The Sport Factory Running Off The Bike

Running Off The Bike

You have probably experiencing the sensation of trying to run on two dead legs coming off the bike. Running off the bike is highly stressful and you are most likely to cramp or get an injury in this critical juncture, especially in sprint races. Your muscles have been firing hard, at a high rate, and in a certain pattern and must now quickly make a transition to a different one. Blood flow that has pooled in the quads must be redirected to the hamstrings and calf muscles. There are a few techniques you can use to reduce the amount of stress on your legs as you bring them up to pace in the final leg of your race.

Before you even get to your race you should train to run off the bike at race speeds. You do not need to do this every work out but several times per week in the final phases of your training. You may even perform transition intervals in which you switch sports multiple times at speed and practice transitions.
As you approach T2 begin stretching on the bike. Get out of the saddle and stretch your quads by moving your hips towards the handle bars. Drop your heels and stretch your calf muscles. Cross your knee over the top tube and rotate your torso stretching your gluteals and IT band. Repeat this process more frequently as you approach transition.
Coming out of T2 assume a rapid stride rate and shorter stride. A faster stride will shift more stress to you cardiovascular system and off of your muscular system. This is especially important if there is a hill right out of transition.
Allow your pace to build progressively over several minutes as your body acclimates to the run. A may take you up to a half mile or more to build to your normal race pace. Try to let your pace build progressively and stay relaxed.

Once a cramp or pull occurs it will probably get progressively worse. By using these techniques you will adopt a smooth and injury free transition from the bike to the run.

Matt Russ has coached and trained elite athletes from around the country and internationally for over ten years. He currently holds expert licenses from USA Triathlon, USA Cycling (Elite), and is a licensed USA Track and Field Coach. Matt is head coach and owner of The Sport Factory, and works with athletes of all levels full time. He is a free lance author and his articles are regularly featured in a variety of magazines such as Inside Triathlon, and Triathlete. Visit www.thesportfactory.com for more information or email him at coachmatt@thesportfactory.com

Published in: Quick Tips