Stuck on what to do

[One Step Beyond]

Guys, I am quite a muscular guy (6 feet 2 and 220 lbs) and a newcomer to triathlon - I have not done
one yet. I aim to shed about 30lbs and get cut up and improve my fitness though I am reasonably fit
now. I can normally run 5 miles (35 minutes-ish) and I am working hard at this. I have a great bike
and cycle about 40 miles for training and I keep to the high cadence/lighter effort method.

My problem. I find that I simply cannot, no matter how hard I try, run further than about a mile
after getting off the bike. My legs are complete jelly and I feel strange and wobbly. I am not being
a big sissy here either - I am used to sporting effort in soccer and weight training. What do you
reckon here? Do you think that I am simply carrying too much weight and it'll get better as it comes
off? Is it one of those things that you simply have to grin and bare it?

What do you reckon to weight training in Triathlon? Does it have a part to play or should I cut it
down? I do three sessions a week at the moment. What about squats/leg extensions?

In short, how should a larger more muscular guy proceed in this sport?

Thanks.

Slim

 

[Heidi]

Slim,

Some ideas that might help:

1). If you have not done so already, bring your bike to a reputable bike dealer and have them fit
your bike to you. (You'll know it's a reputable bike dealer if their idea of fitting someone on a
bike is to measure you crotch to notch--if they tell you to stand over your top tube and see how
much clearance is between your crotch and tube, take your bike and run like hell out of the
store). Go to a store which will set your bike up on a trainer and see how you look in the saddle
(as in, how your position is in the saddle--not how good you look . They may suggest you adjust
the height of your seat, length of stem, etc...Place electric tape, or something like it on your
seat so that you will always remember the appropriate height. Assuming you have a road bike, you
might want to try extending your seat forward with a tri post. Make sure you are keeping your feet
flat when you are peddling (instead of pointing your toes down).

2). Start a regular stretching routine. Take a few moments in the morning and evening to stretch, as
well as before your workouts. Once your muscles get more limber, transitioning from running to
biking will be easier.

3). Try reducing the mileage of your bike on your bricks. Start with a shorter bike distance,
followed by a run and build up from that. If you feel wobbly on the run, take a moment to stretch,
rest, and/or walk, and then run again when you feel ready. Baby steps! When you are near the end
of your bike ride--stand up out of the saddle, with your legs almost straight, and lean forward so
that you can feel your quads stretching out, helping to prep for the run.

4). Experiment w/ your weight lifting routine. Try taking 4 days off from any leg work and then do a
brick--see if it makes a difference.

On a personal note, I have very muscular legs for my frame and find for me it is better not to do
any weight lifting leg work during tri season. I'll do some leg work during the off season/winter
months just to keep up strength. I do upper body year round, but I taper off completely from upper
body weights the week of a race.

Happy training, heidi


One Step Beyond wrote:

>Guys, I am quite a muscular guy (6 feet 2 and 220 lbs) and a newcomer to triathlon - I have not
>done one yet. I aim to shed about 30lbs and get cut up and improve my fitness though I am
>reasonably fit now. I can normally run 5 miles (35 minutes-ish) and I am working hard at this. I
>have a great bike and cycle about 40 miles for training and I keep to the high cadence/lighter
>effort method.
>
>My problem. I find that I simply cannot, no matter how hard I try, run further than about a mile
>after getting off the bike. My legs are complete jelly and I feel strange and wobbly. I am not
>being a big sissy here either - I am used to sporting effort in soccer and weight training. What do
>you reckon here? Do you think that I am simply carrying too much weight and it'll get better as it
>comes off? Is it one of those things that you simply have to grin and bare it?
>
>What do you reckon to weight training in Triathlon? Does it have a part to play or should I cut it
>down? I do three sessions a week at the moment. What about squats/leg extensions?
>
>In short, how should a larger more muscular guy proceed in this sport?
>
>Thanks.
>
>Slim
>
>

 

[Jim Gosse]

My good man. You are experiencing lead legs. Heidi's advice is quite good. You should also try to
get in some Bricks and transition runs.

In case you are not sure of the terminology, a brick is a combination workout. like a 20k bike ride,
followed by a 5km run. Transitions runs are similar, but instead of a full run after your ride, you
only run for about 5 or 10 minutes, just to get your body used to the transition.

Lead Legs get better with time, but never completely goes away.

Hope this helps.

