I just completed my first triathlon, and I learned a lot. It was the kinetic 1/2 iron distance tri in virginia. The first thing I learned was that no matter how many times someone tells you not to go out too hard in the swim, it still happens during your first race. This is easily correctable.
The other significant thing I learned is that after swimming and biking, someone steals your legs at T2 and you have to start the run using your next-door-neighbor’s eighty year old legs. He has a cane, I didn’t. The run can’t be as hard as I made it.
Seriously, I’ve completed ten marathons, and my 13 mile training runs are usually around 7:10s. It was all I could do to keep a threatening cramp at bay and trot at a 9:00 pace. I stopped for water and cytomax at every mile, but never felt comfortable. I took it pretty easy on the bike, ate and drank a lot, and thought I had a lot left in the tank, but this wasn’t the case. Anyone have any tips for a rookie on how to not be a fool during the run? This is a great sport and I’m completely hooked after only one race.
If you’re cramping, try taking in more electrolytes during the bike. I had this problem during my first two HIM’s last year and I finally nailed it by dissolving a couple of endurolytes in my bike bottles. I’ve also heard of not taking in anything during the last 20 minutes of the bike so you don’t hit the run with a sloshing stomach.
Another aspect is adaptation. Simply run a bit (20-40:00) after every bike ride and you’re body will figure it out.
How long were your long rides? sounds like you have plenty of run endurance but if the 56 mile bike leg feels tough then that’s where you need to put your work. bricks(bike run workouts) are the best way to figure out how hard you can go on the bike and still run the run. long bike rides(60-80 miles) are best for building endurance and bringing your run split closer to your stand alone run speed. strong back and core muscles also helps you run with good form after being bent over the bike for 2-3 hours.
a couple of bricks to do are
40 min run in zone 2
3 hr ride- alternate 40 min in zone 2 and 20 min in zone 3
40 min run- altenate 5 min in zone 2 and 5 min in zone 3- this second run is tough and will show you if you ate and drank enough on the ride.
Brick brick brick brick brick. I brick, you brick, he-she-it bricks. We brick, you brick, they brick.
Even on “non-brick” days (e.g., long runs), get on the bike to spin after your long run - and on long ride days, do a short (3 - 5 mi) slow run after the bike. Triathlon is multi-sport, so sequential single-sport training bursts need to be supplemented with liberal bricking.
a 1/2 your first time out of the chute? that rocks.
just do more in training for what you will encounter on the course…lots of bricks. don’t think twice about the cane thing. more than a few of us could have used a gurney with an O2 tank.
bike more. You can a pretty decent and fit runner, but that doesn’t help much after a long bike leg (Sprint to OLY is not as bad, but 1/2 and surely full IM it sure does).
Also, were you on a steep angled tri bike or road bike w/ clip-ons? Most people run better off the steeper bike (but not all).
So basically: bike more. Lots more. Do the bricks, but they only really help for the first 1-2 miles of the run to get the legs to the heavy feeling and the shorter, choppier strides you have.
Hey trirookie! I did the Kinetic 1/2 too. And I freakin’ loved it. I also had a tough, tough run. My legs felt fine for the first few miles (I do lots of bricks), but fell apart in the last 6 miles. I really thought I was in better running shape, but I guess not. I managed 8 minute miles, but man did it hurt!
Are you from the area? I’ll be training for IM Florida and could use some training buddies.
Anyway, congrats on the race. I too am still trying to figure out how to get my legs tougher. I’m looking forward to reading the advice you get.
Your first half sounds eerily similar to mine back in the day. I was a strong runner and consistently split 18:xx 5ks and 38:xx 10ks off the bike in shorter tris. However, I split out a 2:26 at the end of my first half iron (the slowest I’d ever even run a half marathon before was 1:25, an hour quicker!) I had plenty of run training under my belt, and I’d done a ton of bricks.
But I had foresaken the long ride. the long ride is EVERYTHING when it comes to long course. Heck, for strong runners, one of the best ways to get stronger on your run leg is to bike long! If you’ve got plenty of long ride time under your legs, you’ll be amazed at how fresh you’ll feel when you get to T2, you’ll be able to come within 10 minutes of your standalone half-mary time if you get there fresh enough.
This is a lot of great advice. I’ve done “brick” workouts about three or four times, so that’s probably where I went wrong. I thought I had enough hydration and calories, but maybe I didn’t. I guess that’s a new thread. Any more good brick workouts to improve the long run? I’m going to try an ironman in the fall, and I’m now dreading the run, which I though would be my strongest of the three disciplines.
The long ride can be more than just a long super easy pace ride, you can put sections of focused effort in there. everyone is different in hydration and calorie needs. the best advice is to try out different amounts during a brick session. I’ve tried from 3-700 calories/hour. a shorter faster than race pace run will give you a good idea of how your stomach processed whatever you ate on your bike ride. your sense of pace can also be screwed up after a long ride. often I get off and start running and feel like i’m barely moving realize I’m running way faster than goal pace. you want to get to T2 and feel like the ride was not a big deal. check out
I am sure that someone offered up the same advice as I am about to. I can say it all in the three words, “practice, practice, and practice”. Or another way to say it “repetition, repetition, repetition”. You just need to train your body to get used to quickly engaging a different set of muscles when you transition from bike to run. I know there are lots of sophisticated drills, etc., but it’s not that difficult. At least once a week when you roll in after a ride, transition into your running gear and take off. You don’t have to do it real quick like in a race. Typically, the run part of your “brick” only needs to be a mile or two, b/c by then you should have running legs back under you.
First, know that the run off the bike will NOT feel good.
Break the run into thirds first third your will feel lousy. Middle third you may start to feel ok and be running “normally”. Last third, you will start to struggle.
Practice running off the bike. Two times a week after a bike ride, immediately head out for a 15 - 20 minute run. These are called “bricks”
Race more. Every race will help
Hill running helps. It builds the type of strength you need to pick your legs up and keep the turnover going when your legs are really baked and tired. I have come to the conclusion over the years that you can NEVER run too many hills in training for triathlon running.
