Q about running right off the bike

Train more and train bricks for a while. It gets easier. Note I did not say easy, just easier.

Bike more.

Run more.

Then bike just a bit easier than you "can" when you race.

Doing some bricks (bike/run) will certainly help you get used the feeling of moving from one sport to the other.  If your trained for the pace you are maintaining, then you will find that after a few minutes your legs "come around" and begin to feel more normal even when you start out at whatever your race pace is.

to echo jonnykay,

bike and run more, and then bike some more. bricks will show you what it is going to fel like, but they wont make it any easier to do.

biking more will allow you to come off the bike faster and not have your legs be trashed.

they are gonna feel like crap, thats part of the fun;-)

Same recipe as above.  Do some bricks.  After a couple of these workouts you will be accustomed to what you are going to feel like and it won't be as much of an issue for you mentally.

You just tell your brain to go go go and your legs will wake up and respond. 

My first few Tri's I felt exactly what you are describing.  My begining pace on the run was much slower until my legs "loosened up" and I was able to eventually find my expected pace.

However, I have seen HUGE differences on my last Tri (to the point that I could run without any issues strait off the bike).  Here is what has changed since my first few tri's:
1.  I am on a TT bike instead of a road bike (many would argue this makes no difference, I couldn't tell you if this does or doesn't make a big difference, I am only pointing it out as a change).
2.  My training on the bike has been much longer distances than what I have raced recently.
3.  My training on the run has been much longer distances than what I have raced recently.
4.  I have been practicing by running as soon as I get off the bike anytime I have the ability to do this.

I believe that the two most important things are that my training volume for both biking and running has been significantly more than what I have done during racing, but I also believe that practicing running (even just a short distance) right after most rides, will give you the most "bang for your buck" to be prepared.

Michael

Here is something that has really helped me.

After my long ride of the week, I throw my running shoes on and run a couple of miles. I've made it a habit. I don't run fast. I'm just letting my legs experience the transition.

Now when I run off the bike in a triathlon, my legs don't seem to be bothered nearly as much.

JC

Thanks for the input.
I am taking this to mean that more training = less cement legs.
Thats good, because at least I can work on it.
But when I do have the heavy legs should I push for normal pace, or wait for them to loosen up then speed up?

If it is a sprint distance push it as it will be over before you know it.  For longer distances you may pace a little slower but you don't want to pace too slow and then feel like you could have gone harder when your done.

in anything under half ironman, there is no waiting, you just let your legs come around. in a sprint i try to be up to full 5k pace by the time i am out ofh transition, in an olympic i'll spend the first 400m or so getting up to speed.

half IM i'll take the first 3/4 of a mile to ease into it.


bricks really did not help me to be able to run off the bike any faster, i just new what was coming after doing them.

more biking, and a bit more running, and hten a lot more biking, is what got me there and able to run fast (ish) off the bike.

Thanks again
I have just raced sprints so far.
And as it was said earlier, I feel like I could have done better because I waited for my legs to warm up before going race pace.
Next time I just push through and take it like a triathlete.
 

agree with the "more" consensus above.  in addition, i try to finish the bike at a higher cadence to loosen up my legs before the run.  it helps my legs to feel less heavy when i start running.

I asked the same question before my first Duo.  Someone here (I don't remember who) suggested that I go off my breathing to gauge my pace and ignore how my legs felt.  It proved to be pretty sound advice.  I was able to exceed my planned pace for the second leg of the run, and as expected after about a quarter mile my legs started feeling much better.

Edited by JZig 2009-07-13 3:27 PM

Attached is an article from a now dead link regarding the bike to run.  I found this linked in a thread back in 2004, 2 weeks after joining BT.






Attachments
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t3_infamousrun-Bricks.pdf (94KB - 13 downloads)

From what I can recall from an article that I read a long time ago, this is more a mental issue than a physical one. Your brain needs to switch from "biking" mode to "running" mode and while its doing that, your legs feel like, well...bricks. So the more bike-run bricks you do, the more used to that feeling you will get AND the faster your brain will switch over.