8 weeks. 24 workouts. One goal: arrive at T1 ready to race your best 70.3. This program was built specifically for the Half Ironman swim — calibrated for efficiency, pacing, and the mental demands of 35–65 minutes in open water before a 56-mile bike and 13.1-mile run.
Half Ironman 70.3 · 8 Weeks
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Triathlon Swim Programs — Find Your Distance
What's Included
Not adapted from a sprint plan. Not borrowed from a full-distance program. Every session, milestone, and strategy in this 4-file download is calibrated for the specific demands of your half ironman swim.
The 8-Week Structure
The Half Ironman program follows a deliberate 8-week progression — building your endurance, simulating your race distance, and peaking with over-distance swims so that 2,112 yards feels like a controlled effort, not a survival swim.
Who This Is For
The Half Ironman program requires you to swim 1,000+ yards continuously before you start. If you're there, this program takes you the rest of the way. If you're not, Phase 2 of the Adult Swim Method is your next step.
→ Phase 2 of the Adult Swim Method builds you from 500 to 1,500 yards in 4 weeks — the perfect bridge to this program.
The 70.3 Philosophy
The Half Ironman swim is a 35–65 minute effort that sets the tone for your entire race day. Swim too hard and you'll pay for it on the bike. Swim with confidence, efficiency, and the right strategy, and you'll step out of the water ready to ride 56 miles and run 13.1.
This program's pacing system is built around one principle: the swim is not where you win the race, but it is absolutely where you can lose it. Every session from week 3 onward trains your sustainable race pace so that holding back in the first 500 meters isn't a discipline question on race day — it's automatic.
Four open water practice sessions are scheduled with progressive goals: comfort and sighting in Session 1, pacing in Session 2, extended race simulation in Session 3, and a confidence check before taper in Session 4. You arrive at the race start having already done this in moving water.
Questions
Do I need Half Ironman experience to use this program?
Previous triathlon experience at sprint or Olympic distance is strongly recommended. You should be able to swim 1,000+ yards continuously before starting Week 1. If you're newer to triathlon or can't yet swim 1,000 yards, Phase 2 of the Adult Swim Method builds you to 1,000–1,500 yards in 4 weeks, then you return to this program.
Why does the program build to 3,500 yards when my race is only 2,112?
Over-distance training is one of the most important confidence builders in endurance swimming. If the furthest you've ever swum is your race distance, race day is your hardest swim ever — and that's not where you want to find your limit. Peak swims of 3,500 yards mean your 2,112-yard race distance is 60% of what you've done in training. That's a completely different mental experience on race morning.
How does this program protect my bike and run?
Every session is calibrated with a conservative pacing strategy built in. The 70.3 swim is a 35–65 minute effort before 56 miles on the bike and 13.1 miles on the run. Swimming too hard costs you disproportionately — not just in your swim split, but in what your body has left for the bike and run. The program trains your sustainable race pace from week 3 onward so it's automatic, not a conscious effort, on race day.
When should I start the program relative to my race?
Start 10–11 weeks before race day. The 8-week program includes a race week taper beginning 10–14 days before your event, built into the program structure. The README includes specific day-by-day guidance for the final 14 days through race morning and T1.