General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Bike to run ~ Struggling! Rss Feed  
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2014-05-01 10:06 PM


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Subject: Bike to run ~ Struggling!
I'm up to 14 miles in spin class and 10 1/2 open road non-stop. I can also now swim 10 laps non-stop.

My race is in one month (sprint) and I'm not feeling good about the run. Any suggestions on making the transition from the bike to running? I still feel like a toddler learning how to walk after a long ride.


2014-05-01 10:42 PM
in reply to: angewinte

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Subject: RE: Bike to run ~ Struggling!
Keep at it. You will get better in one month, but unfortunately not a lot. That means you might have to run/walk a bit in your first tri, and that's just fine. I walked more than I wanted to in my first tri, and even a little in my second. Both were sprints on very short training. Guess what. I am still proud of my performance, and had a great time even though I was exhausted at the end of each race. I am proud of my results, first race 3rd from last. 2nd race 4th out of 5 in the Clydesdale category. As long as you go as hard as you can without puking (and even that's OK) then you will have had a successful race, and will know so much more for the next.

My third Tri is coming up in a about 5 weeks. It's a Half Ironman, and I don't think I'll walk a single step, and I should finish in the top 30% of the field and my age group. The difference is I've been exercising and training consistently since I worked through those tris last July and August.
2014-05-02 2:06 AM
in reply to: angewinte

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Subject: RE: Bike to run ~ Struggling!
practice, practice, practice! Get used to running straight after your bike rides - even if its for only 5-10minutes. You'll be surprised at how quickly your legs get used to and in my experience you actually run faster than you think off the bike.
Once session that I enjoyed when I was starting out was a 5km bike, 1km run, 5km bike, 1km run - repeat as often as you want! Its great for getting the legs used to running again and great for practicing transitions. Your neighbours will think your a bit nuts....and thats before they see the trisuit - but its worth it!
2014-05-02 5:13 AM
in reply to: angewinte

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Subject: RE: Bike to run ~ Struggling!

As Graham suggested, doing a short run after your bike rides (referred to as a 'brick' workout) will help your legs get used to making the transition from pedaling to running.  It always is going to feel a bit uncomfortable, but by practicing you will at least know what it feels like a be better equipped to deal with it on race day,

Don't feel like you have to take off at a full sprint on the ru.,  A lot of folks walk for a bit starting out to let their legs adjust; it can also be a good time to grab a drink of water.

Good luck with your race.

Mark 

2014-05-02 5:33 AM
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Subject: RE: Bike to run ~ Struggling!
If it makes you feel any better, I'm generally one of the strongest runners (for women, sometimes even overall) in most of my tris, and I still feel like a toddler for those first few minutes. I've literally almost fallen flat on my face a few times heading out of transition! It's a matter your body shifting over from one movement pattern and set of muscles to another. Often you're moving faster than you think you are--I almost always start my training runs along the same route for the first 15-20 minutes, and I cover that stretch fastest when I'm doing a "brick" run right after biking. It's a difference of 1-2 minutes, or about 10% faster after biking. And this is after up to 3 1/2 hours of biking, later in the morning when it's hotter than h...here, when I'm not trying to go "fast". You may feel slow, but often you aren't--starting the run too fast is often a bigger problem, for beginners as well as accomplished runners and even pros.

I'd do some more bike/run bricks, even if the run is quite short, just to get used to that feeling and realize that it goes away. Unless you've seriously overdone the bike pace, gotten really dehydrated, or maybe are doing an Ironman, the first minutes of the run generally feel the worst (in terms of your legs....if you're really pushing the pace at the end, that will feel bad in an overall sense, just like any other running race!). Only in a few of my races has that initial "yuck" failed to resolve--probably because I pushed the bike too hard for my fitness, hadn't fully recovered from a previous race or illness, and/or got dehydrated. Until it does resolve, focus on relaxing, having a smooth breathing pattern, and keeping a good steady turnover, rather than how fast/slow you're going or think you're going.

Edited by Hot Runner 2014-05-02 5:35 AM
2014-05-02 7:23 AM
in reply to: Hot Runner

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Subject: RE: Bike to run ~ Struggling!
Do some mini brick work outs, also do you run with a watch or GPS? You should know your pace, I know the last tri I did, from T2 I was flying at 5 and change for my pace, which is way faster then normal, my legs were loose and willing, it felt "natural" (for jelly legs). I looked at my pace after a 1/4 mile or so, and tapered it down and by 3/4 - 1 mi was at my normal pace. The next question is what is your goal? to podium, place in your AG, or just finish. it isn't unreasonable to walk/jog the run just to get your legs under you.


2014-05-02 8:02 AM
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Subject: RE: Bike to run ~ Struggling!
At my first mini sprint last year I came of the bike and had to allow to take a few walk breaks as my calves decided to tighten up pretty good.

No shame in that. Its a new skill trying to wake up muscles that have gone to sleep.

Doing a brick tonight. Cycle home and then jog round to the sitters to get my kids.

