The triathlete is also a runner, you know?

A look back at running training for a cross-trainer.

The triathlete is a mysterious beast. And not just because he wears compression stockings and a visor to go to the grocery store. Neither because some of them have tattooed a brand on the calf (without being paid apart from that!). We will come back to all these distinctive and identifying signs soon… There are so many seemingly bizarre and comical things that it will take a moment to explain them; this will be the subject of a future blog. But today, the mystery studied concerns how to approach running for the triathlete.

If it is common knowledge that the pet peeve of the average triathlete is, most of the time, swimming, that it is almost understood that many triathletes are very powerful on a bike but that they ride all wrong in a peloton of real cyclists, it is clear that in running, they surprise many "pure" runners by also qualifying for Boston and posting times that are often very similar to those accustomed to 80 km and more per week. So my question: why does the triathlete who accumulates half Ironmans and Ironmans year round lose most of his means (hear his habits) when he signs up for a half marathon or a marathon at dry? This thought haunts me regularly.

Let's first recall some details for those who don't know how a triathlete trains. Depending on the distances targeted in competition, the triathlete will generally practice each discipline individually (swimming, cycling, running) at least twice each week. Added to this is what is called a "brick"; i.e. training alternating between two disciplines (usually running/cycling) once a week. Most triathletes also have a long run and, in season at least, a long bike ride in their plans. Except for the latter, the majority of training is done by practicing splits, or intervals, aimed at simulating the different tests encountered, working and pushing back your threshold, etc. In short, the whole thing is done above all under the sign of intensity, preceded by educational exercises which aim to refine the technique and avoid injuries. In short, we build endurance, we work on speed and specificity, technique and the rest. I forgot: the savvy ones don't forget core and strength training, especially in winter. And you know what? They also have lives, jobs, careers, families, hobbies and other passions. Well yes, they sacrifice things; transportation to work, video games, Facebook, watching hockey games, doing macramé, writing poetry or whatever, but they manage!

But there, back on topic, the triathlete (I say "the", but I'm talking as much about "the", of course) signed up for a marathon and bang; he's cutting back on his favorite sports to focus on running. He has already done dry marathons (two years ago for the last one; an eternity for the beast), and 4 or 5 others in Ironmans, but there, he is stressed. For what? I don't know, he's like that. It must be said that in an Ironman, he starts the marathon thinking: it's almost over! The Ironman marathon is the stage where there will be no punctures or mechanical breakdowns, no penalties, this is the place where he can hug his loved ones on the side of the road, if ever it shows up, without upsetting his damn time too much (but he will think, I swear to you, before slowing down to give a kiss to the baby who doesn't know what's going on anyway…). Think about it; starting a marathon thinking "it's almost over"... All this to say that the state of mind of a marathon on Ironman and that of a dry marathon is not at all the same. If there are 26 letters in the alphabet, I sincerely believe that it is to allow the triathlete to have not only a plan B, but perhaps a plan Z for their race on Ironman. But on a dry marathon, triathletes set the bar high; they may have a plan A-, at the limit a plan B+, but the ego or the spirit of competition have scraped the other letters for a while... Finally, they approach running differently because, secretly, they tell themselves that there is "just" a marathon to be done, and that it would be silly to be slow.

Then there is this story, this kind of legend that says that a dry marathon is more difficult than an Ironman. Don't leave me. P-v-p, don't do this, leave me. Let's say that it all comes back to what I was saying, that is to say, the way to approach running. It's all in the way, right? That's what my mom used to say anyway. Because between you and me and the couch, more is more. The same athlete who does a sprint, an Olympic, a half-Ironman, an Ironman, a 5km or a marathon, he will go there with all his capacities, all of them; and more, will remain more. You don't compare a Sprint done by an elite with an Ironman done by a walker finisher, huh? You're smarter than that, I'm sure.

There, I talk and I talk, and I seem to be moving away. But no, the topic I wanted to cover is "running training for a cross-trainer and how to approach it" and that's exactly what we're talking about. My opinion? Calm down my triathlete and continue your training in all three sports instead of focusing too much on your marathon. Sure, put more energy into your run, spend more time on it, but don't stop everything else. You know it, you were built for it and each of your sports subsidizes the other. Your body is used to undergoing stress distributed over 3 sports; don't spoil everything. Don't run after injuries. And you know what? You won't suddenly do 2h30 if you usually took 2h59 for your marathon, any more than you won't run your first marathon under 4 hours if you take almost 7h to do a half-IM, all that, only because you stopped swimming or cycling for 3 months. It's not me saying it, it's your body. And a little Sportstats too. Relax triathlete, you're a good runner, I know it. It's almost shocking how good a runner you are for someone who doesn't just race. So have fun.

Probably you would gain a few minutes if you just ran, but at what cost? Is this your year with Boston in the lead or is this your first marathon? Of course, in cases like that, cases of very specific objectives, I understand that you slack off the rest a little, but overall, don't let go of the potato, your race will be fine, trust yourself and do cross-training confidence. A last point? Don't let go of the educational ones because you have a long outing. Warm up for ten or fifteen minutes, do your education, and then go for your continuous run. It's not your extra 15-20 minutes at the beginning that will kill you, on the contrary. Giving up educationals is never a good idea… Don't you know what educationals are? You really don't know what it's for? Well you just gave me a good idea for a theme for a future blog; see you soon, then!

Good race preparation and good season!