Expert Talk: How to Become a Better Strength Runner for Triathlons

If you want to change your body, exercise. If you want to change your life, become a runner.

Running is an integral part of any triathlon event, but for some reason it doesn’t get as much attention as swimming and cycling. It could have something to do with the fact that no additional skills are required for running. While that may be true, what is also true is that running requires focused training. It’s not just about putting on a pair of shoes and running to the finish line. It is a test of your strength and endurance as an athlete.

Running training for triathlons is even more specialized. Think about it: running is the last component of a triathlon event. It comes after you have already completed the swimming and cycling course and the fatigue has started to appear.

Also, running with a new pair of legs is different from running with a new pair of legs. That is why you need specialized training for triathlon runners.

Strengthening of construction

The first thing triathletes should focus on to improve their running strength is to increase their overall strength with a few training routines. Triathletes are advised to strengthen their muscles because a stronger and more powerful muscle is faster, longer lasting, and more resistant to injury.

What do you do to make yourself stronger? Add strength training to your running regimen. Exercises such as squats, lunges, good morning, and plyometric box training are highly recommended for increasing the power and strength of your leg muscles and consequently your ability to run for a longer amount of time.

Become Better Pure Runners

Coach and published author Matt Fitzgerald, writing for Active.com, says that to become better triathlon runners, triathletes must be better pure runners. He says the most effective way for triathletes to become better pure runners is to focus on running during the triathlon offseason.

He recommends running a few races during the fall and winter seasons and running up to six times a week to train for them. It would only be a matter of time before you experience an improvement in your career, which you can carry over to the next triathlon season.

Fitzgerald also believes that triathletes should work to become stronger cyclists. “I strongly suspect that strength on the bike is one of the keys to riding well,” he says. To become tougher riders, Fitzgerald recommends riding more, riding faster, or both.

Posture is important

Having the correct posture can not only cut several minutes off your running time, but it can also protect you against sports injuries. Coach Krista Schultz has some valuable advice to give on how to maintain proper running form.

According to Schultz, it is important to keep your head in a neutral position. Visualize an apple or soft ball under your chin as if you are trying to squeeze it and look 15-20 feet forward at all times being careful not to drop your chin too low or lift it too high.

Your neck should be relaxed and your shoulders should be relaxed and open, as should your arms. Maintain a neutral pelvis, pull your belly button in and down to keep your core tight, and lift your rib cage, he recommends. Your body should be leaning slightly forward and you should land on midfoot or heel and push off with your front foot. Finally, says Schultz, triathletes should aim to maintain a stride speed of 180 strides per minute.

Eat well

Any triathlete knows that eating the right food is essential to achieve maximum performance. You should be on a diet that not only gives you energy, but also helps you recover. Simple carbohydrates combined with a little protein are the best pre-run snack.

Plus, studies show that caffeine improves running performance, so don’t forget to drink that cup of coffee 30 minutes before your run.

Get off the beaten track

Runner and writer Brian Metzler strongly advises triathletes not to run all their miles on the road. It’s boring and repetitive with exactly the same gait pattern at every step. Instead, he recommends running an additional 10-20 minutes on a gentle trail where each step is different. It forces you to shift weight and direction and use dozens of muscles that would not otherwise be used.

Metzler also suggests hill workouts to build muscle strength and bring some much-needed changes to your mundane running routine. Running uphill helps strengthen your leg muscles, while increasing your speed and endurance.

This workout will come in really handy when you are fatigued from completing your swimming and cycling course and having a hard time finishing the race.

Metzler recommends two types of hill workouts: short, fast reps (say, 8 x 20 seconds) that send you into oxygen debt right away, or longer reps (8 x 200 meters) that start at a moderate pace, but They eventually increase in intensity because of the slopes.

This offseason, work on developing your running strength to become a superior runner and a better triathlete. Show the world how it’s done!