Jim

"One Step Beyond" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Guys, I am quite a muscular guy (6 feet 2 and 220 lbs) and a newcomer to triathlon - I have not
> done one yet. I aim to shed about 30lbs and get
cut
> up and improve my fitness though I am reasonably fit now. I can normally run 5 miles (35
> minutes-ish) and I am working hard at this. I have a
great
> bike and cycle about 40 miles for training and I keep to the high cadence/lighter effort method.
>
> My problem. I find that I simply cannot, no matter how hard I try, run further than about a mile
> after getting off the bike. My legs are
complete
> jelly and I feel strange and wobbly. I am not being a big sissy here either - I am used to
> sporting effort in soccer and weight training. What do you reckon here? Do you think that I am
> simply carrying too much
weight
> and it'll get better as it comes off? Is it one of those things that you simply have to grin and
> bare it?
>
> What do you reckon to weight training in Triathlon? Does it have a part
to
> play or should I cut it down? I do three sessions a week at the moment. What about squats/leg
> extensions?
>
> In short, how should a larger more muscular guy proceed in this sport?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Slim

 

[Cathy Morgan]

In article <[email protected]>, "One Step Beyond"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>
> My problem. I find that I simply cannot, no matter how hard I try, run further than about a mile
> after getting off the bike. My legs are complete jelly and I feel strange and wobbly.

Sounds like you are going too hard on the bike. Go over to www.coachgordo.com and do some reading on
the forum. Slow down on the bike for a better run.

clm in sf

--
[email protected] cathy morgan, san francisco, ca REMOVE x x to email

 

[One Step Beyond]

Thanks for answering so comprehensively. So carrying natural muscularity is not too much of a
problem then? Don't get me wrong, I am nothing like Arnie or anything. More of a American
Footballer type.

In terms of eating, I am cutting back to lose that 30lb. The way I see it (and I could be wrong -
probably am) I don't need any extra "energy" before training since I have plenty of "energy" stored
in lard on my 34 inch waist that used to be 30 inches. Boy, it will be again soon - I swear it!!!

Any good URLS you can point me to?

Thanks Heidi,

Slim

"Heidi" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Slim,
>
> Some ideas that might help:
>
> 1). If you have not done so already, bring your bike to a reputable bike dealer and have them fit
> your bike to you. (You'll know it's a reputable bike dealer if their idea of fitting someone on
> a bike is to measure you crotch to notch--if they tell you to stand over your top tube and see
> how much clearance is between your crotch and tube, take your bike and run like hell out of the
> store). Go to a store which will set your bike up on a trainer and see how you look in the
> saddle (as in, how your position is in the saddle--not how good you look . They may suggest
> you adjust the height of your seat, length of stem, etc...Place electric tape, or something like
> it on your seat so that you will always remember the appropriate height. Assuming you have a
> road bike, you might want to try extending your seat forward with a tri post. Make sure you are
> keeping your feet flat when you are peddling (instead of pointing your toes down).
>
> 2). Start a regular stretching routine. Take a few moments in the morning and evening to stretch,
> as well as before your workouts. Once your muscles get more limber, transitioning from running
> to biking will be easier.
>
> 3). Try reducing the mileage of your bike on your bricks. Start with a shorter bike distance,
> followed by a run and build up from that. If you feel wobbly on the run, take a moment to
> stretch, rest, and/or walk, and then run again when you feel ready. Baby steps! When you are
> near the end of your bike ride--stand up out of the saddle, with your legs almost straight, and
> lean forward so that you can feel your quads stretching out, helping to prep for the run.
>
> 4). Experiment w/ your weight lifting routine. Try taking 4 days off from any leg work and then do
> a brick--see if it makes a difference.
>
> On a personal note, I have very muscular legs for my frame and find for me it is better not to do
> any weight lifting leg work during tri season. I'll do some leg work during the off season/winter
> months just to keep up strength. I do upper body year round, but I taper off completely from upper
> body weights the week of a race.
>
> Happy training, heidi
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> One Step Beyond wrote:
>
> >Guys, I am quite a muscular guy (6 feet 2 and 220 lbs) and a newcomer to triathlon - I have not
> >done one yet. I aim to shed about 30lbs and get
cut
> >up and improve my fitness though I am reasonably fit now. I can
normally
> >run 5 miles (35 minutes-ish) and I am working hard at this. I have a
great
> >bike and cycle about 40 miles for training and I keep to the high cadence/lighter effort method.
> >
> >My problem. I find that I simply cannot, no matter how hard I try, run further than about a mile
> >after getting off the bike. My legs are
complete
> >jelly and I feel strange and wobbly. I am not being a big sissy here either - I am used to
> >sporting effort in soccer and weight training.
What
> >do you reckon here? Do you think that I am simply carrying too much
weight
> >and it'll get better as it comes off? Is it one of those things that you simply have to grin and
> >bare it?
> >
> >What do you reckon to weight training in Triathlon? Does it have a part
to
> >play or should I cut it down? I do three sessions a week at the moment. What about squats/leg
> >extensions?
> >
> >In short, how should a larger more muscular guy proceed in this sport?
> >
> >Thanks.
> >
> >Slim
> >
> >
> >

