Running takes place in the last leg of your TRI. It's needless to say that you will want to be able to run efficiently by the end of your race. Here are some tips to help you fine tune your run so you can do it more efficiently. (Even if you are not planning on doing a TRI, you can benefit from these tips as well.)
1. Run with feet close to your body. When running you want to keep your feet slightly in front and close to your body's center line.
2. Don't Bounce. When your goal is to move forward, bouncing up and down is not the most efficient thing you want to do. Keep your momentum forward, not up.
3. Run Relaxed. The majority of your energy should be dedicated to moving yourself forward. Any muscles not involved with this goal should be relaxed. While running, check in with your body to see if you are tightening any addition muscles, then relax them.
4. Breathe. Through most non speed workouts (steady run), your breathing should be relaxed. You should be able to carry on a conversation with someone. If you can't you are pushing too hard.
5. Cadence Check. Higher cadence means higher efficiency. The perfect cadence is somewhere between baby steps and long jumping strides. A faster cadence means your feet are touching the ground more times per minute. The time spent in the air isn't making you go faster at all. Keep your leg turnover high, and you'll stay efficient.
6. Land on your forefoot. People fall into 3 categories of your foot hitting the ground during a run. You either land on your heel, your midfoot, or your forefoot. Don't worry too much about this, especially if your starting out. But know that the more forward you can land on your foot, the less forward momentum you'll lose each step.
Try these tips out as you do your 20 minute runs. Remember to keep loose and relaxed. Be careful where you run. Make sure it's well lit and on level ground. I will post running workouts in the following weeks. Stay tuned . . .
(my tips for running was taken from "The Complete Idiots Guide to Triathlon Training".)
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1 comment:
Great tips, I've used them all. The no bouncing one is a HUGE help. Along with staying relaxed, remember to keep your arms fairly still, unless you're sprinting and need that pumping motion.
Jess, you (or your family?) might be interested in this race: www.tourlegacy.com coming up in Sep in UT.
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