One that generally catches a beginner off guard who has not done proper training is the running event of a triathlon. If you are a seasoned runner, believe it or not, you may be in for the same surprise if you don’t do more than just pound the pavement. Here are several suggestions for the seasoned-harrier:

Dive in the pool and pedal down those roads. If you don’t balance your training, your legs might seem like rubber after a hard swim and a bike ride. Though training in the other two sporting events may reduce into your running time, the more balanced approach of multisport training could rejuvenate your road-weary legs.

Do not concentrate on the distance covered. A lot of serious runners count the distance they run like they were balancing their checkbooks. You should be aware that as you add swimming and cycling to your schedule, your weekly distance will likely decrease. Don’t bother with it. The objective is balanced training – remember that.

Follow hard runs with easy bike rides or a swim. If you’re a performance- oriented runner doing hard workouts like intervals and hills (more on this later), you’ve probably been following those intense sessions with an easy run the following day. After planning your triathlon training, in the event that you opt to keep doing these tough run exercises, make sure you don’t follow them up with a hard bike exercise. Apply the same hard/easy principle to triathlon training and go for a fairly short and easy ride, or better yet, a swim.

Watch Your Step. Most injuries that triathletes are having are running injuries. Even though there are lots of reasons for this, the simplest explanation is that running is stressful on the body. You put a lot of stress on your muscles each time you put in a hard run. You are tearing cell membranes on a physiological level. It may sound scientific, but the main point is the fact that pounding the pavement puts a pretty good wallop on your legs.

The run is the least technically demanding event in the triathlon.  Resistances to movement in the running phase are minimal, so conditioning becomes the main training focus.

In terms of running technique, perhaps two variables to consider are stride length and foot placement. The 10 kilometer running speed will be determined by the stride rate and the stride length.  There is no magic formula for stride length, each person’s stride length will vary with their turnover rate.   However, it should be long enough to not feel like a shuffle and short enough not to feel like a bouncing ball.

The optimal foot placement for a middle distance runner is to make the heel strike the ground first, roll the body weight on the outer length of the foot, then push off with the forces shifting from the small toe to the big toe.  These are very small technical details compared to those in the swimming and cycling events.

Unfortunately, a lot of non-runners just starting triathlons lack knowledge of the basics of running and, because of this, run themselves into a brick wall. One of the first things you have to do if you are new to running is to understand the fundamentals, from equipment to training to safety concerns. So let’s take a look at some beginners’ dos and don’ts:

Do run in decent running shoes. It may be basic yet you could still probably observe novice runners wearing basketball high-tops circling the one-hundreth-of-a-mile indoor running track in health clubs. Become an educated consumer. First, accept that you must have a running shoe-your tennis or aerobics shoe is not made for the high-impact and stable rear foot control that you’ll need. Then, try to find the kind of running shoe that’s most effective for you.

Don’t run with earphones. Having to run while listening to your favorite music may be enjoyable, however it may not be a good idea for safety reasons. It is alright if you are using your headphones if you are treadmill running at home or in the health club, but outdoors, you may not hear approaching traffic, cyclists, dogs, as well as other dangers on the road.

Do wear comfortable running clothes. Wear something breathable. The body has a built-in air conditioning system known as sweating. Help your body do the work it had been designed for by wearing light shorts, singlets (sleeveless T-shirts), and socks designed to wick sweat away from your body. The wetter your feet, the much more likely you will experience friction-related injuries such as blisters and black toes. It’s also a good idea to wear light-colored running clothes that does not absorb heat.

Don’t be afraid to walk. If you’ve never run before, the best way to start is to run for a couple of minutes at time, and then walk, and then run again as your current fitness permits. There’s no reason to feel ashamed about it since everyone started out by doing this. Even seasoned runners who are training for a marathon include walking breaks during long runs to enable their legs to recover.

Do stick to the rules of the road. Just like drivers and cyclists, runners have their own rules of the road. Novices often disobey these rules at the expense of their own safety. The best possible scenario would be to avoid running near or around traffic. But when you’re forced to hit the roadways, use common sense-run against traffic, not with it. The explanation is simple. You can’t see what exactly is going on behind you when you run with traffic. If a car is weaving all over the road behind you, you’ve got no chance to react.

