- It's that moment of truth, when you get off the bike
after a hard cycling effort and you just hope
that your legs are going to function well enough
for you to be able to run.
Now we expect our bodies to go from sitting down,
predominantly using the large muscles in our legs,
to suddenly being upright and holding our body weight
and propelling us forward at our usual running pace.
But without practise and preparation,
it can go horribly wrong.
So if you follow this guide,
you'll be able to avoid that nasty feeling
of lead, jelly legs, and perfect running off the bike.
(upbeat electronic music)
Before you get on the bike,
it's worth spending a little bit of time
just working out the best position for you.
'Cause you need that happy balance
between comfort, getting aerodynamic,
and being able to produce power.
If you just take the latter two, but comfort is missing,
then when you get off the bike
yes, it'll be a massive relief,
but it will actually detriment your run in the long term.
Well, this is where triathlon bikes come into their own
is they allow you to find that perfect position,
but if you're on a road bike using aero bars
and you can raise your seat a little bit
bring the saddle slightly forwards to help.
Now, there's no proven perfect cycling cadence
when it comes to running off the bike,
but there is a general consensus,
and one that I find most comfortable,
and that is to try and match your cycling cadence
to your natural running cadence.
So, if, like me you, run at around 85 strides per minute,
then you want to cycle at about 85 RPMs,
and make that transition to running feel more natural.
If you find yourself dropping your cadence during a race
or a training ride, then just try and bring it back up
for at least the last few minutes
before you transition to run.
And generally, it's just worth experimenting
what cadence works best for you.
Running off the bike after a nice, gentle ride is one thing,
but then trying to do it after a maximum effort
is quite different.
So you need to work on your pacing that's relevant
to the length of race that you've entered.
Replicate the effort levels of your race
to work out whether you can manage it,
or whether you need to back off
for the final few k of the ride
to optimise the start of your run.
There's nothing worse than running with a stitch,
and I promise you I know that.
But a lot of it is down to your fueling strategy on the bike
so it's definitely worth experimenting with this
during your training.
Just make sure you take on your nutrition
early enough on the bike leg,
'cause you don't want to have too much food or liquid
sloshing around in your stomach when you get to the run.
But obviously, you do need to still have enough fuel
depending on the length of your race
or your training session.
It's easy to let your running form drop
when you set out after the cycle.
Your hip flexors are likely to be tight.
You can find yourself in a bit of a hunched position
doing more of a shuffle than a run.
So concentrate on your form.
Get your shoulders upright and open,
and this will automatically help open up your hips,
and it will make your running stride efficient and longer.
If you're training or racing somewhere cold,
then running off the bike becomes that much harder
when you've got numb feet.
It's like trying to run with icy blocks
on the ends of your legs.
So consider using some over-shoes if you are training,
or maybe just some toe covers for racing,
as it will make your feet that much warmer
and a little bit more responsive at the start of the run.
As with anything, practise makes perfect
so make sure your training includes some brick sessions,
and you can mix it up.
You can do multiple laps of a short cycle-and-run loop,
or you could put your run in at the end of a longer cycle.
Or if you want to work more intensely,
then maybe consider training indoors,
especially for the cycle, but maybe even the run,
as it's an efficient way to work on this transition.
Practising running off the bike
at different paces and cadence is useful,
but do make sure you also include sessions
that replicate your race day effort.
And for this you can set up a transition
like you would on race day,
and then use your tri-suit and test out your racing kit.
It's easy to neglect this type of training,
but I promise you, you will be very grateful
when you get to the run section of your next triathlon.
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And if you want some ideas
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watch this video down here.
And if you want to learn
how to train for your first triathlon,
then watch this video here.