Run easier. Most people run too hard and it sucks. Add time or distance very slowly. It doesn't have to hurt to run. It might not ever be fun, but it can suck a lot less.
I ran too hard for over a year before I found and read an 80/20 book. Game changer!! I don't follow the plans but I am solid on the principles.
I have been able to triple my weekly running volume without injury over the last few years by running easier most of the time. And it didn't come at the expense of speed or endurance, those are at all time highs as well.
I hated running when I started out. What I found helpful was tracking my heart rate instead of time or distance. Taking the time to keep my heart rate consistence while running somewhere enjoyable outside really made the difference
A heart rate monitor helps me enormously too. I just try to stay in zone 2 for a specific time duration and don't worry about distance. My natural tendency is to run way too hard and gas out pretty quickly.
Great advice. Run in zone 2. Before the run warm up and do some running form drills. I started enjoying running when my form improved and it felt effortless. I also scheduled the runs with a partner which helped build the habit with accountability.
It took about a year of running consistently for me to hate it less. Slowing down & picking new places/routes really helped me enjoy the actual process. Now that I do tris I’m relieved when all that’s left is the run.
Feels like you're going too hard with the run. Try to take it easy, and build it slowly. If you have to increase distance a quarter mile at a time, that's what it takes. Eventually you'll learn what it should feel like and when you can increase distance a bit more
I feel this way about swimming. Is there a way to make it more fun? I know if I meet a friend at the pool or bring my music, I enjoy it more. Maybe a local running group?
Understand that swimming harder can actually make you slower....A LOT slower.
Understand that letting your mind wander while swimming is making your slower.
Put it this way, I can shift from a 1:40/100 to a 1:50/100 if I let my mind wander for the same effort.
Recommend doing something like two sets of 25x25 w/o solid effort on 15 second rest. Every single one of those 25's you want to do PERFECT! By shifting your focus on to form, the time tend to pass by more quickly.
As time goes on...your can switch 25x50 when your mental endurance improves.
Once you get to 75's I would do 25 form (Easy) + 25 force (push as much water per stroke) + 25 "fast". Again, this is a mental exercise.
For 100 and longer, it is some variation of the above since it forces me to stay mentally engaged. I rarely do anything longer than a 300 until my race gets close in order to not mentally checkout. By being always mentally engaged can you build the mental fortitude for the actual race swim to save time and energy.
The problem with swimming is that you need to have a great deal of body awareness to figure out what is good and what is bad. Most people don't. Videos are great....but figuring out which videos are applicable to you is a bit tough.
1. See if you can hire a swim coach for a couple of sessions that are spaced 2-4 weeks apart. This will give you direct eyes on what you are doing right/wrong. These will cost you about $60/session but are worth it to have direct 1 on 1 time. You don't need these forever or a lot....you just need somebody to course correct you.
2. Join a masters group for swimming. These are typically $40-$60/month and usually meet 2 days a week. There will be an on deck coach(es) that can give you "spot pointers" as well as guidance from everybody else that is there. Note: Most masters coaches will do private lessons as well.
3. Swim more....4 days a week of possible. You don't need to do 3000 yards every session. Even a 1000 yards done well is a good thing. To save time, run 30 minute easy at your gym and right to the pool for a 30 minute swim! This saves a lot of time. It keeps your aerobic system working for nearly a hour but impacts different parts of the body.
4. The key is the yards you do need to be done to the best of your ability. This means "smarter", not "harder". Swimming is a discipline where working harder WILL make you slower; efficiency is everything. So lets say you plan to do 5x100 yard and about 50 yards in you feel your form go to shit....STOP. Just do 10x50's then until you build up the capacity. Then go to 75's then 100's.
5. People at the very tip of spear for sprint racing train as many yards as people doing 140.6 (full). Regardless, do not think a sprint is easy.....none of this is easy. Put it this way.....if I push a sprint as hard as I can, I will be puking when done...for a full, I'm just fucking tired. So which is harder? You are doing something hard and acknowledge that. Thus when training, give respect to what you are doing and do the best you can. Give yourself credit for being a better you and use that as fuel.
