Lessons learned from run training....

Keep it in low gear initially, in order to work on endurance and distance.

I found that if I slow my pace just a little bit, I can run alot longer and farther. As soon as I try to speed it up a little too much, I get gassed right away. This will give you an opportunity to feel what it is like to GO LONG!

My theory is to work on my endurance and distance, and focus on the speed later....

This isn't scientific or anything but it's working for me....

I had heard a lot of mention of the T2 being a difficult one b/c your legs are like jello and the first mile or so off the bike are hell hoping to God they don't collapse underneath you. I know this feeling...as I bike it happens every time I get off of it. And I thought, wouldn't that suck...go that far with the swim and bike and then fall flat on my face for the run.

Anywho, so what I do is that whenever I do a bike I always, always, always do some type of run after to get my body used to the transition. I've noticed that it's really helped over the last month and a half I've been training. I'm not talking long run. Even if it's a nice, slow, ez mile...but I guess I'm just trying to get the bod used to it. I had a swim/run last night and was really surprised and excited about how much energy I had going into the run and this was after over 50 min of high level interval training on the bike. I felt I could have gone for days and the wobblies weren't too bad.

I'm anxious to hear other lessons learned from the group.

nt

Not sure this applies, but...

I have been really, really pleased to find over the last training weeks, that my ability to recover on the run has improved dramatically. I have never been much of a runner, and had to start out with run/walk/run/walk patterns for quite a while. I have finally graduated to 5k distance and am looking forward to more, when my training plan will allow. The beauty is that at this level, i have begun to experience recovery on downhills, which before didn't really offer much relief. I also have found that If I absolutely have to, walking just a couple of steps will allow me to run a lot farther! I guess that I have broken new ground - maybe that's the lesson. Keep after it and sooner or later, barriers begin to fall!

What has really helped me is concentrating on relaxing all other muscles that are not being used to run. I relax my arms and hand and face, and it seems to help quite a bit with breathing. And to GO SLOW! I think I need to go back to a slower pace because I can run more but my shins cant. I have developed a deep pain when I run and it feels like it is in the bone. Ick!! Jack.

I learned that if you are patient and put in the time things that seemed impossble are really quite easy to do.

These are great tips, esp. about the going slow part. Iknow this deep down based on all my research and experience, but it's still hard sometimes for me to take it easy and slowly...that in time the times will get better, but that its endurance that I'm after. Reading all of your experiences really helps me know that I'm not alone!

thanks

When I started running (again) I did the 'go slow' technique. Now I follow the Running Room's 10 and 1's and it's actually sped up my times while making the run much easier. All it is is walking for a minute after running for 10. It's incredible how much energy you can actually recoup in a minute of walking. My pace has skyrocketed since I began, since I just have to keep thinking: 'Only 9 minutes til I can walk....anyone can run for 9 minutes. Only 8 minutes.. ' etc. The walking sequence only shaves about 30 seconds off your mile time, and it can add some great distance.
My two cents.