Tightness through T2
131
Member
177 days
CadenceGuy posted 11 weeks ago.
Have you tried standing up on your bike frequently over the last half mile or so? A couple of guys I race with use it periodically and say it helps a lot going in and through T2. Just a couple quick stands on the pedals and it loosens everything up and there good to go. Just my .02, good luck to yah.
2312
Member
1194 days
Triguy98 posted 11 weeks ago.
What distances are you running off the bike? For runs of 30 minutes or less, you really shouldnt have to worry about stretching coming off the bike, you are amply warmed up. More frequent short runs immediately after the bike should help your body adjust.
I tend to ease up a tiny bit the last 1/2 mile or so on the bike. Shift up a gear to spin a little more, stand and move around for a few seconds at a time. stretching your calves on the bike and loosening up your hips is pretty easy. Your hamstrings are a bit harder, but with a proper bike fit for triathlon, you shouldnt have too much stress on those anyway.
That said, you should expect a drop in performance from open runs when bricking or racing.
Life is short. Play hard and get dirty doing it.
11
Member
163 days
randaln posted 11 weeks ago.
Try working on your stride a bit. Perhaps you have more of a sprinters gait and really pushing off the calves/toes. Shorten up your steps and get high turnover (at least 180 steps per minute).
Triguy98 has a good point, check your bike fit. I get sore ankles when I ride with my seat too high.
Good luck!
91
Member
299 days
burnman posted 11 weeks ago.
Triguy98 wrote:
What distances are you running off the bike?
For bricks, I usually shoot for 4:1 bike-to-run distances. Typically, I'm putting on 10k or more off the bike (40min plus). My hips and hams usually feel pretty loose, and quads are a little tight but quick to relax. As I think about it, the last 3/4 mi of my usual route is a shallow incline, which means that I'm not crushing the pedals, but I'm not exactly spinning either. The drop in performance is definitely greater than my typical "brick fatigue factor". The high turnover (which has improved my running tremendously) seems to be part of the issue. I can feel myself forcing the propulsion phase and shorting on the spring phase for the sake of high frequency - it's 99% mental.
Maybe retro running is the key. I'll just leave my bike helmet on and run backwards.
Does anyone have suggestions or know of any resources for active stretching or loosening going into T2 - before hopping off the bike?
When I do my individual run sessions, I typically put in 8-10 minutes of stretching as part of my injury recovery and prevention plan (hips, thighs, hams, calves/ankles) . The problem is that now when I do bricks - and pass on stretching - my shins and feet are excessively tense and they fatigue very quickly. The sensation is similar to standing on your heels and holding toe raises for several minutes.
Consequently, my run splits swell from 6:30 to 7:00+ on a 10k and about 7:10 to 8:00+ on a 20k. Part of the drop is attributable to fatigue from the bike (about 0:10/split from past results) , but the tightness has a sensible effect on my stride efficiency and turnover. Obviously, 8 minutes of stretching is not realistic for T2. Any advice?