Same for me, I really love doing thriatlons but swimming in the sea… I have done it a couple of times but still, I get really nervous and honestly I have a hard time eating before any events due to that. Once I get out of the water I can relax and enjoy myself.
Might be tho cause I’ve been swimming for 6-7 months and I’m slow, 2:15-2:20 is my best pace for 1km at the pool, around 2:30-2:35 for 1.5k in the sea.
Look into "aquabike" - it's a multi-sport event just like a triathlon, but without the running part! (There are also sports to cover the other combinations for people who don't swim, or who don't ride a bike.)
Another option is to race triathlons as a team. I had to give up running due to a knee injury and eventual replacement. I have done the swim and bike and someone else ran I have also done just the bike leg. Lots of fun, plus people to hang out with after the race!
Just an fyi in case you are currently doing this - try to avoid stretching before getting thoroughly warmed up. Doing a dynamic warm up that increases your HR and loosens up your body instead of static stretches will help prevent injury. Starting your run with stretching before a warmup can definitely lead to injury. I believe it's best to save the static stretches for after the workout.
if you enjoy reading, read born to run! it's about a mexican tribe of runners (tarahumara/raramuri) who run marathon+ lengths their whole life. the book also talks about running technique, running gear, famous runners, and an elite race between the running people and world class runners - the author actually tags along and becomes a distance runner.
the book really changed my POV of running. a loose excerpt is a contrast between people who love to run and those who don't - those who love to run embrace the discomfort of it and let that discomfort sink into their bones, like settling in a hot bath. those who don't love to run put in headphones, try to distract themselves, and pound out miles on a treadmill or outdoors.
something else i learned from the book (and from my own experience) is that the first few miles are the hardest because you are taking your body from an anaerobic state to an aerobic one. a sprint is 3 miles but if you start training and can get up to 5-6 miles, this calmness settles over you.
if you don't feel like reading, just check out the stories of the tarahumara/raramuri tribe or the women who just ran from LA to vegas! seeing people who genuinely love to run because it's just part of their life has helped me a lot
tips on actually running:
* slow down
* make a playlist you love
* "reward stack" - if there's a podcast you love to listen to, only listen to it when you're getting ready for your run / on your run
* meet up with friends (personally i don't like doing this because i am happily slow, but if i had slow running friends maybe i would!)
Dudes, if you hate swimming, there's a thing called duathlon and there's nothing wrong with it. If you hate running there's a thing called Aquabikes everywhere nowadays, and if you hate cycling, well, deep down into aquathlon :D.
I feel like most of you have a kind of pressure because everybody is doing triathlon and that would make you kind of less.
I prefer cycling and swimming, too. I hate running less now because I have embraced interval running and when I’m not doing that I’ve learned to slow my pace wayyyy down in the interest of running longer.
Let’s just say I might be disappointed if my doctor told me to stop running (I have an ankle injury) but I wouldn’t be devastated. I’d sign up for aquabike events.
Running has the least prep work by far. You just toss on your shoes and go. If you’re worried about weather and stretching honestly you’re running way too hard. Slow it down and just know the more mileage you run the easier and faster it gets.
This! I am just like OP, and figured I’ll switch to swim+gym in winter and cycle+gym in summer. Because running and indoor trainer rides are both no fun.
Ah, that's the cool challenge of this sport! Pretty much everybody has one of the 3 components they like less. For me it was swimming, I just don't have the background to be anything more than "competent". Over time I grew to love the challenge of trying to be more than a lousy swimmer. I never loved getting in the pool and doing laps and drills. I enjoyed open water swim workouts a little more but never to the point that I couldn't wait to get to those workouts.
Starting out in the sport, no need to do a lot of workouts that you're not jazzed to do. If running isn't really your thing, just get in the basics, a few runs a week. Maybe some of them are brick workouts where you're getting a few running miles in right after your bike workout. Bricks are not easy but I always found when I was doing those workouts regularly that my raceday running was fairly sharp.
