Running Q&A’s for the Beginner Triathlete

by Rod Cedaro (M. App. Sc.)
Consultant Exercise Physiologist.
ACC Accredited Level III Triathlon Coach

When newbie triathletes first coming into triathlon, aside from the mechanics of swimming and getting their bikes set up correctly  to optimising efficiency along the road, it is often the run which causes them the most discomfort. After all, if you’ve come from a fun run (or no training) background into triathlon, running off the bike can be a real “experience” to say the least. In order to make this experience a little more pleasurable for you here’s some Q & A’s we hope that you’ll find helpful!

1.      How many days a week should I run?

This is a very open ended question and largely depends on age, fitness, goals, etc. Way too many triathletes just got out and “run” without a training plan. Injuries often result as a consquence of this willy nilly approach. As I’ve often mentioned to my squad members; physiologically speaking running is the most demanding of the disciplines for the triathlete because of its weight bearing nature.  Many running injuries result from not having enough rest between runs, especially your harder ones.

Those who run every second day have a lowest incidence of injury because of increased recovery time. And that is the beauty of triathlon, those days during which you’re recovering from your running can be spent swimming and/or cycling.

If you don’t have any biomechanical or orthopedic problems there’s no reason why you can’t schedule in 3-4 runs per week as a novice. Remember the key is to build a base and strengthen your skeletal-muscular system as your heart and lungs will be able to cope with more intense training than your limbs can. As this strength improves you’ll be able to run more regularly, but in the early days of your training, start conservatively. Also, for older triathletes/runners (40 plus), often “less is more” – if you’ve got a bit of a running background you’ll probably find yourself getting away with less runs per week at a slightly quicker pace interspersed with more recovery.

2.      Suffering from black toe nails?

Are you starting to experience black toe nails due to running for longer periods of time? Well this is a common problem with longer distance runners. When you run your feet swell, the longer the run the more your toes slam into the toe-box at the front of the shoes. In hot humid conditions the amount of swelling increases even more so. Fluid behind the toenail builds up and you can get bleeding into this cavity. Try using a sterile needle to lance the area under the toenail and let this fluid build up out. If it continues to accumulate it’ll blacken and the toenail will die and fall out – which isn’t a good look!

Here’s some suggestions to help prevent black toenails:

• When you buy shoes, make sure there’s at least a centimetre between your longest toe and the front of the shoe, when standing. Be sure to wear the same type of socks you’ll be using in
• Powder the inside of your socks and shoes to reduce friction
• Put a skin lubricant on your toes
• Keep your toenails trimmed and short
• Wear thinner socks during the warm-weather months and if you’re racing longer races have a slightly bigger shoe
• Be careful when lancing under the toenails. If you do drain the fluid be sure to apply some sort of antibiotic solution around the drainage point to avoid infection Too much too soon? 

3.      Too much too soon? Have you fallen into a habit of overtraining?

One of the most common things I see is enthusiast novice triathletes pushing too hard too often in training. Training has a cumulative effect on the body. You have to stress it and then allow it time to recover. If you’re forever going out over the same course and timing yourself and comparing those times you end up “racing” yourself every session. That’s not a good idea. Once you’ve over that initial honeymoon period of getting into triathlon training, then what counts is consistency. Over the years I’ve found some of the most common reasons for a triathletes training to go pear-shaped is the following:

Improved fitness allows for a faster starting pace than you can hold for the whole session, so by the end of the session you’re feeling nailed.

The majority of triathletes I work with that up the training simply don’t have adequate carbohydrate in their diets, which, over time progressively leads to fatigue. In this instance you’ll feel fine at the start of the run, but by the end (when you’ve emptied your muscle glycogen stores) you’ll feel wasted.

To combat this, initially slow down your pace – run a warm up for at least 10-15 minutes.

If you’re new to this add in some walking breaks (e.g. 5 minutes jog, 1 minute jog and progress up by adding another minute of running each session before you slow to a walk again. This is progressive overload and your body will adapt to it).

4.      Painful foot and leg cramps – what can I do to stop these?

Believe me, you aren’t alone! The most common causes of cramping are over-exertion of the muscles, poor blood flow, dehydration and inadequate sodium intake. Here are some suggestions:

• Before running, have a walk to warm up the feet and increase blood supply to your legs/feet.
• Ease into your runs by warming up at an easier pace for the first couple of kilometres.
•  If you’re sweating a lot salt your food a little more liberally.
•  Visit a speciality running shoe store and make sure you’ve got the right shoes for your foot type.
• Stay well hydrated by drinking 150-250ml of an appropriately formulated sports drink during your longer runs in particular.

Warm down at the end of your session.

Commit to a healthy & balanced lifestyle today with Croc Squad!

The Croc Squad takes the combined 45 years experience from Brad Beven and Rod Cedaro in the sport of Triathlon to coaching.

With a train smart race hard philosophy, Rod, a sports physiologist and Australian Coaching Council Accredited Level III Triathlon Coach, and Brad, a multiple World number one in the sport, have created a training group that allows people achieve their personal goals.

You may want to be the best in the world or to just meet new people in a safe and friendly environment. It’s not always about winning but it is about enjoying yourself while reaching your potential.

We may come from an elite background but that doesn’t mean we don’t cater for beginners. The Croc Squad takes all of the guesswork out of training by optimising your training time availability.

The Croc Squad conducts beginner courses, camps, social events and structured training sessions. If you’d like to be part of the fastest growing sport in the world, give us a try, the first session is free.

Visit www.crocsquad.com for more information.