New runner looking for some help - Triathlon Week

liv2ski4ever · 04-06-2004, 08:27 AM

Hi Everyone,

I've officially signed up for my first sprint distance tri and I can't wait. However, now the real task is at hand - training!

Even though I ran track in high school, running has always been my weakest sport. I figure it should be the first for me to tackle. When I ran track in high school I was a hurdler and short distance runner.... never anything more than a 200, so I'm faced with the challenge of wondering where to begin.

Does anyone have any tips/pointers/suggestions for someone just starting out? Any comments would be greatly appreciated!

:)
-Heather

DirtySox · 08-25-2004, 09:29 AM

i was a distance runner in highschool, but injuries made me stop in college. but i still retained a little info! i'm not sure of ur present conditioning level, so i'll keep this pretty global. if u use these proportions u should be alright. monday-1 tuesday-2 wednesday-1 thursday-3 friday-1 saturday-4 sunday-0

that might look confusing but i'll explain! it basically means if u run 1/2 mile monday then u run 1 mile tuesday (double) wednesday would be 1/2 mile, thursday would be 1.5 miles, friday would be 1/2 mile, saturday would be your long run of 2 miles. sunday would be off. this is what my xc team did during june, i got down to 15:25 5k. after 4 weeks i would throw in some fartlek, pronounced fart lick! it basically means speed play, during ur run accelerate your pace for either a specified amout of time or distance. ie: 3 minutes on 1 off was what we did, or 1/2 mile on 1/4 mile off. you can even do an unspecified fartlek, which just means u pick up the pace for as long as u want. i am a firm believer in fartleks because they allowed me to push the pace during a race to shake someone. you can find a plethora of info on the web, good luck and happy miles.

wannatri · 09-15-2004, 09:15 AM

Since you ran track in High School and it's your 1st Tri, I don't think you will have much building the stamina to finish the 5K. There's lots of information out there about running a 5K -- conditioning, periodization, intervals, etc.

I think the hardest part of a 1st Tri might be the transition from bike to run. After a hard bike leg -- hey it's a sprint after all -- your quads are tight and burning, the legs don't bend, and the stride is short and choppy. This is partly conditioning but just as much getting your body used to making the transition. To work around this, practice bricks -- bike a while, then run, then bike, then run, etc. Depending on intensity, bricks can be as short as a 5 minute ride and 2 minute run or as long as you want to make it.

Another thing is find a way to relax (a little) before the run. You'll definitely want to practice before a race to find what works best for you. In the last mile or 2 of the bike, shift into a higher gear, slow your cadence (and try to lower your heart rate). This shifts the load into big muscles and can help you relax before the run. Or alternatively, try going into a lower gear and spin into the bike-run transition. This puts load on your cardiovascular system and may give your leg muscles a break.

Good luck!