So I have been doing tri's for almost a year and the running is by far my most challenging leg. I have been doing some speed work and trying to get in more distance. However I feel I am not making significant strides in this portion. I will have days that are great but others that just suck. Does anyone have any tips on becoming a faster runner and it not feeling like such an effort?

Thanks!
:o

What kind of speed work are you doing now? Ever tried a fartlek? Here's how it works:

You alternate running easy, then hard, then easy, etc. My favorite is to do a warmup for say 15 minutes. Then it goes like this:

3 minutes hard
(1 min easy)
2 minutes hard
(1 min easy)
1 min hard
(1 min easy)

The first time you do it, just do one set of the above. The next week, do 2 sets, then the following week try to do 3 sets.

Make sure to do a cool down jog when you finish as well.

Another great idea is the ever popular Hill workouts. Hill workouts are important to help build the strenght in your legs that will eventually help increase your speed. Do a hill workout once a week. After the warm-up find a hill with a decent grade. Run up the hill at 80% and walk down the hill to recover. Reps should be based on your fitness level. For a beginner its good to start with 3-4 reps and increase as your fitness level rises. Don't forget to cool down.

Its also good to remember that speed takes time to increase. Be patient!!

Hope this helps

Thanks for the suggestions I will incorporate more of those into my running !

Great suggestion on the hill workout too. The only thing I would add is make sure you have at least 30 seconds of running before you hit the hill, and again after you crest the hill. That gives you time to warm up going into the hill, plus the running after cresting the hill makes you mentally tough... how many times after you crest a big hill do you get to stop? Almost always you have to keep on going once you make it to the top :)

You need a plan to improve significantly... After your first year or two, training regularly but without a plan won't really cut it anymore... Get the triathlete's training bible and some running training book, get out your calendar, and make a plan... it can really help to break plateaus...

Yeah i think I have hit a wall with running as of late... I am in the process of getting a new training schedule for the summer and I have heard great things about the training bible book. I did run this morning after a shorter ride and it actually felt really good my pace was faster.... if only running came as easy to me as swimming.... sigh....


thanks again for the advice

adeegan,
I agree! I am in your same running shoes 100%. Let us know if you find a book that is particularly helpful, thanks. I am loosely using Hal Higdon's guide to training for a half marathon right now. Pretty basic, not entirely geared to the multisport person. Online it's at halhigdon.com. fwiw, I did a couple road races lately that I was happy with my time, though slow, but it made me push myself a bit harder than I typically do and realize it felt okay. I agree, if only it was easy as swimming.....

friels bible is great, though you definately have to read it at least twice to understand everything. nowadays i open it randomly and assess what i am doing compared with what it suggests. great workout ideas in the appendix, and the year long planner really helps put everything in perspective. keeping a running/training journal is a great way to guage progress, it really gets me excited when i am feeling burnt out.
adeegan, have you experienced runners high yet? theres a carrot on a stick if i ever heard of one.
good luck
geo

I know how running is too..... I grew up swimming competitively(no talent, just 9 years of stick-to-it-ness), biking came pretty easy... I ran xc for 2 years in hs and this year in college, but I'm in a rut too... Last year I did really well and this year after a whole slew of injuries, I didn't even come within a minute of my 5k time.... But there is not much I can do about it right now because my cycling coach made me promise not to run until after collegiate nationals - and I want to do well there... But I have a plan for those 15 weeks before the chicago tri where I hope to run a speedy 10k, and xc starts immediately after that, but I'm practically making my own plan for that too...

in january, i sat down w/ the bible and made my over arching yearly plan... I've since modified it a couple of times because of injuries, just getting behind, etc... you have to keep checking back... when stuff comes up or it seems to be too much or too little... each sunday night, i plan my week depending on my schedule, class stress, and how i'm feeling...

friels bible is great, though you definately have to read it at least twice to understand everything. nowadays i open it randomly and assess what i am doing compared with what it suggests. great workout ideas in the appendix, and the year long planner really helps put everything in perspective. keeping a running/training journal is a great way to guage progress, it really gets me excited when i am feeling burnt out.
adeegan, have you experienced runners high yet? theres a carrot on a stick if i ever heard of one.
good luck
geo


Yes I have felt a runners high and that is why i keep coming back, I have them about every 3 weeks or so and wow are they great. I am going to get the training bible today and outline my plan. I have a goal to do really well (as in qualify for nationals really well) in my half ironman in october.... so we shall see. I will say I am extra motivated today to run!

dang, thats a great goal adeegan!!!! go for it! running is fun, esp the high. happens rarely for me(as of late) but i am still chasing it. and the chase goes on...

I am not much of a runner anymore, new left knee, new right knee in about a month. When I was getting ready for my marathon swimming races I did a lot of sand hill running and running up the local ski hill. John Landy 1954 miracle mile runner (2 runners under 4 min) used to do lots of sand dune running.

I trained a basketball player all summer before he went to college, he was not the best player but he arrived fit and was on the team until the others caught up to him then he was the bench guy. One of the workouts 4 x 440 yd runs 20 pushups 3 squat jumps (from a squat you jump in the air touch your toes in the air) then do the next 440.

Some great exercises to do the old Canadian airforce exercises (5 BX and 10 BX) were even adopted by the USA armed forces are stiil great for those wanting to be fit to run. See 5bx and 10 bx here http://www.statesa.com/gettingfit/

George www.swimdownhill.com

We had to do the jumping squats all the time in crew... i grew to hate them but I can see how they would benifit running and I plan to do some track work this weekend. Thanks for the advice!

adeegan,
Let us know if you find a book that is particularly helpful, thanks. I am loosely using Hal Higdon's guide to training for a half marathon right now. Pretty basic, not entirely geared to the multisport person. Online it's at halhigdon.com. fwiw, I did a couple road races lately that I was happy with my time, though slow, but it made me push myself a bit harder than I typically do and realize it felt okay. I agree, if only it was easy as swimming.....
Reading books on line or off great idea. I had taken up the Hammer throw for a short period and read the hand book explainig how to throw the Hammer. I put what I read into action and I broke the Canadian Hammer Throw record within 3 weeks of taking it up. Books are good.

George