If you’re new to triathlon and like me, new to running (when I started), you’ll be looking at various training plans trying to figure out how to fit in what look like complex algorithms of anything other than running!
So, ignoring everything I read, I did it my way.
When I started out, I struggled to run a kilometre let alone 5 or 10. My first triathlon of 2017 being a sprint, I needed to get my 5km distance nailed.
So I just started running.
I’d run as far as I my heart, lungs and legs would take me, walk until I recovered and then run again. I kept this up until I was comfortably running 5km, well, comfortably is an understatement, but I was regularly running the distance.
As my training progressed, I wanted to steady out my pace, so I bought a heart rate monitor for £15 and started my running based on my heart rate. If it got to high, I slowed down. If it was slowing down, I’d speed up. Though if I’m honest, very rarely did it slow down enough for me to have to speed up 😉
This helped a lot! Reason being is that my pace started steadying out. My breathing and my heart rate were also becoming more regular as I was fine tuning them on every run I wasn’t completely over cooking it too early on in a session, so I could start to run for longer. Once I was comfortable listening to my own heartbeat, I dropped the monitor and kept on running.
Stage three for me was about picking up the pace. I’m still not a fast runner by any stretch of the imagination, but I needed to bring my times down from averaging 7.5 minutes a kilometre to my goal of hitting 5km in 30 minutes.
So, I started interval training. You can vary distance or speed, but I kept it pretty simple:
- 30 seconds jog / 30 seconds sprint
- 500 metres jog / 500 metres full speed
You get the picture. Change the times to something you’re comfortable doing to start out, but build on it… you’ll get quicker. If you’re on Instagram (so many people post about doing their intervals!) or go to a gym, you’ll start to see people intervalling (?) all over the place.
If you have access to a treadmill a really simple routine is to set it at the 400metre track display and run 400 metres and walk 400 metres. So simple but will help you no end!
Within a month I was averaging just over 6.15 mins per km, so it was working.
Once I was getting my pace nailed, I mixed up my weekly runs with at least one going for distance to just get the km’s under my belt, and the other working intervals, helping my build up speed, but also preparing my legs for transitioning from bike to run… more on that next time!
And that’s it.
- Get used to running – get out there and do it
- Become more consistent – watch your heart rate, keep it steady
- Increase pace – interval like you’ve never intervalled before
My end result? My first sprint tri I ran 5km in just over 33 minutes and I completed my first 10km Olympic distance triathlon, in near enough bang on 60 minutes. On this one, the first 7km were all sub 6 minutes which felt great, but gradually slowing as my knee started to explode… either way, a personal best for me and I know what to build stronger for next time!
Simples.