Triathlon - Running - frustration

Ian_Davies

Two decades ago I did a lot of sprint triathlons, this was following running track and cross country in High School...then life happened.

My first step to fitness was to shed the weight (done) and now i'm working on rebuilding my fitness.

Stats: age 44, height 180cm (5'11"), weight 78kg (171lbs) (down from 92kg (202lbs))

I'm now trying to get back into triathlon and in honesty I'm struggling. The swim and bike are coming together nicely...I'm relaxed and comfortable swimming 1km in the pool, my bike is steady and strong...

...but my running just feels, excuse the pun, at a stand still. At the moment I'm struggling to comfortably run for 30mins, and am only covering 4km in 30mins...now ok i'm comparing it to results when i was younger but I don't see 5km in 30 mins being anything other than a minimum baseline.

What I don't know though is how to approach the training for this...it just came naturally when i was 20.

Should I use a 5km training programme, are there any good ones you recommend...its not energy, i have more than enough of that...I just end up blowing...

lay it on me please...all advice appreciated.

girlinahat

maybe slow down your pace? Rather than focus on distance as your target, focus on length of run. Speed can come after you've worked on stamina.

LuizH

First stop being so hard on yourself! How long have you been back to consistent training? Remember that your triathlons 20 years ago were done off YEARS of base training.
I know they're not for everyone but I recommend you take a look at Jeff Galloway's Run/Walk plans. I have been trying to get back in to running recently after a few years of on/off training. I've never been fast but it was a shock to see how difficult it was to really get back to running any kind of distance even though I can swim or cycle for 4 hours at a time relatively comfortably. Using the run/walk approach meant that I could increase my distance more quickly without risking injury, and I was able to push myself harder on the run sections knowing that I had walk breaks to recover. Now I can comfortably run for 4-5 miles without walk breaks or at least double that if I follow a 3:1 run:walk pattern, and my 5km time is almost back down to my 7 year old PB.

LHarrison2016

I find running challenging too, I'm not a natural runner and struggle with it. What has worked for me is to use some of your running during the week to build endurance, that means slow down your pace (a lot if necessary) and work at running longer distances, build this slowly from wherever you are now and add 1km or so a week. Make it slow, the objective is getting in the miles, not setting a PB time. Another run during the week will be your speed run which focuses on speed intervals, keep the distance shorter but work on some intervals that throw in short distances or times at a faster pace, followed by however long it takes to recover either at a slow jog or a walk. Once your breathing or heart rate has recovered it's time for the next speed interval. Repeat this pattern and usually my workout would be about 30-40mins in duration. You will notice your running fitness improve together with your endurance and speed. I've linked a pace calculator for you to take a look at, it will help you to work out how slow your long endurance running pace needs to be and also how fast your speed workout pace should be for those intervals. If you're wanting to do triathlons don't forget to add some brick workouts into your routine too, my legs always feel so heavy coming off the bike into the run and feels like I'm running like a snail, the brick workouts will help with that. http://www.bane.info/

tiny_clanger

I second Jeff Galloway and the disciplined run/walk intervals. They really are great for taking the pressure off while improving stamina and strength, and really help with the mental barriers around time and speed.

LKArgh

Stop comparing to your 20 year old self. Even if you had been consistently training the last 20 years, still age would matter. Especially if you have not been running for years, you are a beginner again. And for a beginner, 4K in 30 minutes is actually more than awesome. How long have you been back ot training? Sometimes, all you can do is give it more time.

20yearsyounger

you are just beginning. hopefully you didnt sign up for a tri next week. give it time and you will definitely hit the 5k mark in 30 minutes. Dont injure yourself trying to do it all too quickly.

KathleenKP

Just give it time - a year a more. (To get faster than you are now, not necessarily to your 20-year-old pace.) How long have you been working on this?

I'm very close to your age and do tris. Running is hard for me (although I mentally like it). I finally started to speed up a lot (**for me**), but I messed myself up on a run, and now have back pain. I had never had that before. When I get frustrated in my pace, or my injuries, I remember that ultimately, I want to continue being active as I get older. This helps me step back and relax the pressure I put on myself, and also to keep going for the long-haul, instead of giving up.

Look into Run Less, Run Faster. It will fit well with your multi-sport approach (it's the basis of the book). You will find a program there you can plug into with your current level. You don't need to start back with C25K.

