180km Cycling Plan

Ironman Bike Distance

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180 km is the bike leg of a full-distance Ironman triathlon — a demanding ride that rewards patience, pacing, and nutritional discipline above all else. These plans are designed for intermediate cyclists who can already ride 100 km or more and want a structured programme to build the endurance and race-specific fitness needed for Ironman distance. Every long ride doubles as a rehearsal for race-day fuelling and effort management.

Plan A — 12-Week Intermediate

  • Goal: Complete 180 km at a steady, sustainable pace (Ironman bike prep)
  • Fitness level: Intermediate — can ride 100 km
  • Timeline: 12 weeks, 4–5 sessions per week

Note: MHR = maximum heart rate. WU = warm-up. CD = cool-down. Key focus is sustained effort, pacing, and nutrition practice.

Week 1–2: Base Phase

Four sessions per week. Establish your aerobic base and start practising race nutrition on longer rides.

Week 1

  • Monday: Easy ride 45 km (65–70% MHR)
  • Wednesday: Tempo — 15 min WU + 25 min at 75–80% MHR + 10 min CD
  • Thursday: Recovery ride 25 km (55–65% MHR)
  • Saturday: Long ride 75 km (65–70% MHR) — practise race nutrition

Week 2

  • Monday: Easy ride 45 km (65–70% MHR)
  • Wednesday: Tempo — 15 min WU + 25 min at 75–80% MHR + 10 min CD
  • Thursday: Recovery ride 25 km (55–65% MHR)
  • Saturday: Long ride 75 km (65–70% MHR) — practise race nutrition

Week 3–4: Building Volume

Four sessions per week. Distances increase and interval work is introduced. Practise nutrition every 20 minutes on long rides.

Week 3

  • Monday: Easy ride 50 km (65–70% MHR)
  • Wednesday: Intervals — 15 min WU + 5×5 min at 85–90% MHR (3 min recovery) + 10 min CD
  • Thursday: Recovery ride 30 km (55–65% MHR)
  • Saturday: Long ride 90 km (65–70% MHR) — practise nutrition every 20 min

Week 4

  • Monday: Easy ride 50 km (65–70% MHR)
  • Wednesday: Intervals — 15 min WU + 5×5 min at 85–90% MHR (3 min recovery) + 10 min CD
  • Thursday: Recovery ride 30 km (55–65% MHR)
  • Saturday: Long ride 90 km (65–70% MHR) — practise nutrition every 20 min

Week 5–6: Threshold and Volume

Five sessions per week. A second easy or recovery day is added to support the increasing training load. Long rides now include a full nutrition strategy rehearsal.

Week 5

  • Monday: Easy ride 50 km (65–70% MHR)
  • Tuesday: Recovery ride 25 km (55–65% MHR)
  • Wednesday: Tempo — 15 min WU + 40 min at 75–80% MHR + 10 min CD
  • Friday: Intervals — 15 min WU + 4×8 min at 85–90% MHR (4 min recovery) + 10 min CD
  • Sunday: Long ride 110 km (65–70% MHR) — full nutrition strategy rehearsal

Week 6

  • Monday: Easy ride 50 km (65–70% MHR)
  • Tuesday: Recovery ride 25 km (55–65% MHR)
  • Wednesday: Tempo — 15 min WU + 40 min at 75–80% MHR + 10 min CD
  • Friday: Intervals — 15 min WU + 4×8 min at 85–90% MHR (4 min recovery) + 10 min CD
  • Sunday: Long ride 110 km (65–70% MHR) — full nutrition strategy rehearsal

Week 7–8: Peak Volume

Five sessions per week. The longest rides of the plan arrive here — treat them as race simulation days with your target nutrition, pacing, and kit.

Week 7

  • Monday: Easy ride 55 km (65–70% MHR)
  • Tuesday: Recovery ride 30 km (55–65% MHR)
  • Wednesday: Intervals — 15 min WU + 3×12 min at 80–85% MHR (5 min recovery) + 10 min CD
  • Friday: Tempo — 15 min WU + 50 min at 75–80% MHR + 10 min CD
  • Sunday: Long ride 130 km (65–70% MHR) — race simulation ride

Week 8

  • Monday: Easy ride 55 km (65–70% MHR)
  • Tuesday: Recovery ride 30 km (55–65% MHR)
  • Wednesday: Intervals — 15 min WU + 3×12 min at 80–85% MHR (5 min recovery) + 10 min CD
  • Friday: Tempo — 15 min WU + 50 min at 75–80% MHR + 10 min CD
  • Sunday: Long ride 140 km (65–70% MHR) — race simulation ride

Week 9–10: Race-Specific Pacing

Five sessions per week. The midweek key session shifts to Ironman-pace riding — sustained effort at your target race intensity. Week 10 pulls back the long ride to begin the taper.

Week 9

  • Monday: Easy ride 50 km (65–70% MHR)
  • Tuesday: Recovery ride 25 km (55–65% MHR)
  • Wednesday: Ironman pace ride — 15 min WU + 60 min at 70–75% MHR (target race intensity) + 10 min CD
  • Friday: Intervals — 15 min WU + 5×6 min at 85–90% MHR (3 min recovery) + 10 min CD
  • Sunday: Long ride 150 km (65–70% MHR)

Week 10

  • Monday: Easy ride 50 km (65–70% MHR)
  • Tuesday: Recovery ride 25 km (55–65% MHR)
  • Wednesday: Ironman pace ride — 15 min WU + 60 min at 70–75% MHR (target race intensity) + 10 min CD
  • Friday: Intervals — 15 min WU + 5×6 min at 85–90% MHR (3 min recovery) + 10 min CD
  • Sunday: Long ride 120 km (65–70% MHR)

Week 11: Sharpening

Four sessions. Volume drops significantly while intensity stays sharp. Keep the legs turning over without accumulating fatigue.

  • Monday: Easy ride 40 km (65–70% MHR)
  • Wednesday: Tempo — 15 min WU + 30 min at 75–80% MHR + 10 min CD
  • Thursday: Recovery ride 25 km (55–65% MHR)
  • Saturday: Long ride 80 km (65–70% MHR)

Week 12: Taper and Race

Four sessions. Final taper week — short, sharp efforts to stay fresh without building fatigue. Trust your training and focus on rest, nutrition, and logistics.

  • Monday: Easy ride 30 km (65–70% MHR)
  • Wednesday: 15 min WU + 4×3 min at 85–90% MHR (3 min recovery) + 10 min CD
  • Thursday: Recovery ride 20 km (55–65% MHR)
  • Saturday: Event day — 180 km!