IM Training Plans

I'm sure the question has been asked many times before but I really CBA to search back. I have entered IM Austria next July and am pretty much a Tri Novice, so I'm looking for a 26 week training plan but a internet search comes back with so many plans that its overwhelming. What plans have other used and why do they recommend them?

For the record I run marathons in around 3-20, can swim 1500M in 30 mins and can maintain 20MPH on a bike (its nearly flat in Dubai) for three hours or so. I'm presently training around 10 - 12 a week and would hazard a guess that I will not be able to find time for more than 15 - 16 hours in a week.  The couple of sprint Tri's that I have done I have finished comfortably in the top third of the field.

Any suggestions would be fantastic, Thanks DD

If you PM me your email address I can send you the Fink plans from "Be Ironfit" on an excel spreadsheet. The intermediate averages about 11 hours a week but has a few peak weeks nearer the race of c.15 hours?

It's all done on heart rate zones (based on your max HR) and time length of run or ride, so nothing about speed ever. You just go at the right heart zone for the length of time indicated.

I's a 30 week plan. You will also see the "just get round" and competitive" programs as well as a comparison.

If you like the structure of the program, get the book, it will give you the swim reps and a whole lot more besides.

"Going Long" by Joe Friel and Gordon Byrn is very well worth a read as well. There are a couple of sample programs in there, but its more about giving you the info to build your own program.

Or there is the Pirate training program of  "swim a little, run a little, ride a lot"!

Cheers Guys, I have dropped you both a message. I have going long which has lots of info but lacks specifics, I'm not a experienced enough triathlete to do anything much but blindly follow  a training plan and hope it works!  I actually find the hardest thing is to let go of my running, as much as I like cycling and have even started to tolerate swimming its very hard to cut back on what I have always run and the accept that two weekly speedwork sessions are probably not going to be much help in a IM.

Anyway any info will be a plus, thanks