s designed for the time crunched working mom (me!) in mind, the work-outs are short and intense during the week. This is definitely not a beginner plan but for someone with a solid fitness base. I’m such a fan of this cross training system I’m using it for my current marathon training…but increasing the run distances of course! Give it a “tri” and let me know you thoughts in the comment section below.

Week 1
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Bike 40 minutes moderate with 4 x 30 second sprints scattered.
Wednesday: Swim 500 meters total. Main set: 4 x 25 meter sprints, rest interval (RI) 20 seconds. | Run 4 miles total. Main set: 4 x 400 meters at 20 seconds faster than 5k race pace, RI = 200 meters.
Thursday: Bike 40 minutes moderate.
Friday: Swim 500 meters total. Main set: 2 x 50 meters race pace, RI = 15 seconds. | Run 4 miles moderate.
Saturday: Swim 500 meters moderate. | Bike 15 miles moderate.
Sunday: Run 8 miles easy.

Week 2
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Bike 40 minutes moderate with 6 x 30 second sprints scattered.
Wednesday: Swim 750 meters total. Main set: 8 x 25 meter sprints, RI = 20 seconds. | Run 4 miles total. Main set: 2 x 1200 at 10 seconds faster than 5k race pace, RI = 400 meters.
Thursday: Bike 40 minutes moderate + 5 minutes hard.
Friday: Swim 750 meters total. Main set: 4 x 50 meters race pace, RI = 15 seconds. | Run 4 miles moderate.
Saturday: Swim 800 meters moderate. | Bike 20 miles moderate.
Sunday: Run 10 miles easy.

Week 3
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Bike 40 minutes moderate with 8 x 30 second sprints scattered.
Wednesday: Swim 800 meters total. Main set 10 x 25 sprints, RI = 20 seconds. | Run 5 miles total. Main set: 4 x 800 meters at 15 seconds faster than 5k pace, RI = 400 meters.
Thursday: Bike 40 minutes moderate + 8 minutes comfortably hard.
Friday: Swim 800 meters total. Main set 3 x 100 meters at race pace, RI = 20 seconds. | Run 4.5 miles moderate.
Saturday: Swim 1000 meters moderate. | Bike 20 miles moderate.
Sunday: Run 10 miles easy – pick up pace last 30 seconds.

Week 4 (Recovery)
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Bike 40 minutes moderate 6 x 30 second sprints scattered.
Wednesday: Swim 500 meters total. Main set 4 x 25 meter sprints, RI = 20 seconds. | Run 4.5 miles total. Main set: 6 x 400 meters at 20 seconds faster than 5k race pace, RI = 200 meters.
Thursday: Bike 40 minutes moderate + 5 minutes comfortably hard.
Friday: Swim 500 meters total. Main set: 2 x 50 meters race pace, RI = 15 seconds. | Run 4 miles moderate.
Saturday: Swim 800 meters moderate. | Bike 15 miles moderate.
Sunday: Run 8 miles easy.

Week 5
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Bike 45 minutes with 8 x 1 minute hard efforts scattered.
Wednesday: Swim 900 meters total. Main set 6 x 50 sprints, RI = 20 seconds. | Run 5.5 miles total. Main set: 4 x 800 meters at 15 seconds faster than 5k pace, RI = 400 meters.
Thursday: Bike 40 minutes moderate + 8 minutes comfortably hard.
Friday: Swim 900 meters total. Main set 2 x 200 meters at race pace, RI = 30 seconds. | Run 4.5 miles moderate + 4 x 10 second hill sprints.
Saturday: Swim 1000 meters moderate. | Bike 20 miles moderate. | 10 minute easy transition run.
Sunday: Run 10 miles easy – try to run last mile slightly faster than rest.

Week 6
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Bike 45 minutes with 6 x 2 minute hard efforts scattered.
Wednesday: Swim 1000 meters total. Main set 8 x 50 sprints, RI = 20 seconds. | Run 5 miles total. Main set: 3 x 1200 meters at 10 seconds faster than 5k race pace, RI = 400 meters.
Thursday: Bike 40 minutes moderate + 10 minutes comfortably hard.
Friday: Swim 1000 meters total. Main set 4 x 100 meters at race pace, RI = 20 seconds. | Run 4.5 miles moderate + 4 x 10 second hill sprints.
Saturday: Swim 1200 meters moderate. | Bike 25 miles moderate.
Sunday: Run 10 miles easy – finish second half slightly faster than first.

