Do you ever wish that you could finish a great swim and bike ride, and then be able to have an even better run? Here are four triathlon running tips that will leave your competitors trying to play catch-up, straight from the Rock Star Triathlete Academy, at http://www.rockstartriathlete.com:

Running Tip 1. Stand and Spin: 10 minutes before you anticipate getting off your bike and transitioning into a run, begin to stand on your bike at every chance you get. This will stretch your hip flexors and calves, leaving you less “scrunched up” prior to getting off your bike and heading out onto the run. In addition, shift so that you are not “Mashing” the gears, but instead spinning at a manageable cadence, preferably above 90rpm.

Running Tip 2. Faster not Farther: Nothing will keep you slow in running like going out for every training session at about 80% intensity, and just running at that steady state for 45-60 minutes. Only do that once per week, as a “tempo” training session. Everything else, especially if you’re primarily doing Sprints and Olympics, should be fast, interval based running with hard efforts separated by easy efforts. Hill climbs and going to the track will count for this!

Running Tip 3. Plyometrics: If you want to ensure that you “spring” from the ground with each step while running, plyometrics is the answer. Sample plyometric exercises include jumps, bounds, leaps, hops and skips. For example, 2x/week you can jump onto a box for 2 sets of 10 times, do 3 sets of 20 yard skips, hop rapidly up and down 15-20 times for 4 sets. Plyometrics should be a key component of a good triathlon training plan.

Running Tip 4. Don’t Eat: In transition, that is. If you’re trying to swallow several ounces of sports drink, slam 1-2 gels, or bite off an energy bar while you’re just starting your run, you’re going to have a much more difficult time finding your pace off the bike. Instead, wait until the first 5-10 minutes of the run, when you’ve gotten your rhythm, or wait until the
first aid station to start eating. This means you’ll need to get off your bike fueled and hydrated, not thirsty and hungry.

It’s the little things that count, and these 4 running tips will ensure that you competitors will be wishing you hadn’t read this article from the Rock Star Triathlete Academy at http://www.rockstartriathlete.com! Now go put it into practice.