Shownotes

Running in Triathlon

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• Running is the final leg of a triathlon and often determines how the race ultimately unfolds—whether I’m fighting for a podium position or simply aiming to finish feeling strong.
• There’s a popular saying, “bike for show and run for dough,” which tends to apply to those racing competitively, but it’s also relevant for beginners. If you ride too hard and end up walking most of the run, you might still reach the finish line, but the experience would likely feel disappointing and far from what you had envisioned for my race.
• It’s important to remember that running in a triathlon comes after completing the swim and bike legs, often later in the day when fatigue and heat can make things harder.
• To run well,  you need to pace yourself correctly throughout all three disciplines and prepare specifically for what you’ll face on race day.
• Pure running fitness is certainly important, but success in the triathlon run depends equally on how well you manage my effort and transitions across the earlier segments.
• As a triathlete, you also benefit from the aerobic conditioning developed through swimming and cycling—without the same level of impact stress that comes from running alone.
• This allows you to build strong running fitness on a relatively low volume of running compared to a pure runner. For beginners especially, this is great news: it reduces the risk of injury while still allowing for steady and meaningful progress.

Rule 1: Do not get injured

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• Running carries the highest risk of injury among the three triathlon disciplines, and for beginners, that risk usually comes from doing too much too soon—either by running too often, too long, or too hard. When you start training, your cardiovascular and metabolic systems adapt quickly, often within a few weeks.
• However, your bones, tendons, and joints take much longer—sometimes several months—to build the necessary strength and resilience. This creates an imbalance: your “engine” improves faster than your “chassis,” meaning you might feel ready to increase your training before your body is actually prepared to handle the load.
• To stay healthy, it’s essential to focus on gradual progression. The well-known “10% rule” is not ideal because it limits progress too much early on and allows for unsafe jumps later. Instead of thinking in percentages, it’s better to think in absolute terms—adding no more than five minutes per run per week.
• Some weeks, you might even keep the same load or reduce it slightly if you feel tired or sore. For example, if you currently run three times a week—one session of 45 minutes and two of 30 minutes—you could progress the following week to one 50-minute run and two 35-minute runs.
• To remain injury-free, prioritize frequency and consistency rather than sudden increases in volume or intensity. Two or three easy runs per week performed consistently will take you a long way.
• Recovery is also a key part of training, so make sure you sleep well and eat adequately. Carbohydrate availability, in particular, plays an important role in bone health and remodeling. Low carbohydrate intake increases the risk of bone stress injuries, so pay close attention to your nutrition.
• Listen to your body. If you begin to feel aches or pains, it’s better to rest or replace a run with a swim or bike session. Missing one or two runs to let a minor issue settle is far better than pushing through and ending up sidelined for a month. Keep a low threshold for adjusting your training whenever something feels off.
• Finally, choose running shoes that fit well, feel comfortable, and provide decent cushioning. Avoid minimalist or worn-out shoes, and consider replacing them every 500 kilometers or roughly 300 miles, as they lose their shock-absorbing properties over time.
• Good shoes won’t prevent injuries caused by poor training progression, but they can help reduce risk. In short, proper footwear supports consistent training—which, ultimately, is what makes you faster.

Running form

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• The next important topic is running form and technique. When you start running, it’s common to overthink how you should move, but running form should not be your main focus.
• Instead, you should concentrate on running in a relaxed manner and allow your form to develop naturally as you gain endurance, speed, strength, and coordination. Your running form will evolve over time as these qualities improve.
• For example, the way you run after ten minutes when you are still building endurance will be very different from how you move once you can run comfortably and efficiently at that same point. In short, there is no such thing as a “perfect” form—your form should adapt with your progress.
• That said, one common issue to be aware of is overstriding, which happens when your foot lands too far in front of your body. This motion acts like a brake, reducing speed and increasing impact forces—particularly through the knees—thus raising the risk of injury. It’s one of the few form-related aspects truly worth analyzing. If you notice that you overstride, it’s important to correct it.
• Beyond that, you shouldn’t obsess about technique, but a few simple cues can help you run more efficiently. Try to run tall and look slightly ahead instead of down. Keep your arms compact and focus on driving them backward rather than forward.
• Avoid collapsing or sinking into your stride when your foot lands—many people, especially those with desk jobs, tend to sit into their stride. Instead, keep your legs firm and reactive so you can bounce lightly off the ground. Maintain a neutral pelvis position—don’t bend at the waist either forward or backward—and above all, stay relaxed. Tension wastes energy and often leads to poor mechanics, so running with ease and fluidity is essential.
• You may also hear a lot of advice about cadence and foot strike, but both are highly individual. Cadence depends greatly on your height, leg length, and overall proportions.
• Taller runners naturally have a lower cadence, and shorter runners a higher one. As for foot strike, most runners heel strike to some degree, and that’s not a problem as long as you’re not overstriding. Midfoot or forefoot striking can also work well—it depends on what feels natural and efficient for you.
• Finally, the biggest improvements in running economy—the measure of how efficiently you use energy at a given speed—come not from tinkering with your technique but from consistent training over time.
• Let your form evolve as your fitness grows, make small adjustments when necessary, but avoid overthinking. Balance awareness with simplicity, and let your body naturally find its most efficient rhythm.