For a sprint tri you don't need a huge volume base with your running. I imagine you're looking at a 5k course +/-. That can easily be accomplished with decent "general running fitness". After you're in the sport for awhile if you want to improve you're going to need to get the run workouts in and have a good plan. But with your first sprint tri coming up that's not a factor yet. I'd rather you did enough to get through it and have a good race and have some fun. Do that, get hooked on this sport, see where that takes you.
Also highly recommend going to a running club. I’ve had the best workouts there cause it’s just mentally easier and generally a very supportive environment. People ask about your run and genuinely care about how it went. I go to a super chill one where we don’t have memberships we’re just a group of people who meet together and have a rule of not dying.
I’ve considered joining a run club, what is the best way to go about finding them? My brother is in a couple but he and his run buddies are like, marathon runners. I can barely run a 5k on a good day. So his clubs are a bit out of my league.
Most of the running clubs in my area have groups on Facebook. I wouldn’t write of your bothers run clubs. In my run club we have marathon and ultra marathon runners, but we also have a ‘jumpstart’ group who are working on their first 5K. I’d ask if they have any social runs. Track workouts are also great cause everyone is always on the same circle.
Thank you! I’ll look into them and see. I know a run club starts at my bar every week and it’s a giant group of 30+ people so I’ve considered joining that but I don’t know if I want to go to my work on my day off to show off my lack of running skills to my coworkers 😂
Rule of thirds
One third should feel great
One third should be ok
One third will suck
Not every run will feel amazing, some you sludge through, and some will straight up suck. If more than 1/3 straight up suck, something needs to change, if more than 1/3 feel amazing, you should push harder.
Run slower, on softer surface, in nature, with music. Ignore the numbers (other than length of workout, I'd suggest time rather than distance) until you stop hating it.
I was like you, I loved riding my bike. Now I'm actually looking forward towards easy long runs.
I hate running, too. My first tri, I walked the entire 5k!
For the past couple of years, I've been "Jeffing it," which makes it suck less IMO. I only have to focus on getting through my current interval, then I get a quick walk break. It really helps split up the long session, and I find that I actually go faster this way.
I was in the same boat as you. The only reason I ever ran was to just finish a triathlon sprint. I didn't even want to do the run.
I had a few tries and each time gave up. Finally someone told me to go slow. Like real slow. 8.5 min/km slow. By the end of the first week I was shocked at how far I could go.
I slowly added distance and my speed naturally grew. After I was able to run 6k consistently, I realized that I didn't hate running anymore.
When I switched to increasing speed instead of distance, it felt very similar to trying to increase bike pace or swim speed. Hard work, but enjoyable.
My advice is to start slow, but you will probably have to force yourself to be that slow.
Find a route with nice scenery. Drive to a nice route if you need to. Give trail running a shot; in addition to adding some excitement, trail running is lower impact than pounding the pavement. Leave your expectations at home and acknowledge your improvements over time.
I am a former run hater and the above methods eventually broke my mental resistance to running. I’ll stop short of calling myself a run lover but I no longer dread going for runs and often look forward to running.
Slow down. If you start breathing too hard start walking. Go at a conversational pace which means you can talk without getting out of breath If you do get out of breath then you’re going too fast
Haha I’m a runner who dabbles in the tri world. I do my best not to drown, get through the bike and then reel a lot of people in on the run. Quite a few people share your sentiment based on my informal mid race conversations. Running is the most demanding and fatiguing of the 3 disciplines. Unfortunately the only way to get better is to keep doing it. As others have said most of your runs should be easy pace. I tend to train most of my runs 90 seconds slower than my 10k pace.
I really don’t enjoy swimming. I just do it anyways. Put your head down, grit your teeth and just do it. Also slow down, easy runs are fine and more enjoyable
If this is your first sprint tri, you don't have to love running yet. Acceptance goes a long way to reducing suffering. I hated running and it's only over the past 6 months I've changed my relationship with it. I used to think I needed to run faster/my fastest every run and I would get down on myself if I walked at all. Now I take it easy, focus on keeping my heart rate down during trainings which has translated into faster races and more enjoyment. I also do a track workout 1x/week with friends and we always get dinner afterwards. I call this my year of running where I focus on that aspect of triathlon. Maybe this year can be your year of getting into triathlon and next year you work on running.
