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When Triathlon Run Splits Don’t Reflect True Running Fitness

Adam Hodges | April 26, 2012

Are you a triathlete that has been plagued by the following question?

cyclists

What can I do to improve my triathlon specific run times? I’m a strong runner and consistently meet my expectations in running races, but my running times in triathlons don’t seem to represent my true running ability.

If you are performing well in running races and your run times in triathlons are not within 10 percent of those times (assuming comparable courses and weather conditions); then the typical culprit is a lack of cycling fitness.

For example, let’s say you are a consistent 1 hour 30 minute half-marathon runner when racing in running events at your current fitness level. All things being equal with the courses (e.g. terrain, weather), one would then expect you to run within 1 hour 39 minutes for the half-marathon leg of an Ironman 70.3 event (10 percent of 1:30 is 9 minutes).

If, however, you are falling outside that ten percent range and nutrition doesn’t seem to be a major factor, a good strategy is to work on building more cycling fitness. Since you know your running fitness is where you want it, you can maintain your run as you shift the training focus to cycling. Improving your cycling will allow you to come off the bike fresher and ready to run to your ability.

Related:

The Pre-Race Warmup for Running Events The Pre-Race Warmup for Triathlons How to Dress for Cold Weather Training transitionMultisport Means Multiple Ways to Get Your Endorphin Fix Rethink Traditional Assumptions When Choosing Running Shoes

Filed Under: Training Tips Tagged With: Bike, Racing, Run, Triathlon

About Adam Hodges

Adam Hodges is a mountain endurance athlete and coach with credentials from the United Endurance Sports Coaching Academy (UESCA), USA Triathlon (USAT), and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). He has coached runners, ultrarunners, and triathletes, as well as high school cross country and track, and masters swimming. As a USAT All-American triathlete during the 1990s, he competed in the ITU World Triathlon Championships, the ITU World Duathlon Championships, and the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. As a masters runner, he won a series title in the XTERRA SoCal Trail Run Series. His current pursuits include mountain running, ultrarunning, skimo, and cross-country skiing. Check out his training plans and courses to help you prepare for you next adventure.

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