The other thing you might look into is Maffetone Method. An IRL friend of mine who is 51 and can podium at local tri races has been doing this for a year. Running is his strength of the three parts. He has been encouraging me to look into it when I can restart running. It's running very slowly, by heartrate. He's been doing it for a year and is seeing significant results in his race paces. He's very competitive, and he had to get himself into a "this is a year-long process" mentality b/c he wanted results...now.

Those two method suggestions are very different from each other, by the way.

pondee629

aggelikik wrote: »

Stop comparing to your 20 year old self. Even if you had been consistently training the last 20 years, still age would matter. Especially if you have not been running for years, you are a beginner again. And for a beginner, 4K in 30 minutes is actually more than awesome. How long have you been back ot training? Sometimes, all you can do is give it more time.

Amen to this. My current half mile splits are equal to half mile splits way back when. Ah, the Glory Days.

OP, how long have you been back to running? What was your 5K time back when? How far off are you? Time and distance will make for a faster pace. Not the pace of your prime, but faster. Keep on truckin'.

Me, 1974 USMC 3 mile run 18 minutes. Today, average pace 11 minute miles. Can do that for 6 miles so far, but still, happy over an 11 minute mile? ;-)

Ian_Davies

Thank you everyone for all your advice and tips...taking it all and forging a plan.

My '5km youth time/glory day' was 18.24 so I have tempered this to only aiming to get below 30mins.
I've been running (working on for 3 months) which is where my frustration is coming in, and i've been doing inclines, intervals. The issue is more about running 5km at a steady pace with no walking...which doesn't seem to be improving. I was taught to swim, so learned technique and drills, with running i just seemed to be able to run.

girlinahat - thank you, need to do both but just need my lungs to catch up...:) which should be easy as i'm not running that fast

LuizH - cheers, i'll try the 5k plan on there, just want to be better and see a little improvement/movement.

LHarrison2016 - totally agreed on mixing it up, just wasn't sure what the best approach was, the link is really helpful, going to mix that in with Jeff Galloway site to make a plan. Been doing a few bricks, partly cause i love them but being careful of pushing too hard...as I learn about my 'new' recovery time

tiny_clanger - thanks for endorsing the recommendation, looks a really helpful site, liking the mental training bit too

aggelikik - I'm really not looking back with rose glasses, the running just happened then, i know age will make a difference, i just need to learn a new set of skills to understand how to train for the run

20yearsyounger - great name and yeah, not committed to one yet , but will sign up for a summer one to have a date to aim for. And completely agree, anything is a better than time on the couch injured

KathleenKP - thank you, I'll look at that tonight when i'm back and try both, i really like the idea of training by heart rate...is that justification for an iwatch i wonder - "Kathleen said..."

pondee629 - 6miles i like that...not tried 10km yet but will try a longer slower run as is suggested in the jeffgalloway site...and there is only one thing to say to you...thank you for your service Sir...from your allies across the pond. Keeping on trucking

20yearsyounger

I don't think it will take you a year to do it, if you used to run 18.24. I wasn't much of a long distance runner but I used to be a sprinter. Running again wasn't automatic for me, but I am sure being able to run as much as I do now has a lot to do with my past athletic background. You lost a step but you didn't totally regress.

All the hill sprints and so on feels like a bit much for a 10 minute mile target.

If you can't run 5K as a steady pace without walking, but you can swim for 30 minutes (assumption), then you are probably just going too fast. Try running it again but rather than walking, run very very slow even if it feels like walking. Give your lungs a chance to catch up with what you are doing and your legs to get accustom to pounding the pavement. You will be ready by the summer.

20yearsyounger

One thing I will add. The only reason I wanted to learn how to run was because I had my eyes on doing a tri some day in the future. I knew running was a big weakness I had to overcome if January last year I couldn't even run 2 minutes without huffing and puffing. Now I have to say it has definitely become my strength.

Ian_Davies

I can swim fine for an hour and riding is no issue. I'll ease up and let my lungs breath..google is alleging that's what lungs are supposed to do...conspiracy

Thats really cool to read 20yearsyounger, my strength was finishing with a strong run and swimming was my bane...but its flipped. Awesome to see its become your strength.

BrianSharpe

I'll make a deal with you......we can form a relay team, for me running & cycling are easy (which is why I've stuck with duathlons) swimming just about kills me.

All I can suggest is run, run and run some more. Almost all of it should be at a conversational pace until you've built up your base (a wise tri coach once told me not to worry about my 5K speed until I could run a slow 10km without suffering too much)

Ian_Davies

Brian - deal - I like both ideas...the swim and the slow 10k (everything i'm reading is saying the longer slow runs will help more so going to do a long slow run each week) and like you say...keep running