Category : Running

The treadmill is a tool that is not explored as much as it should be. It has a reputation of being boring compared to running outside. As much as there is a good deal of truth to this, it also offers many benefits that can’t be replicated on the roads for athletes of all levels. Learn more about this excellent training tool in the article below.
More Efficient Biomechanics

Running on a treadmill with zero degree incline allows you to run faster than you would on the road, but with the same aerobic load, which means you can run faster for longer, thus developing the motor skills associated with that improved speed. Make sure you keep the treadmill completely flat (no incline) at 0% grade, not 1% as some coaches or articles recommend.
What does this mean? You have a greater benefit from the same workout. This is because the feeling and load when you run for example at 4’30″/ km on the treadmill is easier than the same pace when running outside, so in order to generate the same aerobic load you are able to increase the speed.

If you can run at 4’30″/ km for 5 km outside, it is likely that you can hold around 4’15” / km on the treadmill, at the same aerobic load, same heart rate and very similar perceived effort. However, you work your motor skills at a faster rate, and by doing it frequently, your muscles will be used to working and getting that rhythm and you end up running faster because you are training your legs at a faster rate than your aerobic system.
Fewer injuries and faster recovery is another benefit of treadmill running. While it is crucial, especially for long races, to get some pounding into the legs from the long runs, for most of the other run sessions, the impact on the legs from a treadmill is lower than running outside. This allows the athlete to train at a higher quality and volume without increasing the risk of injury.
Controlled variables

The treadmill allows you to better monitor your workout improvement and that gives you the opportunity to better understand how your body responds to external factors such as sleep, diet or stress. The more often you run on the treadmill with consistent variables, a feedback is generated on where you are in terms of fitness in relation to your recent training. This can also be a gauge for your fitness level without the need of entering a race very often.

This is only possible when factors that are variable outside, become controllable on the treadmill, such as gradient, wind speed and temperature.
As you get used to doing your running on the treadmill, you can simulate the reality of a triathlon race. You can use gradients, or combine with a spinning bike to simulate your race day needs. Depending on the gym, you can swim then run, or lift weights then run and that will teach you to run on tired legs. As long as you do every workout in order to run with the best technique, you will greatly improve your ability to run well in a triathlon.

Learn Pacing

One of the major limiting factors of every athlete is to run at an appropriate pace both in training and races.

The treadmill helps you learn to control your pace, because unlike running outside, if the pace is too fast and you need to slow down, you have to manually make this change in speed and slow the treadmill down, while out on the roads, your speed may drop without you noticing.

Each time this happens, it is a stimulus for you to try to maintain the next repeat or run at the same speed until the end.

This also simulates running with a strong training partner since when you run with a faster athlete, it is easier to stick to that faster pace compared to running alone. The motivation to run with a training partner helps you achieve new speeds and goals. The same can be done with the treadmill, because you need to make the decision manually, to “give up” when you slow the treadmill down, or compared to outside running, you decide to let your training partner go.

Convenience

For some athletes based in big cities, the commute to a park or a track can just take too long, while there is usually a gym close to home with a good treadmill (which reaches at least16km/ h). You have the benefits of finishing the workout at the gym, either before or after work, in addition to the always mild temperature, regardless if outside it is too hot or cold.

Safety is also another reason for treadmill training that should not be ignored. Some athletes only have the opportunity to train early in the morning or late in the evening. The treadmill allows athletes with non-traditional schedules to train safely at whatever the time they have to run, and it also keeps them safe from cars or bicycles.

Improves ability to stay focused

The main reason for most athletes to not use the treadmill is the mental part, we may all agree that a run on the treadmill without a challenging set can be relatively boring and it just won’t beat the fun of running outdoors, especially in a nice place with a group of friends or in nature.

Enjoying training is one of the reasons why we do this sport, and the lifestyle benefits. I had an athlete who once told me “I refuse to train indoors, I do triathlons to feel the wind blowing through my hair,” which is an understandable argument. But once you care a little about performing in races, or you find yourself in a situation and circumstances where you aren’t allowed to train in nice environments, try to structure your workouts into sets on the treadmill and it can become extremely fun and challenging.

Every athlete must also learn to understand the positive side of every situation, in addition to all the benefits already mentioned in this article, running on the treadmill makes you mentally stronger and not easily distracted. This has a great value in triathlons, as you will find yourself in a situation when you will need to focus on the effort you are doing, especially later in the run leg when you are getting fatigued.

