Most aspiring triathletes come to the sport with some running under their belts. If you are an exception — a person with no running experience — add four weeks to your projected triathlon training schedule and plan on a sixteen-week buildup to your race. The first month will be spent getting your body used to running. Chapter 11 has a training schedule for brand-new runners.

The primary goal of the schedule for new runners will be to get the body used to the stresses of the sport. It is designed to ease you into your new activity with a program of running and walking. By the end of the four weeks, you will be ready to start training in all three sports for your triathlon.

Good Form

Even veteran runners need help with their running form. It's easy to get into bad habits, reinforcing them in each workout. It is far easier to start correctly so that you don't have to unlearn anything later on.

One of the most important elements of your form is how your foot strikes the ground. Heel striking is a common flaw. When you run with your heel hitting the ground first, your strides become long and inefficient. You have to work harder to get where you are going, and you can't go as fast.

Your goal should be to strike the ground with the middle of your foot, not the heel.

What you should aim for is short, quick steps with rapid turnover rather than long, slow strides. Practice running so that when your foot hits the ground, it is always under your knee.

Running is a full-body experience, so make sure all of your parts are involved, especially the arms. If you don't think arm movement is important, trying running with your arms at your sides for a few minutes. You will be surprised how difficult it is.

Swing your arms as you run so that when the left arm is out in front, so is the right leg, and when the right arm is out, the left is leg is in front. March in place, swinging your arms, to see how this works. Moving your arms and legs in this combination creates momentum that helps propel you forward.

Over All

Aim for a smooth running style, and think of yourself as running over the ground rather than on it. Try to avoid a herky-jerky motion as you run. It wastes energy and eventually could lead to injury. Don't bob up and down as you stride. Spend your energy going forward, not up and down.

It is also important to stay relaxed as you run. Tension drains your energy and makes everything more difficult. If you find yourself clenching your fists, you are tensing up. Drop your arms briefly and just shake them to ease the tension in your shoulders. Stop and walk if necessary.