By Coach Troy Jacobson

Successful running off the bike in a triathlon of any distance requires more strength than speed. Accumulated fatigue from time trialing zaps the legs of speed so therefore, the triathlete who runs well off the bike is able to sustain a steady tempo without fading and slowing down. Training for the multisport athlete needs to be specific and reflect this skillset.

My favorite workouts for triathletes during the in-season phase of their annual progression focus on sustaining a 'tempo' effort of around 5K pace and faster. Repeat intervals are longish in duration with short rest intervals designed to clear most, but not all lactate. The effort for each rep should be hard to the point of sustainable discomfort. In other words, you want to slow down because it 'hurts' yet you physically don't have to slow down.

The following two workouts can be done either once or twice per week, depending on your experience and current level of fitness. I would advise that only the most experienced athletes perform two intense 'strength building' run sessions per week.

Run Strength Workout A -- Track Tempo

Warm up 1-2 miles of jogging
Dynamic Stretch Routine of 3-5 minutes
Run 4 x 200M striders with a 200M jog recovery

Main Set:

4 x 400M tempo (5k pace) on 100M jog recovery
Jog 400
2 x 800M tempo (5k pace) on 200M jog recovery
Jog 400
1 mile tempo (5k pace)

Cooldown 1-2 miles easy and stretch

Run Strength Workout B -- Hill Workout

Warm up 1-2 miles of jogging
Dynamic Stretch Routine of 3-5 minutes

Find a hill of 4-6% Grade, 100-200M long
Start at the bottom of the hill at 70% of your maximum speed and each 50M, build your speed by 10%. In the last 50M, run close to 90-95% of your maximum effort. Focus on lifting the knees and driving with the arms. Jog down easy and repeat for 5 -- 10 reps, depending on your current level.
Cooldown 1-2 miles easy and stretch.

Incorporating these strength workouts into your weekly routine will greatly enhance your running strength off the bike, making for faster overall run splits in your upcoming events!

Coach Troy Jacobson is a former pro triathlete and creator of the Spinervals Cycling DVD series and the Runervals Treadmill Workout DVD series.

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