Running fitness

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• The next key topic is how to build running fitness, which is usually what most people are most interested in. In episode four of this beginner series, we discussed the three main levers of endurance training: frequency, duration, and intensity.
• These principles apply equally to run training, but for beginners, frequency is by far the most important. Focusing too much on duration or intensity too early can compromise consistency and increase the risk of injury, while frequency provides a safer and more effective way to build a foundation.
• For most beginner triathletes, a weekly schedule of two runs, two rides, and two swims is ideal. Starting with two runs per week may sound minimal, but when combined with the aerobic crossover benefits from swimming and cycling, it’s more than enough to safely develop running fitness.
• Once you feel comfortable and your schedule allows, you can add a third run per week, but beginning with two is the perfect starting point. One run alone is generally not enough, while two provide a good balance between progression and recovery.
• In the early stages, most of your running should be done at an easy effort—a pace where you can hold a conversation, even if it feels a bit challenging at first.
• Running places greater cardiovascular stress on the body than swimming or cycling, so it’s normal for it to feel harder, especially if you are coming from a less active background. For the first four weeks of your training, you don’t need any intensity at all. Stick to easy running—or a run/walk approach if necessary—to adapt gradually to the impact.
• After about four weeks, if everything is going well, you can begin adding a bit of intensity once per week. A great way to do this is through fartlek runs—unstructured intervals guided by feel rather than pace. For example, a simple session could be five repetitions of one minute of moderately hard running followed by two minutes of easy jogging.
• This kind of workout appears in the fifth week of the beginner sprint-distance triathlon program, after four weeks of purely easy running. Over time, you can increase either the length or the number of intervals, or both, but the key is to maintain control and consistency throughout the session, pacing yourself so that the final interval feels as strong as the first.
• When it comes to building duration, one of your weekly runs should gradually become your long run. In the eight-week beginner sprint-distance plan, this starts at 35 minutes and builds to 45 minutes, where it stays for the remainder of the program.
• A 45-minute long run is more than enough to prepare for a sprint triathlon while minimizing the risk of overtraining or injury. As you progress to your second or third race, you can extend beyond this, but even then, it’s best to focus on consistent training rather than increasing distance too aggressively.
• During your first year of running, there’s no need to go beyond 60 minutes for your long run unless you’re training for a 10K or Olympic-distance triathlon where the race itself may take longer.
• For most beginners, capping the long run at 60 minutes keeps the training sustainable, reduces injury risk, and allows steady, long-term improvement—helping you build the foundation you need for stronger, faster, and more enjoyable running.