Enjoy your training,

Coach Vinnie Santana

ironguides is the leading Lifestyle Facilitation company for athletes of all abilities. We provide coaching and training services, plans and programs, as well training education, health and fitness products to help you learn and live a healthy lifestyle. Come get fit with one of our monthly training subscriptions, event-specific training plans, coaching services, or a triathlon training camp in an exotic location! ironguides also provides Corporate Health services including Corporate Triathlons, Healthy Living retreats and speaking engagements. At ironguides, your best is our business!

Train with ironguides!

Personalized Online Coaching:  Starting at USD190/month

Monthly Training plans (for all levels, or focused on one discipline): Only USD39/months

Event based training plans:

Sprint Distance (USD45 for 8-week plan)

Olympic Distance (USD65 for 12 week plan)

Half Ironman (R$95 for 16-week plan)

Ironman (USD145 for 20-week plan)

X-Terra (USD65 for 12-week plan)

Running Plans (10k, 21k and 42k – starting at USD40)

The run leg of a triathlon is generally seen as a relationship of “love or hate” by athletes. For a large number of triathletes with a running background and some experience in the discipline, it can be their favorite leg of a race, but there is also the second group, those originating from swimming and cycling, who are faced with a new challenge in the race, and the run leg can be the Achilles heel within the sport.
The article is a guide for both the experienced or beginner runner. You will learn about the main running workouts within a specific training schedule for triathlon and you will also learn the best race day strategy according to your background, body type and swim/ bike fitness.

Types of Workouts

Transition/Bricks

These sessions are crucial and very specific to triathletes. We have two types of brick run sessions:

Cycling + Running: It is the most traditional and challenging as you carry leg fatigue from one discipline to the next. Brick training requires some care, for example an experienced athlete must work several training systems as you will learn below, but make sure that the goal of the workout will not be hindered by the fact that you will be too fatigued. A speed workout with a good technique has to be done when rested rather than when fatigued after a bike session. Another precaution is to avoid doing extremely long run workouts after cycling sessions. This generates an exponential increase in recovery time and injury risk, which will hinder your consistency within your training plan which should be the main goal.

Swimming + Running: A less traditional but important transition is to run after a swim workout. It is not traditional because people consider only local muscle fatigue and the most obvious combination is bike run, but forget that triathlon is three sports and not only one.  A low swim training load and skipping this transition training can translate into a very negative result on race day as thefatigue you carry to the bike and run, does not disappear during the race. This type of training is especially important for runners with little experience in swimming, because they will be forced to get used to the fatigue that comes from swimming

Lactate Threshold (Tolerance)

Lactate tolerance is perhaps the most misunderstood system at work in the human body. Largely this lies with the popular misconception that “anaerobic” training begins at the “lactate threshold” level of performance.

In reality, nothing is further from the truth.  Anaerobic refers to exertion in the absence of oxygen: A 100m sprint on the track or a 50m all-out swim is truly an aerobic performance. In triathlon, almost none of our training is anaerobic – it is all at varying degrees, aerobic conditioning. No one in triathlon is capable of swimming an anaerobic 100m freestyle effort, for example.

A general rule to achieve the goal of this type of workout is to do sets that are 25-40 minutes long and preferably broken down in shorter intervals so you can achieve the desired intensity even if fatigued and do that while still using good technique.

Work with the ratio 3: 1 or 2: 1 for the work:rest relationship. For example:

10×2 min hard/1 min rest
20×90 sec hard/30 sec rest
5×6 min hard/ 2min rest

Your training plan should highlight lactate tolerance training-both in importance but also on the impact it has on the athlete’s body. A training program is structured to maximize the recovery of this draining type of workout, without compromising consistency or improvement. You need to understand that some athletes are subject to a greater negative response of lactate tolerance training, thus needing more recovery time, and those who need less recovery (since they cannot smash themselves in training) can train this system more often and generally train harder with a higher load.This balance is an individual thing and varies according to gender, age, experience, weight, body type and body composition.

Technique and neuromuscular coordination

Motor coordination is a key element in the race. Have you ever noticed how a good triathlete or marathoner can maintain an impeccable technique in the final kilometers of the race? Even after 90 minutes of running they look as rested as early in the race.

Your goal when racing a triathlon is: TECHNIQUE UNDER DURESS – The use of a movement, or a technique, is only valid if you can apply it under pressure. In sports,  pressure means intensity and fatigue. When you think you can least hold a decent technique, is the most important time to do it. In triathlon it means run with a high cadence and good posture even in the last third of the race.

Some key observations and training to develop a good technique and neuromuscular coordination:

*Run cadence always above 90steps per minute (count one side), preferably 96

*Add a neuromuscular and skill set to your run programme, for example 15-30 minutes (depending on experience) with 30 seconds fast @ a high cadence) /30 seconds rest.

