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Runners on the Way Up
From Runner to Triathlete:
By Margie ShapiroMarch/April 2009
For the Washington Running Report
Are you enjoying your running, but looking to supplement your race resume with something new and different? Triathlon may be just the challenge you seek. Having an aerobic background that involves logging months or years of consistent run training puts you at a great advantage as you move to a different challenge. However, the typical distance runner may find the transition a bit daunting. Combining three sports into one event can be overwhelming at first. Running a race after a swim race and a bike race feels quite different from running an open race, and that's not to mention balancing the training requirements of three sports. Apply the following tips to your transition to triathlon (or even your run training) to enjoy a fresh, successful season.
1) Technique is tops. Distance runners love to pound the pavement, and there is great merit in developing your aerobic and muscular systems through run mileage. However, most of the fastest runners (as well as swimmers and cyclists) employ excellent technique. Often, the greatest speed gains come from improved economy of movement rather than increased aerobic fitness. Run technique becomes even more important as you start off the run portion of every triathlon with tired legs! During the base period of your training cycle (which should precede a build period in which you do more race-specific workouts), spend plenty of time focusing on improving your swim technique and your cycling pedal stroke. Maintain a focus on technique even as your training becomes race-specific. You will run much better "off the bike" having conserved energy through efficient technique. You may even consider hiring a coach or taking a lesson or two. A pair of skilled eyes may make all the difference.
2) Recovery rules. As a runner, you have probably begun to learn how different workouts affect your body and which ones require most recovery time. Cycling and swimming, though easier on your body than running in many respects, also demand great effort and, as a result, plenty of recovery time. Cut back your run volume to account for additional cycling and swimming. Make sure you allow proper recovery time after long or hard workouts in any of the three sports. Build in a recovery week after every two to three training weeks, during which you scale back your overall volume and training intensity, so that your body can make the greatest fitness gains. Play around with the placement of workouts in your daily or weekly schedule to see which pattern works best for you. Many runners find that an easy swim or ride can help accelerate recovery for run-specific muscles. Time your workouts in such a way that you achieve the planned purpose of the workout while allowing the greatest amount of recovery too.
3) Learn to limit your limiters. First, identify what parts of a triathlon are most difficult, based on your current abilities. Then, focus on your limiters and turn them into strengths. Some of the best triathletes in the world come from running backgrounds, but they do not just run well off the bike; instead, they use their aerobic ability, gleaned from the run, to turn themselves into strong swimmers and cyclists. Now, they have set themselves up better for a great run. (Emma Snowsill, the 2008 Olympic champion, is known for her ability regularly to run sub-33 minute 10Ks after more than an hour of racing. She is an excellent runner, no doubt, but she swims and rides so well that she goes into the run fresher than most.) You may have to cut your run volume in half in order to devote proper time to the swim and the ride. Do it fervently, trusting that the gains you make in the pool and in the saddle will help you run faster at the end of the race.
4) Running ritual remains relevant. You don't need to get too fancy just because you are adding other sports to the mix. Even as you drop your run volume, maintain your staple run workouts. Develop aerobic endurance with your long run, improve your efficiency with economy work (even if you just include a few 10- to 20-second accelerations within a maintenance run once a week), and maintain a tempo run that challenges you to run near lactate threshold. Good triathletes rely on these same principles across all three sports.
5) Practice makes perfect. Unlike most running events (get there, check in, warm up, run!), triathlons involve extensive logistics. In addition to the registration process (which tends to take place months in advance), the first time you go through the details of race logistics may be shocking. You will need to check in pre-race (sometimes the day prior), get your timing chip (one or two), set up your bike and run shoes/supplies in the transition area, don a wetsuit (perhaps), etc. Talk to someone who has been through a triathlon before, so that you can make a checklist of what to expect on race day.
Pre-race jitters affect many athletes, but you can eliminate some of your greatest anxieties before your first triathlon by practicing what will happen in the race. Find an opportunity to swim in open water before race day (even by hiring a swim instructor on a lake). Do several workouts in which you move through the transitions (swim to ride and ride to run) quickly (and at race intensity, but for much less time) so that you know what to expect from your body on race day. Experiencing jelly legs prior to race day will help you relax when you feel them again during the event! Also, practice transitions in your mind before the event, even listing on paper the process of your race from start to finish. You will feel calm, cool, and collected if you have seen the race unfold before you in your mind's eye.
6) Balance is best. Many runners and triathletes share the compulsion to log miles or training hours to get more fit. Make sure to include the additional habits that support that fitness. Stretching, strength training, good nutrition, and relaxation are just as relevant to your fitness and speed as the distance you cover in training. Listen to your body and back off when you need to. A healthy body goes a lot faster than an injured one.
As a seasoned runner, you already know a lot about training and you have built the aerobic base you will need to be successful in your first triathlon (and perhaps many more). Now, maintain the basics of your run routine while shifting your focus. With a good plan and the discipline to carry it through, you are likely to love this new competitive challenge. Try hard, and enjoy your tri!
Margie Shapiro, a professional triathlete (member of the U.S. National Team in 2007 - 2008), is co-owner of Potomac River Running Stores. She coaches runners and triathletes through =PR= Training Programs and Fitness Concepts, Inc. Contact her at Margie@potomacriverrunning.com or through the store's Web site, www.potomacriverrunning.com.