 

[Harold Buck]

In article <[email protected]>, Heidi <[email protected]> wrote:

>
> 1). If you have not done so already, bring your bike to a reputable bike dealer and have them fit
> your bike to you. (You'll know it's a reputable bike dealer if their idea of fitting someone on
> a bike is to measure you crotch to notch--if they tell you to stand over your top tube and see
> how much clearance is between your crotch and tube, take your bike and run like hell out of the
> store). Go to a store which will set your bike up on a trainer and see how you look in the
> saddle (as in, how your position is in the saddle--not how good you look . They may suggest
> you adjust the height of your seat, length of stem, etc...Place electric tape, or something like
> it on your seat so that you will always remember the appropriate height. Assuming you have a
> road bike, you might want to try extending your seat forward with a tri post. Make sure you are
> keeping your feet flat when you are peddling (instead of pointing your toes down).
>

This is excellent advice and can't be repeated too many times!

> 2). Start a regular stretching routine. Take a few moments in the morning and evening to stretch,
> as well as before your workouts. Once your muscles get more limber, transitioning from running
> to biking will be easier.
>

This advice I would modify somewhat. From what I've heard and read--which, of course, doesn't mean
it's right, but it makes sense to me--is that you're far better off stretching *after* you've worked
out, since the muscles are them warm and pliable. Cold muscles, they say, are more likely to tear,
and the muscles are the coldest in the morning since your body temp goes down while you sleep.

I've taken to walking at least 5 minutes before running workouts, which I always start off slow
anyway. Then I walk 5 minutes afterwards and strecth. It seems to work for me, and it feels better.

FWIW, recent studies have had a hard time showing any injury-prevention value in stretching, even
though it seems like stretching should help.

--Harold Buck

"I used to rock and roll all night, and party every day. Then it was every other day. . . ."

- Homer J. Simpson

 

[Ian Lilly]

Cathy Morgan wrote:

> In article <[email protected]>, "One Step Beyond"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>My problem. I find that I simply cannot, no matter how hard I try, run further than about a mile
>>after getting off the bike. My legs are complete jelly and I feel strange and wobbly.
>
>
> Sounds like you are going too hard on the bike. Go over to www.coachgordo.com and do some reading
> on the forum. Slow down on the bike for a better run.
>
> clm in sf
>
I'd second this opinion. I had a mate who did the Australian Ironman every year and every year he'd
get better and better on the cycle leg but "blow up" still earlier on the run. Finally the message
got through and he paced himself on the ride, did it 20+ minutes more slowly than his previous best
BUT his run time was 90+ mins better than his best ever. His comment "it's amazing the time you can
make up when you can run the whole leg!"

I found my big improvement in running came with my doing regular (at least once each week but
eventually after almost every ride) "brick" sessions.

Good luck

Ian

 

[Harold Buck]

In article <[email protected]>, "One Step Beyond"
<[email protected]> wrote:

> In terms of eating, I am cutting back to lose that 30lb. The way I see it (and I could be wrong -
> probably am) I don't need any extra "energy" before training since I have plenty of "energy"
> stored in lard on my 34 inch waist that used to be 30 inches. Boy, it will be again soon - I
> swear it!!!

Diet + exercise is the key. I've done little more than watch my portion sizes (that's one of the big
reasons for American obesity is that portion sizes have ballooned over the years) and train for
triathlons, and I've lost about 15 pounds, which is about where I should be (I wouldn't mind losing
another 5 pounds, but I'm pretty happy wher I am).

--Harold Buck

"I used to rock and roll all night, and party every day. Then it was every other day. . . ."

- Homer J. Simpson