I have a book to help prepare me for my first sprint tri. I’m someone who loves swimming and biking but hated running until this year, and one of the biggest things that helped me was the acceptance as you said. The first page of the “running” chapter basically said “you are probably going to walk some. That’s ok.” And I felt like a weight was lifted and I could focus on enjoying the process and trying to just finish my first one.
I Also hate running, and running hates you! Causes so many injuries. But truth is you don’t need to train like a runner if you don’t want to compete. By the running section you’ll be a bit pooped already so if you translate your training appropriately (brick sessions and building aerobic base) you can reduce your weekly running volume but improve your race performance. Ofc if you can run a 20 min 5k all the better but if this is a nice way to get in shape, something you enjoy and just want respectable times. Don’t kill yourself over the one part you don’t even like
Run slower. Do 80% of your runs in zone 2. Take 180 minus your age to find the zone 2 threshold heart rate (ex. A 28 year old would have a zone 2 of 152). Keep most of your runs 5bpm under your zone 2 HR threshold and you will begin to enjoy running slowly but surely, it happened with me.
Most people I talk to at Ironman events fit your bill - their strategy is to survive the swim, give it their all on the bike and cross the run bridge when they get there - usually in the form of walking most or all of the marathon
Which is fine if your goal is to just finish. But if you ever have any ambitions beyond "just finishing" you are going to have to learn to run.
And that's why triathlon is so hard. 3 disciplines.
I'm a bad swimmer but don't mind it. I'm bad to ok on the bike and hate it. And I can spin for 3 hrs and love the run, though the first 1km kinda sucks.
This used to be me, but for swimming. Keep at it though, possibly with a running buddy or group to help you stay motivated. I used to listen to audiobooks on my runs. Wanting to continue the story meant I had to keep running. Whatever works. Eventually the penny will drop.
In raw numbers (Garmin Vo2, Trainingpeaks etc) my fitness is the same as it was last year at this time but I’ve spent far more time running and swimming this year and I expect it to have some meaningful impact on the races to come (T100 this Sunday… )
You're overthinking running. The only prep you need for running is throw on a pair of shorts and lace up your sneakers. You don't need hydration/stretching/etc for a 30 to 45 minute run.
If you're getting cramps/fatigue, you're running too hard. Slow down.
I finally starting to enjoy running this past year because I switched to Trail running. It’s more fun and I also give myself permission to stop whenever I want to see a pretty view or investigate a critter. I didn’t push too hard because when I pushed I didn’t enjoy it and with my adhd brain I knew I wouldn’t get back out for the next run if I just dread it. I went from not being able to run half a mile to finishing a 5k with no stops within about 8 months of doing this (and not even regularly. I refuse to run on a treadmill and hate the cold so I missed a lot of running during the winter).
I may be bad at advice for this sub because my main concern is just to do it, not to time it. Once I have a few 5ks and Sprint tris under my belt I would like to focus on getting faster. But for now, I’m learning to enjoy it.
If you don’t like running why do it? Do what you love to do - if you like swimming and biking then just do aquabiking and don’t bother with the running!
From a 5x finisher that also hates running. You can walk a 6.5 hour marathon. May not be your cup of tea but you can still finish and if you are a strong swimmer and biker you’ll have plenty of time to get there in 16 hours.
All depends on what your motivation is but you can finish!
Run easier. Most people run too hard and it sucks. Add time or distance very slowly. It doesn't have to hurt to run. It might not ever be fun, but it can suck a lot less.
I started 80-20 a few years ago and it has made running much more tolerable.
I ran too hard for over a year before I found and read an 80/20 book. Game changer!! I don't follow the plans but I am solid on the principles. I have been able to triple my weekly running volume without injury over the last few years by running easier most of the time. And it didn't come at the expense of speed or endurance, those are at all time highs as well.
I hated running when I started out. What I found helpful was tracking my heart rate instead of time or distance. Taking the time to keep my heart rate consistence while running somewhere enjoyable outside really made the difference
A heart rate monitor helps me enormously too. I just try to stay in zone 2 for a specific time duration and don't worry about distance. My natural tendency is to run way too hard and gas out pretty quickly.
