There are many opinions and many ways to answer this question of having a successful run at the end of a 70.3 half Ironman. Without a doubt the answer has to start with "it depends". How you approach the run depends on many things: your strengths and weaknesses, your training, how closely you followed your training plan or you're coaches' advice, your race experience, how well you know yourself, and what your goals are, to name a few variables.
In general, the first and most obvious way to have a good run is to make sure you don't expend high amounts of energy (and stored glycogen) on the bike. If you have a "great" bike split but you unexpectedly have to walk most of the run means you actually had a bad bike split. It was bad because it didn't allow you to perform on the run.
Triathlon includes all 3 disciplines - swim, bike, run - and to push so hard in one segment that it significantly impacts another segment means you paced things "wrong". The idea is to ride "smart" so you set yourself up for a good run. That will mean different things to different people but assuming you're not being challenged by the cutoff time, it's generally best to avoid pushing hard on any climbs or in windy conditions, to ride steadily and at a relatively comfortable but not easy pace. Resist the temptation to push during the first 1/4 or 1/3 of the ride. You may be excited and pumped to be out of the water and on the bike. This boost of adrenaline can lead to a bad decision. Hold yourself back. Starting out in zone 2 is probably smart. You can gradually let this creep up as the ride progresses. If you're still feeling good with a 1/2 or 1/3 of the ride to go, then pick it up some (zone 3) but never lose sight of the run to follow.
Seasoned veterans and pros can dial in their appropriate intensity much better than those with little or no experience. In every circumstance I can think of (except if you have an injury and plan to NOT run!) it's generally best to err slightly on the side of riding too easy because your legs will thank you when you start those final 13.1 miles.
Okay, enough about the bike... sort of! When you start the run it's pretty common to have tired legs that aren't necessarily thrilled to be running, even if they're happy to be off the bike. If you executed excellent pacing on the bike then you may feel pretty good. Regardless, you may experience the same feelings you had when you first got out of the swim and out on the bike - excited and adrenalized. It's my belief that you need to rein that in for the first few miles. (Again this advice "depends" - see above.)
The first mile, more or less, your aim should be to keep the effort and heart rate under control and to "get your legs under you", as they say. In other words, get over that jelly-leg feeling and get into the flow. Monitor your heart rate if you know your zones and monitor your breathing so that you can likely tell when you're going too hard. (I believe a low tempo/zone 3 effort is approximately right for most people, though there's nothing wrong with zone 2.) Hold back more than you think you need to during the first 1/2 of the run and then build from there. The final few miles (1, 2, 3, or so) you can push even harder (ending up in zone 4?) and aim to make it hurt, if that's part of your goal.
One more thing to point out: if you've heard Coach Linda and I speak about the mental game of triathlon you know that one of the ways to get through the race is with something called chunking. Chunking means to break something (e.g. the swim or the run leg of a triathlon) into manageable chunks. In many respects it's difficult to think about the entire 13.1 mile 1/2 marathon at the end of a 70.3 half Iron distance race. It can be easier to manage if you chunk it into mile increments or into segments that go from aid station to aid station.
Make sure you run through a check list in your head as you do each chunk. Manage your heart rate/perceived effort so that you are running at an appropriate effort at whatever stage of the race you're in. Keep up with your nutrition: hydration, calories, and electrolytes. Follow your strategy for dealing with terrain/elevation/hills. Manage your core temperature as best as you can. And use whatever techniques you've practiced to eliminate negative thoughts and self-talk if things aren't going as planned - affirmation questions, mantras, affirmations, etc.
There are lots of opinions out there on how to perform at your best by having a good run. These are mine. Feel free to disagree or have your own point of view.
#sladecoaching #getsladed
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