Help Needed with a triathlon Run

paulksnn

A lot of lessons were learned with the first triathlon, but with the second(carna) coming up I was wondering does anyone have any advice on the problems I encountered. Apart from training harder, I'm hoping to train a bit smarter as well.

1. The first kilometre.

I know it's going to be tough, but I had to slow to a walk. Heart rate and breathing were exceptionally bad.
I did slow down the last couple of hundred yards on the bike and jogged through transition (I was wearing running shoes on the bike). And started running.

Do I need to slow down more on the bike, do Brick?(Bike, run) sessions, or just practice the running?

2. Overall run speed

The 10k took about 54 minutes. With several walks. Breathing was my problem.
I had done several 13km training runs before the tri.
Running isn't really my thing, so training was just to get out and run 10ks with some longer ones.

Do I need to something like sprint sessions to improve my overall speed? Or run faster over shorter distances?

Thanks as always.

hunnymonster

sorry paul, as usual we need more information.

What were your training runs like?

have you ever done bricks? If so what were they like in comparison to the flat runs?

Did you change your gearing at the end of the bike to spin your legs? (personally I've never found this a help but lots of people say to do it)

paulksnn

Training runs were just runs at what I felt was a slightly uncomfortable rate(pushing myself) with the same speed until I finished the 8k or 13 k run. Probably a bit stupid I know, but with injuries I was just concentrating on being able to finish the distance.

I've never done a brick in my life. I've been reading up on them and was wondering do people have experience of them working, or not making any difference.

As for the gearing, that's an idea. I didn't do it, but maybe I should. That's exactly the sort of thing I'm looking for, cheers hunny.

tunney

A few more details.

What race was it?

What is your background?

What is your average weekly training volume? Overall? Bike? Run? Swim?

Give us a race report - from 2 hours before the race to the end.

Can't comment on the below - so many possiblities.

paulksnn

Right here goes Tunney- you asked for it.
Joey Hannon,
Race Report is here : http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=55851395&postcount=58
The log of the training is there as well (don't bother unless you have a death wish).
Basically I'm a swimmer, a little cycling and no running.
About 2 weeks before the tri I was doing Swim- 5.5-7.5km per week, Bike - 120km per week, Run 26-30kms per week.

I know you're all busy, so don't go to too much bother on my account. If the advice is I need to join a tri club and train with them, then so be it. Thanks for all your help.

tunney

So
29:52 for the swim
01:21:43 for the bike
54:13 for the run

Training
Swim- 5.5-7.5km per week, Bike - 120km per week, Run 26-30kms per week.

A swimmer should be getting better returns for their childhood swimming days than 30 minutes. Maybe you need more pool time? Would be expecting childhood swimmers to be closer to 20 minutes. 5.5-7.5km is a set for a swimmer not a weeks swimming

Looking at your training, particularly the bike, your long cycle was 40km. Not long enough. For an olympic distance bike leg you need to be clocking at least 80-100km per week for your long ride with a ride or two during the week of 20-50km. You didn't have the bike fitness.

Again same story with your run - not enough running.

Your training wasn't structured nor was there enough.

The suffering on the run was, IMHO, a lack of bike fitness. The big thing abuot bike fitness is not necessarily that it makes you a faster biker, but can make you a faster runner off the bike.

You don't need sprint sessions on the run. An improvement in basic run fitness will bring you on alot.

Train more, structure your training

As for joining a club - some clubs will bring you on, some won't.

You might benefit more from buying a book like the triathletes training bible (now availble in Hodges and Figdes) in town.

You've the guts of two months to Carna. That gives you the guts of 6 weeks to make fitness improvements.

Ramp the training up gently.

My two cents.

paulksnn

Cheers for that tunney - when I say swimmer - I never was a competitive swimmer.
I was always more of a distance swimmer.
As for the bike training, I was fitting in 60k cycles at the weekend when I could.

I do get your point though, just do more.

I'm not understanding the more structure recommendation though.
Maybe the book will help.
Cheers

tunney

Not just do more.

Just train smarter.

HardyEustace

tunney wrote: »

Not just do more.

Just train smarter.

I got the triathletes training bible but the author just spends most of his time profferring the view that newbies shouldn't attempt to follow his bible till they've at least two years experience of triathlons.

When you say train smart do you have a few key things that newbies should stick to or is it a case of dig out the triathletes training bible and RTFM?

cunnins4

I'd echo what Tunney said there paul. I was identical to you in my first tri-the run KILLED me! haha, i remember wanting to crawl into a bush and lie down I was so wrecked! Basically I did the same as you in my training and didn't really do enough of the long stuff and my legs fell off me in the run. I don't think I ever exceeded 40k on the bike, or 8k running and was hoping that'd get me by on the day. It well and truly barely got me through the race!:o

Roll onto last year, and with less time on my hands I trained smarter like Tunney said and cycled longer and ran longer- increasing my overall bike fitness and on the run after the first couple of km my legs really took off and I felt pretty good. But I'd say I trained less frequently than the previous year.

I also did a good few more brick sessions. The previous year when I did bricks I'd come up to my house, bring the bike through the side passage-lock it, put the bike in the shed, walk through the house, have a glass of water and then head off for a run. Wasn't very similar to the mad dash through T2 on the day and wasn't really that taxing on me! Last year I really legged it through the house changing shoes and heading off for a run as fast as I could. I really felt the benefit of these sessions last year.