When you’re preparing for a triathlon, you have to make sure that you’re using the right techniques even in running. While it may seem like a very easy and simple exercise, running for longer and longer periods of time without getting tired can pose a serious challenge for most triathletes.  

Let’s discuss a few important tips and insights that can help you avoid that sudden fit of exhaustion and help you run for longer without getting tired mid-way. Reaching the finishing line isn’t as hard as you think.

You will have mastered it after some practice if you use the tips that we are going to share with you in this article. 

1) Maintain your Weight

It is an established fact that controlling your weight will increase your running capacity and agility. You need to avoid junk food as much as you can and stick to a healthy diet including lots of fruits and vegetables. That’s the most important tip that you will need to keep in mind as a triathlete. 

2) Diverse Training Activities 

You don’t need to limit your training to running even if that’s your primary concern. Make sure that you are doing other exercises as well including cycling, swimming, and even regular gym workout. You will be directly or indirectly stabilizing and strengthening your body for the running exercise throughout all of these exercises. 

3) A Dynamic as well as Static Warm-up 

Your warm-up decides how efficiently your body is working throughout the run. From releasing the pressure in your joints to stretching your muscles, it can make your body ready for the challenge in every way. 

A good warm-up should include some dynamic stretching and some light mobility-related exercises like leg swings and hip circling. It should also include some static stretches to help release the tension in your muscles and prepare you for the run both physically and mentally.

4) Getting Enough Air into your Lungs

Breathing becomes a challenge in any exercise that pushes you to your limits, and the feeling of air-hunger constantly increases. We’ve all felt that at some point. Some people wonder whether it’s better to breathe from your nose or your mouth while running. 

In my opinion, there is no efficient way to breathe while you’re running because your body’s demand for oxygen is continuously rising. However, it is best if you inhale both through your mouth and your nose to get some extra air in. 

Your mouth can definitely bring more air in than your nose. Breathing through your nose might be enough during normal conversations and such, but it will definitely not be enough as the intensity of exercise increases. You will find yourself hyperventilating and taking deeper and deeper breaths which will automatically urge you to use your mouth to breathe.

5) Drink Plenty of Water

The stress on your muscles causes the consumption of water and oxygen both to produce energy. You also sweat a lot during exercise. Furthermore, when you’re hyperventilating, your throat can quickly get dry. You must drink at least 8 glasses of water per day to keep yourself hydrated. 

Drink a glass of water before you start running and store another in a bottle in the fridge for later. That way, you will have cold, refreshing water to cool you down as soon as you have finished your exercise. 

6) Start and Finish Slowly 

You don’t need to go speeding out the door or come crashing back in, hunched up and out of breath, exhausted. Take it easy, let your body adapt along the way. Stay in your comfort zone for most of the run. Start with a slow and steady jog, and slowly pick up pace until you reach that spurt in the middle. 

Just like your start, your end should be a gradual slow-down – not a sudden stopping in your tracks. No need to end the run abruptly, hunching over or falling down from the fatigue. Maintain your posture and slowly bring the speed down until you stop. 

7) Focus on your Running Position

Most of us think that there’s no fixed technique for running, and that the running posture doesn’t matter much. That’s not true. You should focus on your running technique and posture rather than focusing on the one-foot-in-front-of-the-other monotony of the running exercise. It can be a great way to distract yourself from the physical stress as well.  

8) Do it Intermittently, not Continuously 

Take a day off. It’s not harmful. It is beneficial for your mental and physical health to take intermittent breaks. That way, you will have enough time to relax and readjust. It will add a new spark to your training the next day, and you will start looking forward to it rather than dreading it.