Train for a Triathlon and Get Your Best Body - The Run

Photo: loop_oh/Flick

Karen Nicholson, a 43-year-old original from Kansas City, has run a marathon in every state and four continents. Now she's taken on triathlons and so far, has competed in four. I asked her to give me her thoughts on the run.

"I view the run as the party of the tri experience because you know the end is in sight and the tough stuff is over. The swim is like cleaning your house before the party -- it has to be done and the quicker the better. The ride is hard work with some play thrown in because hey, who doesn't make the appetizers with a margarita or glass of wine in hand! And then the running -- woo hoo! Party time!"

Woo hoo is right. No one's kicking you in the water, no shifting of bike gears, just you and your running shoes doing a distance you've done hundreds of times previously. That's got to feel good. Here, your final tips from triathlon coach Jonathan Cane.

• Add a few "brick" workouts to your training plan. A brick is a run immediately following a ride. They'll get you accustomed to the jelly-legs feeling you'll have when you exit T2.
• Take off your helmet after you dismount your bike. Don't laugh. There's always someone who heads out for the run with a helmet on. Don't let it be you.

• Ease into it. During the race, your leg muscles are bound to feel tight for about the first mile as a result of all that swimming and biking. Just go with it and maintain proper running form: Stand tall, elbows 90 degrees, shoulders down. Rather than trying to force a longer stride, focus on keeping it shorter. The more you relax, the sooner you'll get your normal stride back.
• Then go all out. Unlike the swim and ride where you need to pace yourself, the run is the finale. Once your legs loosen up, be more aggressive and really race it.