Week 7
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Bike 45 minutes with 4 x 3 minute hard efforts scattered.
Wednesday: Swim 1100 meters total. Main set 10 x 50 sprints, RI = 20 seconds. | Run 5 miles total. Main set: 2 x 1600 meters at 5 seconds faster than 5k race pace, RI = 800 meters.
Thursday: Bike 40 minutes moderate + 12 minutes comfortably hard.
Friday: Swim 1100 meters total. Main set 3 x 200 meters at race pace, RI = 30 seconds. | Run 5 miles moderate + 4 x 10 second hill sprints.
Saturday: Swim 1200 meters moderate. | Bike 25 miles moderate. | 15 minute moderate transition run.
Sunday: Run 11 miles easy.

Week 8 (Recovery)
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Bike 40 minutes with 6 x 1 minute hard efforts scattered.
Wednesday: Swim 900 meters total. Main set 8 x 50 sprints, RI = 20 seconds. | Run 5 miles total. Main set: 3 x 800 meters at 15 seconds faster than 5k pace, RI = 400 meters.
Thursday: Bike 40 minutes moderate + 8 minutes comfortably hard.
Friday: Swim 900 meters total. Main set 2 x 200 meters at race pace, RI = 30 seconds. | Run 4 miles moderate.
Saturday: Swim 1100 meters moderate. | Bike 20 miles moderate.
Sunday: Run 10 miles easy.

Week 9
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Bike 50 minutes with 6 x 2 minute hard efforts scattered.
Wednesday: Swim 1200 meters total. Main set 6 x 75 sprints, RI = 20 seconds. | Run 5 miles total. Main set: 8 x 400 meters at 20 seconds faster than 5k race pace, RI = 200 meters.
Thursday: Bike 40 minutes moderate + 15 minutes comfortably hard.
Friday: Swim 1200 meters total. Main set: 3 x 200 meters at race pace, RI = 20 seconds. | Run 5 miles moderate + 4 x 10 second hill sprints.
Saturday: Swim 1500 meters moderate. | Bike 30 miles moderate. | 20 minute moderate transition run.
Sunday: Run 11 miles easy.

Week 10
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Bike 50 minutes with 5 x 3 minute hard efforts scattered.
Wednesday: Swim 1300 meters total. Main set: 8 x 75 meter sprints, RI = 20 seconds. | Run 6.5 miles total. Main set: 6 x 800 meters at 15 seconds faster than 5k race pace, RI = 400 meters.
Thursday: Bike 40 minutes moderate + 18 minutes comfortably hard.
Friday: Swim 1300 meters total. Main set: 2 x 300 meters at race pace, RI = 30 seconds. | Run 5.5 miles moderate + 4 x 10 second hill sprints.
Saturday: Swim 1600 meters moderate. | Bike 30 miles moderate.
Sunday: Run 12 miles easy.

Week 11
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Bike 15 minutes easy, 20 minutes comfortably hard, 15 minutes easy.
Wednesday: Swim 1500 meters total. Main set 10 x 75 meter sprints, RI = 20 seconds. | Run 6 miles total. Run 2 miles easy, 3 miles at 10k race pace, 1 mile easy.
Thursday: Bike 45 minutes with 8 x 1 minute hard efforts scattered.
Friday: Swim 1600 meters total. Main set: 3 x 300 meters at race pace, RI = 30 seconds. | Run 4.5 miles moderate + 4 x 10 second hill sprints.
Saturday: Swim 1800 meters total. Main set: 600 meters at race pace. | Bike 20 miles moderate + 5 miles at race pace. | 10 minute transition run at race pace.
Sunday: Run 10 miles moderate + 2 miles at race pace.

Week 12 (Race Week)
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Bike 10 minutes easy, 10 minutes hard, 10 minutes easy.
Wednesday: 750 meters total. Main set 3 x 100 meter sprints, RI = 20 seconds. | Run 5 miles total. Run 2 miles easy, 1 mile at 10k race pace, 2 miles easy.
Thursday: Bike 45 minutes with 5 x 30 second sprints.
Friday: Swim 500 meters moderate. | Run 3 miles easy.
Saturday: Swim 10 minutes with 4 x 30 second race pace. | Bike 10 minutes with 4 x 30 second hard. | Run 10 minutes with 4 x 20 second race pace.
Sunday: RACE!!