Don’t run in dark, isolated areas. We may not wish to think of crime when we run, but it is a reality so for that reason we have to take safety measures. We’ve all heard the horror stories, and instead of becoming one of them, it’s best to follow running routes which do not put you in danger. After the sun goes down, avoid secluded parks or trails that may prove dangerous, especially if you live in a high-crime area. Criminals utilize the cover of dark and seclusion to set their traps and you do not like to be the mouse. So run in well-lit, populated areas. If you cannot avoid a dark stretch or secluded area, at least have your wits about you and try to foresee any possible “surprises.

Pace your swim and bike. An effective way to avoid the tired triathlon shuffle is by appropriate pacing through the swim and the bike ride. Setting a maniacal pace through the swim and the bike ride is a typical error of the first-time triathlete, especially one who has achieved a certain degree of competency (and arrogance) with swimming and biking (remember this during your next triathlon race).

New to triathlon?   New to running as well?   Here are the top tips for safe and effective training.  First, develop a solid foundation (base). Base training is a particularly important element of run training. When training for the run, it is important to improve gradually as running requires muscle strength and involves high cardiovascular and respiratory demands.

Time, not Distance. Do not be too concerned with the distance covered, follow the time. It is easier to keep track of your progress using time as your measuring stick and not distance. Don’t be concerned about whether or not you’ve put in adequate distance for your race and measuring your running routes (this has always been a subject of debate, anyway). Just set your sports watch on the countdown timer mode for the ideal time of your run. Set your watch to beep at the halfway point if you have an out-and-back course. Tracking time is also not as much distracting than counting miles or kilometers and usually helps to avoid excessive distance that can bring about over-training or injury. The sample programs you’ll find in this book follow this rule to help you simplify your training.

Follow the 10 percent rule. Professionals say that you shouldn’t increase your weekly distance by over 10 percent. For example, if you’ve run 3 times this week for twenty minutes each workout for a total of 60 minutes, the following week’s running time should not exceed over 66 minutes. You may increase your running time to 73 minutes the week after that (ten percent of 66 rounded off to the nearest digit gives you 7 additional minutes). Another thing to keep in mind concerning this rule is that you should back off by 10 percent every 3rd or fourth week of training, depending on your recovery and how long your running time is. That means you must reduce your running time for one week, and then continue increasing your time again by ten percent, beginning where you left off. This decrease gives the body a bit of a chance to catch its breath from the increases in training and the cumulative stress you’ve put your legs through for three or four weeks.

If some of this confuses you, or you aren’t very good with figures, don’t sweat it. You just need to keep in mind to gradually increase your distance and put in an easier week of running exercises once a month.

Plan your exercises appropriately. Plan your harder running exercises for days that aren’t very close to other hard exercises. As an example, if you do a hard cycling ride on Wednesday that leaves your legs feeling like spaghetti, Thursday would not be a good day to put in a long run. Allow yourself an easy day both prior to and after hard runs. You will just risk injury if you do not.

Go for consistency. One of the most frequent mistake new runners make when training is going out too hard and then blowing up after the first couple of minutes. In order that your body adapts to prolonged hard efforts, like for example in a race, make your goal consistency for every run. You do not teach your body and your mind good pacing by having erratic running exercises that, if you charted the pace, would seem like the stock market. Maintain an even pace during your runs.

Focus on your form. Though form isn’t as crucial in running than in swimming or even cycling, but good form can help to avoid injury. Focusing on form teaches your body to hone in on bio-mechanical improvements and to run more efficiently. If you’re a newbie, don’t obsess with it too much. Just focus yourself on running relaxed, smoothly and naturally without any unusual jarring foot strikes. Everyone has a different running style; try to get a sense for yours, while focusing on possible improvements that may reduce unnecessary stress on knees, hips, and even the upper body muscles. Here are some tips you could use to help you find your form.

Use these quick tips below to help you find your form.

Tip 1. Minimize excessive bouncing motion.
Tip 2. Relax your upper body, especially the shoulders.
Tip 3. Find the stride length and cadence (number of steps you take to cover a distance) that you feel comfortable with.
Tip 4. Keep your arms and hands loose, letting them swing forward and back with the momentum, propelling you forward naturally.