Running sessions for beginners

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• At this point, we’ve already touched on the main types of runs that you’ll be doing as a beginner triathlete or beginner runner. To summarize, there are a few simple sessions that cover everything you need at this stage.
• The first is the endurance run, typically lasting between 20 and 45 minutes at a conversational effort—roughly a 3 to 4 out of 10 on the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale. This means running easily enough that you could hold a conversation. These easy endurance runs should make up the majority of your training.
• For complete beginners or those coming from a lower level of fitness—or if you’re more injury-prone—an alternative is the run-walk session. In this case, you alternate short periods of easy running with brief walking recoveries.
• For example, you might start with one minute of running followed by one minute of walking, then gradually build up to five minutes of running with 30 seconds of walking. This progressive approach allows your body to adapt safely to the impact and load of running.
• A third type of workout is the long run, done once per week. This typically lasts between 40 and 60 minutes at an easy effort. You should build up gradually to reach that duration and, during your first year, avoid going beyond 60 minutes.
• Once you’ve gained more experience and resilience, you can increase this duration further.
• Finally, there’s the fartlek run, which introduces some controlled intensity once you have established consistency and are staying injury-free. Fartlek, meaning “speed play,” involves short intervals run by feel rather than by pace—typically one to three minutes of moderately hard to hard running, with one to three minutes of easy jogging between efforts.
• A good example session could be five intervals of two minutes moderately hard running, each followed by three minutes of easy jogging. The goal here is to maintain an effort that feels strong but sustainable across all intervals.
• As an additional element, you can include strides at the end of some endurance runs. Strides are short accelerations, around 10 seconds each, performed close to your maximum speed but not all-out.
• Doing four strides with one minute of easy jogging between each helps improve biomechanics, coordination, and overall running economy.
• You don’t need a complex training structure when you’re starting out—just a few simple sessions repeated consistently. Throughout all these runs, it’s important to develop your sense of RPE, or how hard the effort feels.
• Learning to judge intensity by feel will serve you well, not only in running but also in cycling and swimming. You don’t need advanced technology like GPS watches or heart rate monitors to get started. What matters most at this stage is learning to listen to your body and understand how different efforts feel.

Strength training and stretching

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• Strength training is one of the most beneficial additions to a triathlon program. It enhances resilience against injury, strengthens muscles, tendons, and connective tissues, and improves joint stability.
• It also helps develop overall athleticism, increases range of motion, and enhances strength throughout that range. For middle-aged and older athletes, its importance extends beyond triathlon—it plays a vital role in long-term health, functional capacity, and overall quality of life.
• That said, if your main goal is simply to finish your next race or if you’re already struggling to balance swimming, cycling, and running, you don’t need to add strength training right away.
• It’s better to first establish consistency in your three core disciplines. Once that foundation is stable, you can gradually integrate strength work into your weekly schedule.
• If you do include it, keep it simple. Many beginners feel overwhelmed trying to juggle four different types of training. Make sure you can comfortably manage two swims, two rides, and two runs per week before adding anything else. After that, two short strength sessions per week are enough—around twenty minutes each. Focus mainly on your lower body and core, as these areas bring the greatest benefit for triathlon performance.
• Practical exercises include squats, lunges, calf raises, bridges, planks, and deadlifts. These movements strengthen the calves, hamstrings, quadriceps, glutes, and core.
• It’s also useful to combine bilateral exercises, which build maximal strength, with single-leg exercises, which improve balance and sport-specific stability. You don’t need to perform all exercises in one session—rotate them across the week as needed. The key is to be consistent, not exhaustive.
• Stretching, on the other hand, offers limited value for most athletes. It can be useful if prescribed for a specific issue, injury, or mobility limitation under professional supervision, but general stretching for its own sake has no proven benefits for running performance or injury prevention.
• In fact, static stretching before running can temporarily reduce performance and running economy.
• If you feel you need a warm-up before running, focus instead on dynamic movements such as leg swings, hip circles, or lunge walks. These prepare the body for activity and can improve running mechanics without compromising performance.
• Static stretching, if you enjoy it or find it relaxing, should be done after training. It can help with recovery, provided you keep expectations realistic.
• For static stretching to have a genuine effect on muscle length, you need to hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds—ideally closer to one minute—and repeat it regularly, almost daily.
• Most people don’t hold stretches long enough or do them frequently enough to create meaningful change. Even so, if stretching feels good and helps you unwind, that alone makes it worthwhile.