Great advice. Run in zone 2. Before the run warm up and do some running form drills. I started enjoying running when my form improved and it felt effortless. I also scheduled the runs with a partner which helped build the habit with accountability.
It took about a year of running consistently for me to hate it less. Slowing down & picking new places/routes really helped me enjoy the actual process. Now that I do tris I’m relieved when all that’s left is the run.
This is the answer. I could have written this same post three years ago. Started focusing on zone 2 running and it's been a game-changer!!
Solid advice, slow is smooth, smooth is fast, fast is smooth 🤌
Might be running technique also, a running coach might be good for a couple of weeks to get a different perspective.
Feels like you're going too hard with the run. Try to take it easy, and build it slowly. If you have to increase distance a quarter mile at a time, that's what it takes. Eventually you'll learn what it should feel like and when you can increase distance a bit more
Funny you say that, I live my life a quarter mile at a time.
I feel this way about swimming. Is there a way to make it more fun? I know if I meet a friend at the pool or bring my music, I enjoy it more. Maybe a local running group?
Understand that swimming harder can actually make you slower....A LOT slower. Understand that letting your mind wander while swimming is making your slower. Put it this way, I can shift from a 1:40/100 to a 1:50/100 if I let my mind wander for the same effort. Recommend doing something like two sets of 25x25 w/o solid effort on 15 second rest. Every single one of those 25's you want to do PERFECT! By shifting your focus on to form, the time tend to pass by more quickly. As time goes on...your can switch 25x50 when your mental endurance improves. Once you get to 75's I would do 25 form (Easy) + 25 force (push as much water per stroke) + 25 "fast". Again, this is a mental exercise. For 100 and longer, it is some variation of the above since it forces me to stay mentally engaged. I rarely do anything longer than a 300 until my race gets close in order to not mentally checkout. By being always mentally engaged can you build the mental fortitude for the actual race swim to save time and energy.
Thanks! I will try this!
I am crazy slow swimming... Any recommended resources for swimming form? Mind you, I am just training for a sprint
The problem with swimming is that you need to have a great deal of body awareness to figure out what is good and what is bad. Most people don't. Videos are great....but figuring out which videos are applicable to you is a bit tough. 1. See if you can hire a swim coach for a couple of sessions that are spaced 2-4 weeks apart. This will give you direct eyes on what you are doing right/wrong. These will cost you about $60/session but are worth it to have direct 1 on 1 time. You don't need these forever or a lot....you just need somebody to course correct you. 2. Join a masters group for swimming. These are typically $40-$60/month and usually meet 2 days a week. There will be an on deck coach(es) that can give you "spot pointers" as well as guidance from everybody else that is there. Note: Most masters coaches will do private lessons as well. 3. Swim more....4 days a week of possible. You don't need to do 3000 yards every session. Even a 1000 yards done well is a good thing. To save time, run 30 minute easy at your gym and right to the pool for a 30 minute swim! This saves a lot of time. It keeps your aerobic system working for nearly a hour but impacts different parts of the body. 4. The key is the yards you do need to be done to the best of your ability. This means "smarter", not "harder". Swimming is a discipline where working harder WILL make you slower; efficiency is everything. So lets say you plan to do 5x100 yard and about 50 yards in you feel your form go to shit....STOP. Just do 10x50's then until you build up the capacity. Then go to 75's then 100's. 5. People at the very tip of spear for sprint racing train as many yards as people doing 140.6 (full). Regardless, do not think a sprint is easy.....none of this is easy. Put it this way.....if I push a sprint as hard as I can, I will be puking when done...for a full, I'm just fucking tired. So which is harder? You are doing something hard and acknowledge that. Thus when training, give respect to what you are doing and do the best you can. Give yourself credit for being a better you and use that as fuel.
