The run represents the third and final fraction of each triathlon race and is therefore the stage that determines the winner. As much as it is still running, you should know that there are some important differences from road or track running competitions.
A triathlon competition is not simply the sum of three different sports.
Triathlon is a single discipline consisting of the synthesis of three sports and two transitions.
If you want to achieve results in triathlon, you cannot just train the three sports separately. You must understand that each of the three fractions conditions and is conditioned, at the same time, by the other two. During each competition you have to be able to manage your physical and nervous energies not only within the framework of the discipline you are facing but in an overall perspective that cannot disregard what you have done and what you still have to do instead.
If at the end of a triathlon race you are not satisfied with your running split, you should not think exclusively that you need to train the third split more. Instead, your disappointing result may have been determined by, for example, the cycling fraction conducted too expensively. Your energy tank is unique, and if you use it up completely in the first two fractions, you cannot expect the run, the final fraction, to be an expression of your training level.
Is running in triathlon different?
So the first substantial difference between running in triathlon and running in athletics is just that: when you start running you have already done the first two fractions. This means that on the one hand you will be muscularly tired but on the other hand you will also be running low on energy and potentially dehydrated. Next, don’t overlook the mental aspect of a triathlon race: when the level of competition is high or the distances to be covered are particularly long, a lot of nervous energy is also expended, and it becomes difficult to be determined and focused in the final stages of the race.
For energy stock management, you need to plan a supplementation strategy that, depending on the difficulty and length of the race, allows you to assimilate as many calories as possible relative to what you are consuming. So you have to experience well, during training, how much fluid you lose in different race and weather situations and to what extent you can replenish it without having digestive problems or stomach distress.
No matter how well trained you are, you will never be able to run the last fraction of a triathlon at the same pace as you would be able to maintain in a run starting ‘rested.’ This differential is one of the methods to measure an athlete’s qualification level in triathlon. The smaller the range of his pace per km between “dry” running and triathlon running, the greater the technical and muscular adaptations already acquired.
Race strategy is key
An additional difficulty of the third fraction is the starting order. Unlike a running race where everyone starts together, in a triathlon the starts are fragmented according to the results obtained in the first two fractions and the two transitions. So there is no group start where you can check everyone else but instead you have the need to figure out, as soon as possible, what your placement is. Only then can you decide your strategy: administer your energy to defend your position or take risks to catch up with those ahead of you. At the highest levels of World Cup and Olympic races, the top group comes together in T2. In the competitive races in which you participate, there is always a great fractioning of all participants, all the more so if they are long distances where the gaps between the first and last are quantified in several hours already after the bike.
Race strategy varies according to your goals: if you are fighting for an overall top result or in your category, you cannot ignore the behavior of your opponents. This is all the more true in shorter races where athletes stay closer together; on the other hand, if you are racing to get to the bottom of a long race or are looking for your personal best, you need to set up the final run with regularity and caution based on your results from the last combined workouts you have done.
Control your body
Even the course you compete in is different from road races. In triathlons, running almost always takes place on multi lap routes (the same lap is tackled several times). The course is less linear and characterized by more turns and changes in elevation as well, with the frequent presence of buoy turns that are skittles or other objects that cause the course to reverse. This requires the ability to brake your run and then restart from a standstill after each turn. In short, fast races, where the pace is high, this involves a lot of energy expenditure and muscular effort that must be trained specifically.
Therefore, running in triathlon has a higher energy cost than dry running. Accumulated fatigue and muscle glycogen depletion result in difficulty in running properly with the risk of accentuating any defects. The stance, the push, the ability to keep a high frequency with the correct stride width become more difficult. This means that not only do you arrive more tired but at the same pace you also need more energy to sustain your performance. To counter these difficulties, you need to work all-around: do very specific strength work to increase the number of muscle fibers you have that can help you maintain your running pace longer in the third and final leg of the race. You also need to pay more attention to the technical aspects of running: performing the various running gaits in addition to all the other exercises that improve your flexibility, your drive, and that are important to avoid decay when fatigue sets in. Also work on the effectiveness of your race pace in triathlons so that you don’t find yourself clumsy and awkward in an Ironman marathon because you’re not used to efficiently handling a very slow run.
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