Common running mistakes

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• It’s always better to learn from the mistakes of others rather than your own, so let’s go through the most common errors I’ve seen beginner triathletes and runners make—many of which I’ve also made myself. You can probably guess which one I haven’t.
• The first and perhaps most frequent mistake is running too fast on easy days. Easy runs are meant to be easy, but many athletes push the pace, thinking it will lead to faster improvement. In reality, this only increases fatigue and injury risk while limiting long-term progress.
• The second mistake is increasing mileage too quickly, either in a single run or across total weekly volume. Both can cause problems if progression is not gradual. The key is to build up slowly, allowing your body to adapt to the load over time.
• The third common mistake is running on back-to-back days before your body is ready. Early on, it’s important to space out your runs with at least one day of rest or cross-training in between. This recovery time helps your muscles and tendons adapt and reduces the risk of overuse injuries.
• The fourth mistake is ignoring warning signs of injury or training through pain. When you feel the first signs of discomfort—a small niggle or ache—it’s best to stop running and rest. Skipping one or two runs early can prevent a much longer layoff later. Addressing problems at the first sign of trouble is one of the simplest ways to stay consistent in the long term.
• The fifth mistake is running in worn-out or inappropriate shoes. General gym shoes, tennis shoes, or old running shoes that have accumulated hundreds of kilometers lose their cushioning and stability, increasing the risk of injury. Investing in proper running shoes and replacing them regularly is essential for staying healthy.
• The sixth and final mistake is over-focusing on technique and running form. While it’s important to be aware of basic form principles, obsessing over every detail can create tension and take away from the natural flow of running.
• The underlying pattern across most of these mistakes is the tendency to overdo things. As a beginner, you respond to training with very little stimulus, so there’s no need to push hard or overcomplicate your training.
• A simple rule of thumb is that most of your sessions should leave you feeling energized rather than exhausted. If you constantly finish workouts feeling drained, you’re probably overreaching. Staying in tune with how your body feels and keeping your training sustainable is the best path to long-term improvement.

Running equipment

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• The final topic is running shoes and gear, and without question, the most important piece of equipment for any runner is a good pair of shoes. When choosing running shoes, comfort and fit should be your top priorities.
• A good running shoe should feel natural on your foot and provide adequate support. For most beginners, a model with moderate cushioning works best—it doesn’t need to be a maximalist shoe, but minimalist shoes are generally not advisable.
• As mentioned earlier in the series, it’s worth visiting a specialist running store if you can. These stores typically offer a wide range of brands and models, professional advice from experienced staff, and even treadmills where you can test the shoes before buying.
• For now, beginners should avoid so-called “super shoes” or models with carbon plates. These shoes are designed for maximum performance and speed but often compromise on stability and can increase the risk of certain injuries.
• Research supports this, and they’re simply not the safest choice when you’re still developing your running foundation. After about a year of consistent training, once your muscles, tendons, and technique are better adapted, you can consider using them.
• Beyond shoes, you really don’t need much equipment to start running. A pair of good running socks can make a big difference in comfort and help prevent blisters. Any lightweight technical shorts and a moisture-wicking t-shirt are more than enough for most runs.
• You don’t need to invest in expensive clothing—functionality is what matters. During winter, layering is important, but remember that you’ll warm up quickly once you start running. You should feel slightly cool at the beginning of a winter run; if you feel perfectly warm when starting out, you’re probably overdressed.
• Optional items can make running more convenient but are not essential when you begin. A GPS watch is one example. You don’t need one to start training, but it becomes useful once you’ve done your first few triathlons and decide to commit more seriously to the sport.
• It helps track your pace, distance, and heart rate, giving you valuable feedback as your fitness progresses.
• Another practical accessory is a running belt—a snug-fitting band with built-in pockets that allows you to carry essentials like your phone, keys, or even a small soft flask.
• This can be especially useful on warm days or during runs lasting 45 to 60 minutes, when having some hydration available can make the session more comfortable.

Takeaways

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• To wrap up, becoming a better runner as a triathlete comes down to three main principles: consistency, gradual progress, and staying healthy. The number one rule is to avoid injury.
• Consistency in training allows your fitness and technique to develop naturally over time, and most of that progress will come from steady, easy running rather than complex or overly demanding sessions.
• Don’t get distracted by unnecessary complexity—whether that’s in the form of detailed training programs, advanced workouts, or too much focus on gadgets and data.
• Keep things simple. As you become more experienced, there will be a time and place for more advanced approaches, but for now, patience and simplicity are the keys to long-term improvement.
• As a practical takeaway, if you don’t already have a training plan, take some time to map out your running for the next eight weeks based on the principles discussed in this episode.
• Plan for two runs per week—or three if your current schedule and fitness level allow it—alongside your swim and bike sessions. Keep the majority of your running easy, and ensure that any increases in duration or intensity are gradual and well-controlled.
• When it comes to executing the plan, stick to what you’ve outlined. Don’t exceed your planned workload, even if you feel capable of doing more on a given day. This disciplined approach to gradual progression is what true load management means.
• Managing training load properly—planning intelligently and respecting your current capabilities—is the single most effective way to stay healthy and continue improving. It’s not about having the perfect shoes, the best stretching routine, or a flawless strength plan.
• Success in running, especially within triathlon, comes from managing your training smartly, listening to your body, and progressing step by step.

LINKS AND RESOURCES

• All running related episodes on That Triathlon Show