Triathlon - Can I train for a Tri in 4 days a week?

I'm new to this forum, having been a runner for a while and recently purchased my first road bike, I am now ready to train for my first triathlon. I've wanted to do one for years and have about half a dozen books on tri training, but the books all have training that involves 5-6 days/week and I work three 14-hr days a week (sometimes four) so it is nearly impossible to train on those days unless I cut my sleep down to 6 hours those nights (which doesn't make much sense to me). Have any of you successfully trained for a tri training only 3-4 days/week?

I'm a member of the local university rec center which has a nice lap pool and plenty of indoor training options too. Swimming and biking are the areas I'll have to work on since I've never done anything competitive in those.

Any and all suggestions are welcome! Thanks in advance...

Yup.

I bet you could complete a sprint tri right now.

Maybe join the university cycling team too, if there is one?

Yes. Even less depending on other things.

Other questions:

What distance are you wanting to do? (sprint/olympic/ironman)
Do you want to be competitive or just finish?

To be competitive and/or for the longer distances you'll have to train more of course, but i've only done sprint distance events so far and for now i'm content with just finishing with a decent time and not feeling like crap at the end. I'd usually swim once or twice a week (30-40 minutes), run once (just a mile or two), and then bike afew times (occasional 6 mile commute to work and/or a 20-30 mile weekend rec ride). Then again my training lately has been to maintain rather than build up my fitness.

But yes, 3-4 days a week, as long as you're consistent and putting in a good effort is plenty to get ready for a triathlon. As long as you start far enough in advance. :D (at least a month or two if you've never done one or are really weak in swimming/cycling)

Thanks for your responses.

My husband and I would like to train for a sprint distance tri to start, possibly working up to olympic distance in the future. Both of us have solid running history (have completed marathons and shorter races) but have never competed in any biking/swimming events. My husband has taken swim lessons in his younger years (he is 27, I'm 26) and therefore has more knowledge of proper strokes, etc., than me.

Anyway, I feel like most people who are motivated adequately can do whatever they decide to do, but logistically I wanted to make sure that my work schedule isn't setting me up for failure. I think I can do some pretty good training if I use my off days optimally (possibly doing AM and PM workouts), but am curious to hear the stories of others who've trained under similar circumstances.

Triathletes, in my opinion, are some of the most well-rounded athletes since they are using all of their major muscle groups in training for three activities. As a nurse this appeals to me and I'm hoping will mean less chance of injuries (plus it looks like a ton of fun!).

Oh, by the way, my husband and I are very competitive so I'm wanting to do more than just finish a tri. :)

Sure you could do it on four days! You got the running down, I also ran marathons b4 switching to triathlons. So I would try to make sure that you get at least one day a week running and try to do two days on your weakest event. Or double the swim one week and the bike the next week. Brick workouts could also help you get in more swims, bikes or runs per week. If you don't know, brick workouts are say swimming first and then biking or biking first then running if you are doing the traditional order of triathlon events. There's no saying you have to follow any order though. I typically just do a bike then run brick. If you did one brick workout each week you could get more quality time out of your four day schedule. Good luck and enjoy triathons!

Since you work 14 hour days, do you get some flexibility during the those days?

If you can get 1hr-1:15 during those days that is enough time to get a hard swim or run. I do all of my swimming during my lunch hours.

A decent workout routine might look this:

Day 1 Work - Run 40 minutes during lunch
Day 2 Work - Swim 40 minutes during lunch
Day 3 Work - Run 40 minutes during lunch
Day 4 Work - Swim 40 minutes during lunch
Day 5 Off - Bike 2-3 Hours
Day 6 Off - Run 1 Hour
Day 7 Off - Bike 2-3 Hours

I actually find I eat better when fitting in a lunch workout and the break in the day makes the rest of the day fly by and my energy is up later in the day.

Since the run and swims are short sessions, include some serious intervals.

This guy trains 3 days a week: http://www.midweek.com/content/columns/goodneighbors_article/aaron_wallen/

He's quite fast. He qualified for and finished the 2007 Ironman in Kona in the competitive 35-39 age division.

It can be done.

This guy trains 3 days a week: http://www.midweek.com/content/columns/goodneighbors_article/aaron_wallen/

He's quite fast. He qualified for and finished the 2007 Ironman in Kona in the competitive 35-39 age division.

It can be done.

I hate to hijak, but he hopes to raise $50,000 so THREE kids can get their wish?? What exactly are these kids wishing for?

I hate to hijak, but he hopes to raise $50,000 so THREE kids can get their wish?? What exactly are these kids wishing for?Hookers and blow can be quite expensive nowadays.

appearance fees, one each for the olsen twins, and hanna montanna, or so. other than that, a snort & smoke can get quite pricey

Thanks again for all the great feedback. To clarify my work days, I am an ICU travel RN currently working over 60 miles from my home. Therefore, I leave at 5:15 AM and get home at 8:15-8:30 PM (my actual shift is 12 hrs with a 45min-1 hr lunch and two 10-15 min breaks). I suppose I could run during my lunch break (I've never even thought of that) on the days I get a whole hour--but I'd probably only get a 30 min run in at most by the time I get changed and out of the hospital to downtown B'ham streets. If I'm not working the next day, I don't mind running after I get home (since I can sleep later than 4:30 the next morning). This means I could potentially have 4-5 days a week to train, which isn't bad.

As for the guy that trains in 3 days a week--his training schedule is insane! I'm not sure I've got it in me to train over 7 hrs on my off days (but then again, he was training for the Ironman...). Nice that he's training for a good cause, though. I've had patients who've benefited from Make-A-Wish (they make a wish for things like a trip to Disneyland and the foundation pays for a trip for them and their parents to go for week, etc.).

Again, thanks for the suggestions...I'd love to hear more!

I'm in the same boat as far as hours on workdays, and I've found it works out just fine. I highly suggest swimming with a Masters Swimming group--coached workouts, dirt cheap, and great people to learn from (especially other triathletes). My swim days are on my days off, while I can jam short run and strength workouts in and around my workdays. It makes for a long day, but it keeps my training going all week.

I've also started using Training Peaks (www.trainingpeaks.com (http://www.trainingpeaks.com)) to help get my periodization into my schedule and train properly. If nothing else, it helps keep me honest about the hours I'm training and keeps up on the motivation. And it gives me something to geek over when surfing the web--a healthy alternative to porn.

Then maybe you can buy a beach cruiser or a fixie and really throw down a challenge to the triathletes! Hahahahahahahahahahaha! (see other thread)

Good luck!