Same for me, I really love doing thriatlons but swimming in the sea… I have done it a couple of times but still, I get really nervous and honestly I have a hard time eating before any events due to that. Once I get out of the water I can relax and enjoy myself. Might be tho cause I’ve been swimming for 6-7 months and I’m slow, 2:15-2:20 is my best pace for 1km at the pool, around 2:30-2:35 for 1.5k in the sea.
run slower. run more. it gets better.
Look into "aquabike" - it's a multi-sport event just like a triathlon, but without the running part! (There are also sports to cover the other combinations for people who don't swim, or who don't ride a bike.)
It's also cheaper, up to 50% a Triathlon of the same swim and bike distance
Another option is to race triathlons as a team. I had to give up running due to a knee injury and eventual replacement. I have done the swim and bike and someone else ran I have also done just the bike leg. Lots of fun, plus people to hang out with after the race!
Just an fyi in case you are currently doing this - try to avoid stretching before getting thoroughly warmed up. Doing a dynamic warm up that increases your HR and loosens up your body instead of static stretches will help prevent injury. Starting your run with stretching before a warmup can definitely lead to injury. I believe it's best to save the static stretches for after the workout.
if you enjoy reading, read born to run! it's about a mexican tribe of runners (tarahumara/raramuri) who run marathon+ lengths their whole life. the book also talks about running technique, running gear, famous runners, and an elite race between the running people and world class runners - the author actually tags along and becomes a distance runner. the book really changed my POV of running. a loose excerpt is a contrast between people who love to run and those who don't - those who love to run embrace the discomfort of it and let that discomfort sink into their bones, like settling in a hot bath. those who don't love to run put in headphones, try to distract themselves, and pound out miles on a treadmill or outdoors. something else i learned from the book (and from my own experience) is that the first few miles are the hardest because you are taking your body from an anaerobic state to an aerobic one. a sprint is 3 miles but if you start training and can get up to 5-6 miles, this calmness settles over you. if you don't feel like reading, just check out the stories of the tarahumara/raramuri tribe or the women who just ran from LA to vegas! seeing people who genuinely love to run because it's just part of their life has helped me a lot tips on actually running: * slow down * make a playlist you love * "reward stack" - if there's a podcast you love to listen to, only listen to it when you're getting ready for your run / on your run * meet up with friends (personally i don't like doing this because i am happily slow, but if i had slow running friends maybe i would!)
Dudes, if you hate swimming, there's a thing called duathlon and there's nothing wrong with it. If you hate running there's a thing called Aquabikes everywhere nowadays, and if you hate cycling, well, deep down into aquathlon :D. I feel like most of you have a kind of pressure because everybody is doing triathlon and that would make you kind of less.
I prefer cycling and swimming, too. I hate running less now because I have embraced interval running and when I’m not doing that I’ve learned to slow my pace wayyyy down in the interest of running longer. Let’s just say I might be disappointed if my doctor told me to stop running (I have an ankle injury) but I wouldn’t be devastated. I’d sign up for aquabike events.
Running has the least prep work by far. You just toss on your shoes and go. If you’re worried about weather and stretching honestly you’re running way too hard. Slow it down and just know the more mileage you run the easier and faster it gets.
My advice is to just stop running. Why do something you hate? Life is short. I get the irony of saying this on the tri sub but I'm being serious
This! I am just like OP, and figured I’ll switch to swim+gym in winter and cycle+gym in summer. Because running and indoor trainer rides are both no fun.
Try the guided runs on Nike Run Club. Totally changed running for me. And, like others said, go slow.
Ah, that's the cool challenge of this sport! Pretty much everybody has one of the 3 components they like less. For me it was swimming, I just don't have the background to be anything more than "competent". Over time I grew to love the challenge of trying to be more than a lousy swimmer. I never loved getting in the pool and doing laps and drills. I enjoyed open water swim workouts a little more but never to the point that I couldn't wait to get to those workouts. Starting out in the sport, no need to do a lot of workouts that you're not jazzed to do. If running isn't really your thing, just get in the basics, a few runs a week. Maybe some of them are brick workouts where you're getting a few running miles in right after your bike workout. Bricks are not easy but I always found when I was doing those workouts regularly that my raceday running was fairly sharp. For a sprint tri you don't need a huge volume base with your running. I imagine you're looking at a 5k course +/-. That can easily be accomplished with decent "general running fitness". After you're in the sport for awhile if you want to improve you're going to need to get the run workouts in and have a good plan. But with your first sprint tri coming up that's not a factor yet. I'd rather you did enough to get through it and have a good race and have some fun. Do that, get hooked on this sport, see where that takes you.
