Getting Started : Running

For most people I would imagine running it the easiest element to train for when they are doing their 1^st triathlon. Not me, when I decided to do a triathlon I knew running would be my nemesis and I was right. When I was growing up my Mum ran marathons and younger brother was a good junior club runner. As there is only 18 months between us most of the time if one of us did a sport the other was dragged along and they had a go as well. So from an early age I did my fair share of sprinting and cross country running with my little brother and I was as terrible as he was good. When I found rugby suited my build much more I stopped athletics training and running became just part of the game I played.  Don’t get me wrong I wasn’t a good rugby player but I could be part of the team and my physical size gave me advantage. For many years running was something to be hated and feared for me during pre-season rugby training.

 

New Balance Trainers Used In My First 2 Triathlons - Still Get Used For Walking The Dog Now

  By the time I got around to starting my run training I had been swimming and cycling for a while so at least my general fitness had improved from when I decided to do the triathlon. When I was up in Cumbria at Mum's the Christmas before the triathlon I visited the New Balance factory shop for some new trainers (it’s 2 miles down the road from my Mums house). I had no more excuses and the race was only 12 weeks away so I had to start running. I checked the distances and I was only going to have to run 2.7km so that’s the distance I was going to run in training. Two mornings a week before work I started trudging around the local streets on a course I worked out on google maps. I would start off thinking this isn’t that bad. By the time I was half way round the course I was sweating like a pig and at the finish was almost on my knees. I did get better and I did extend my little run course slightly to try and build stamina. I still didn’t enjoy my run training. My swimming training was enjoyable and I have always found cycling fun so I endured the running. By the time it came to race day I knew I could run the required distance, it would be slow and painful but I could do it.

 

GPS track of early training run - generated via Endomondo Android app on Sony Xperia S smart phone

  When it comes to cost I suppose running was the cheapest of the 3 sports to get started with. As I said I got my trainers from the New Balance factory shop and they always have good reductions on bigger sizes (my feet being a UK size 12). I already had shorts and tops I could use to run in and my cycling waterproof was perfect for wet days. The only other thing I did get was a hi vis vest for early morning and evening runs. Total expenditure to get started running was about £50.