Edited by badmo77a 2014-05-02 8:03 AM
2014-05-02 8:15 AM
in reply to: GotBackup

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Subject: RE: Bike to run ~ Struggling!

Just keep practicing.  I rarely hear on this Forum or really any triathlon forum that people love the Bike to Run transition.  It's one of the hardest parts of triathlons if you ask me.

A couple of tips....  The last half mile of the bike, I try to spin out my legs a little more with lower resistance and higher cadence.  This seems to help.  I like to slip my feet out of my shoes as I approach transition so that I can hop off my bike onto my bare feet and jog with my bike.  This seems to help as well but should only be done if you practiced it in a parking lot several times so you don't take out fellow triathletes.

When I take off running out of T2 I will start with a shorter quicker stride to get the blood flowing into the core leg muscles and after a 1/2 mile or so it's go time.

Good luck and have a great race!!!

 

2014-05-02 9:29 AM
in reply to: #4990485


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Subject: RE: Bike to run ~ Struggling!
Thank you all for the great advice! I'll definitely be doing bricks for this last month. I don't plan on shooting for any podium rankings just yet. My goal is to see if I can get through it. I'm super nervous but also excited. Just two months ago I couldn't do any of this! Thanks again for the advice.
2014-05-02 9:32 AM
in reply to: angewinte

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Subject: RE: Bike to run ~ Struggling!
During the last mile or so of the bike I also try to spin out my legs but I also stand and stretch my calves and my hips while riding. This seems to help me alot
2014-05-02 11:48 AM
in reply to: dmbfan4life20

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Subject: RE: Bike to run ~ Struggling!
I describe the feeling as being running like a pirate with two peg-legs. :-)

Like others have said, spin at a higher RPM for the last .10 or .25 mile.

Run with your bike into T2. Somehow "leaning' on the bike and running will help you regain your legs a bit.

Know that everyone else is feeling the same way.

Practice running immediately after each bike ride until your Sprint, even if you only run for 5-10 minutes.

I, too find my first mile split faster than normal, even though it feels really slow.




2014-05-03 3:55 PM
in reply to: angewinte

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Subject: RE: Bike to run ~ Struggling!
I think the key is not over-doing it on the bike. Make sure you leave some gas in the tank for the run... Just because it's called a sprint, doesn't mean anyone is actually capable of sprinting for an hour plus (not even the pro's).
2014-05-04 4:20 AM
in reply to: angewinte

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Subject: RE: Bike to run ~ Struggling!
It sounds like you're very new to all of this. Remember that building endurance for swim/bike/run is a long-term project, and you're just beginning! Unfortunately you probably won't see a whole lot of gains in your bike & run fitness in one month.

But with proper race planning and execution, you can get the most out of the fitness you have built up to this point... Remember that this is TRI-athlon, and the goal is to get to the finish line in the least amount of time possible for you. That usually means having enough left in the tank to avoid walking most of the run. If you're struggling with running in general, that may mean that you'll need to dial back the intensity of your bike and maybe even swim legs enough to allow you to run as much of the run leg as you can.

You can begin to experiment with this a little in the coming weeks. Try riding at a challenging pace for you and see how you feel with a short brick run. The next time, try riding at a slightly more moderate pace and see how your run feels after that. Try to find a cycling intensity that allows you to run your best off the bike.

If running is a struggle, you might consider adopting a planned run/walk strategy. Wear a watch, and stick to the plan as best you can. You might, for example, plan to walk the first 2 minutes off the bike to get your legs under you, then begin something like a 9 min run/1 min walk cycle (or whatever works for you - it might be 5:1 or some other combination). Sometimes it can be easier to keep running if you know you have that planned walk break coming up!

You're doing great! Keep up the good work, and most of all ENJOY your first race experience!
2014-05-04 8:38 AM
in reply to: jsnowash

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Subject: RE: Bike to run ~ Struggling!
Also, don't forget to actually practice your transitions. If you can save 2-3 minutes there, running a bit slower won't matter as much. :-)
2014-05-04 12:11 PM
in reply to: DannyII

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Subject: RE: Bike to run ~ Struggling!
When training, I will bring running shoes to spin class and jump on the treadmill after spin class. Even just a 1 mile run really helps get used to the feeling of running after biking (yeah, it's not necessarily a pleasant feeling).
2014-05-04 1:21 PM
in reply to: angewinte

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Subject: RE: Bike to run ~ Struggling!
Took me about a year to feel like I wouldn't bite it after the bike leg.

Two things helped:

First...the bike, and how it fits. Many road bikes (if that's what you're riding) can be fitted somewhat to a more tri-friendly position. A good local bike shop can help with this. While I don't advocate running out to buy a tri bike, I will say that my legs feel 100% better off a tri bike than they do off a road bike, and I require less effort to go faster on the tri bike.

Second...the last mile of the bike, I try to spin relatively easy so to not tax my legs right before dismount.

But as others have said...practice practice practice!




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