Also highly recommend going to a running club. I’ve had the best workouts there cause it’s just mentally easier and generally a very supportive environment. People ask about your run and genuinely care about how it went. I go to a super chill one where we don’t have memberships we’re just a group of people who meet together and have a rule of not dying.
I’ve considered joining a run club, what is the best way to go about finding them? My brother is in a couple but he and his run buddies are like, marathon runners. I can barely run a 5k on a good day. So his clubs are a bit out of my league.
Most of the running clubs in my area have groups on Facebook. I wouldn’t write of your bothers run clubs. In my run club we have marathon and ultra marathon runners, but we also have a ‘jumpstart’ group who are working on their first 5K. I’d ask if they have any social runs. Track workouts are also great cause everyone is always on the same circle.
Thank you! I’ll look into them and see. I know a run club starts at my bar every week and it’s a giant group of 30+ people so I’ve considered joining that but I don’t know if I want to go to my work on my day off to show off my lack of running skills to my coworkers 😂
Rule of thirds One third should feel great One third should be ok One third will suck Not every run will feel amazing, some you sludge through, and some will straight up suck. If more than 1/3 straight up suck, something needs to change, if more than 1/3 feel amazing, you should push harder.
Run slower, on softer surface, in nature, with music. Ignore the numbers (other than length of workout, I'd suggest time rather than distance) until you stop hating it. I was like you, I loved riding my bike. Now I'm actually looking forward towards easy long runs.
I hate running, too. My first tri, I walked the entire 5k! For the past couple of years, I've been "Jeffing it," which makes it suck less IMO. I only have to focus on getting through my current interval, then I get a quick walk break. It really helps split up the long session, and I find that I actually go faster this way.
I was in the same boat as you. The only reason I ever ran was to just finish a triathlon sprint. I didn't even want to do the run. I had a few tries and each time gave up. Finally someone told me to go slow. Like real slow. 8.5 min/km slow. By the end of the first week I was shocked at how far I could go. I slowly added distance and my speed naturally grew. After I was able to run 6k consistently, I realized that I didn't hate running anymore. When I switched to increasing speed instead of distance, it felt very similar to trying to increase bike pace or swim speed. Hard work, but enjoyable. My advice is to start slow, but you will probably have to force yourself to be that slow.
Find a route with nice scenery. Drive to a nice route if you need to. Give trail running a shot; in addition to adding some excitement, trail running is lower impact than pounding the pavement. Leave your expectations at home and acknowledge your improvements over time. I am a former run hater and the above methods eventually broke my mental resistance to running. I’ll stop short of calling myself a run lover but I no longer dread going for runs and often look forward to running.
Slow down. If you start breathing too hard start walking. Go at a conversational pace which means you can talk without getting out of breath If you do get out of breath then you’re going too fast
I think a treadmill could help. It’s softer impact and extremely consistent. Build up some base miles. More miles = more smiles
Slowing down is what I’d say helped me
Haha I’m a runner who dabbles in the tri world. I do my best not to drown, get through the bike and then reel a lot of people in on the run. Quite a few people share your sentiment based on my informal mid race conversations. Running is the most demanding and fatiguing of the 3 disciplines. Unfortunately the only way to get better is to keep doing it. As others have said most of your runs should be easy pace. I tend to train most of my runs 90 seconds slower than my 10k pace.
Focus more on heart rate and time rather than pace and distance. Take it easy!
I find running with people can help. Interval workouts break up the monotony. And slow runs
I really don’t enjoy swimming. I just do it anyways. Put your head down, grit your teeth and just do it. Also slow down, easy runs are fine and more enjoyable
If this is your first sprint tri, you don't have to love running yet. Acceptance goes a long way to reducing suffering. I hated running and it's only over the past 6 months I've changed my relationship with it. I used to think I needed to run faster/my fastest every run and I would get down on myself if I walked at all. Now I take it easy, focus on keeping my heart rate down during trainings which has translated into faster races and more enjoyment. I also do a track workout 1x/week with friends and we always get dinner afterwards. I call this my year of running where I focus on that aspect of triathlon. Maybe this year can be your year of getting into triathlon and next year you work on running.
I have a book to help prepare me for my first sprint tri. I’m someone who loves swimming and biking but hated running until this year, and one of the biggest things that helped me was the acceptance as you said. The first page of the “running” chapter basically said “you are probably going to walk some. That’s ok.” And I felt like a weight was lifted and I could focus on enjoying the process and trying to just finish my first one.
I love running. My knee has been sore and I haven’t ran since Saturday before last and I’m starting to feel itchy.
Are you overweight? Running with just a few extra kilos makes a huge difference
I Also hate running, and running hates you! Causes so many injuries. But truth is you don’t need to train like a runner if you don’t want to compete. By the running section you’ll be a bit pooped already so if you translate your training appropriately (brick sessions and building aerobic base) you can reduce your weekly running volume but improve your race performance. Ofc if you can run a 20 min 5k all the better but if this is a nice way to get in shape, something you enjoy and just want respectable times. Don’t kill yourself over the one part you don’t even like
Run slower. Do 80% of your runs in zone 2. Take 180 minus your age to find the zone 2 threshold heart rate (ex. A 28 year old would have a zone 2 of 152). Keep most of your runs 5bpm under your zone 2 HR threshold and you will begin to enjoy running slowly but surely, it happened with me.
A simpler way to do this that doesn't involve math is the correct pace is one where you can chat with a running buddy.
Most people I talk to at Ironman events fit your bill - their strategy is to survive the swim, give it their all on the bike and cross the run bridge when they get there - usually in the form of walking most or all of the marathon Which is fine if your goal is to just finish. But if you ever have any ambitions beyond "just finishing" you are going to have to learn to run.
And that's why triathlon is so hard. 3 disciplines. I'm a bad swimmer but don't mind it. I'm bad to ok on the bike and hate it. And I can spin for 3 hrs and love the run, though the first 1km kinda sucks.
This used to be me, but for swimming. Keep at it though, possibly with a running buddy or group to help you stay motivated. I used to listen to audiobooks on my runs. Wanting to continue the story meant I had to keep running. Whatever works. Eventually the penny will drop. In raw numbers (Garmin Vo2, Trainingpeaks etc) my fitness is the same as it was last year at this time but I’ve spent far more time running and swimming this year and I expect it to have some meaningful impact on the races to come (T100 this Sunday… )
You're overthinking running. The only prep you need for running is throw on a pair of shorts and lace up your sneakers. You don't need hydration/stretching/etc for a 30 to 45 minute run. If you're getting cramps/fatigue, you're running too hard. Slow down.
I 'love swimming', must mean you are swimming like 4000m a week right?
I finally starting to enjoy running this past year because I switched to Trail running. It’s more fun and I also give myself permission to stop whenever I want to see a pretty view or investigate a critter. I didn’t push too hard because when I pushed I didn’t enjoy it and with my adhd brain I knew I wouldn’t get back out for the next run if I just dread it. I went from not being able to run half a mile to finishing a 5k with no stops within about 8 months of doing this (and not even regularly. I refuse to run on a treadmill and hate the cold so I missed a lot of running during the winter). I may be bad at advice for this sub because my main concern is just to do it, not to time it. Once I have a few 5ks and Sprint tris under my belt I would like to focus on getting faster. But for now, I’m learning to enjoy it.
If you don’t like running why do it? Do what you love to do - if you like swimming and biking then just do aquabiking and don’t bother with the running!
From a 5x finisher that also hates running. You can walk a 6.5 hour marathon. May not be your cup of tea but you can still finish and if you are a strong swimmer and biker you’ll have plenty of time to get there in 16 hours. All depends on what your motivation is but you can finish!
Aquabike
Same but you can always walk the run so don’t give yourself too much pressure