*Use the treadmill at 0% incline to help you with your stride rate

*Increase the stride rate in the final third of your long run

Other benefits of these workouts is that you will get aerobic conditioning while training your neuromuscular system, which is usually ignored.

Endurance

Endurance training, is key to the success of a triathlete, but comes with a big dose of hormonal stimuli in its most negative form (increased cortisol, decreased testosterone), so avoid structuring endurance workouts in excess, and mix in speed or strength workouts in your training plan so that the negative effects of endurance training are minimized. By marrying endurance training with efforts that release compensatory stimuli such as speed and strength training, your system will not be overloaded.

It is important that you use some simple principles to ensure that the favorite type of training of a long-distance triathletes do not compromise training consistency.

Some guidelines for your training plan:
* Do not do more than one long session per discipline per week
* If possible space out your long run, swim and long bike by a couple days
* Compensate your long workouts with a speed and strength training session the next day

Speed

Speed work on your run workouts should be planned with extreme care, as excess speed work has a negative return rate, since it requires a lot of recovery time and breaks training consistency.

But to develop your full potential and overcome stagnation in your performances, it is essential that you incorporate some sort of speed work into your training.  The guidelines below will help you:

*Keep the repeats short, so you do not overload your aerobic system – 15 to 60 seconds is sufficient
*Use the treadmill or mild descents for increased speed with a lower aerobic load
*Your technique (cadence) is a priority over speed
*Try to do some sets, even if quick, for maintenance, in all weeks of the year

Putting it All Together – The Right Mix

Each type of training comes with a different hormonal response in your body, and each response occurs at different levels depending on aspects such as recovery, duration and intensity of training, diet, sleep, stress and other factors. Understand that the order and structure of your training is a priority as you are training hormonal responses, and must follow a certain order defined by your coach, that way you can train with maximum efficiency(for your situation) while optimizing recovery.

When structured correctly, while you are training a system, another system is resting! This way you are able to train more often, with more consistency and higher quality, reducing the risk of injury.

How to build your training plan:

1) Define with your coach the primary and secondary goal of that training block, and schedule sessions accordingly.
2) If you do two sessions a day, schedule the second workout to train a different system than the first, that way you will not overload yourself negatively and you can train both sessions with a decent intensity and technique.
3) Add technique and neuromuscularwork in your training plan, you can combine it with most other training systems. For example, this can be at the end of a long session or during a speed workout.
4) If your goal is to improve your run leg, take some of the load off your training in the water and on the bike, it is important to run relatively fresh, motivated and ready to push a higher intensity with a good technique. Do not think you can improve a lot at all disciplines at once.

Part 2: Race Day Strategy Understanding the Triathlon Equation: SWIMBIKERUN

Before we discuss the details of how your run will be on race day, you need to understand the strategy you used on the swim and bike and its impact on the run leg.

There are basically three types of triathletes:

Swimmer+Runner: Likely a former swimmer with light body type. However, often due to lack of experience and training time, hasn’t developed enough cycling specific strength.

Swimmer+Biker: Another type with some sort of swimming background, similar to the type mentioned above, but the main difference comes in body type. The swimmer biker is a heavier and generally more powerful athlete, which is great to push big gears on the bike and ride fast, but too heavy to run efficiently and fast.

Biker+Runner: Generally from a running background, has a huge aerobic engine and high power to weight ratio. However it is likely that this athlete has not had swimming lessons as a child and results in a disadvantage in that discipline. The typical thinking when you see them in a race is “if that athlete could swim, he would be unbeatable in triathlons”

Which is the best strategy for each of these types?

Option1–Walk+Run:
Structuring walk breaks during your race (and in training!), is a great option for beginner athletes in shorter events, or intermediate athletes in longer races.

The main benefit is motivation, since to complete anywhere from 5k to 42k without taking a break can be close to impossible to a large number of athletes. However, these athletes will still give it a go and see if they can manage the challenge, only to realize it was indeed not possible and they are forced to a walk. Once forced to walk in a race,  that will come partially as a failure, that you are just not fit enough and that your perfect race day is out of the window at that moment, your goal from now is only to finish the event and cover the distance.

Alternatively, if you aren’t completely sure you can cover the run leg without a break, consider taking small walk breaks during the race.The most used strategy for beginners is taking a one minute walk for every ten minutes of running. Intermediate athletes may structure their walk breaks by walking all stations that are usually 2km apart which is just over ten minutes of running.

When you structure breaks, walking is still part of your perfect day, even how you walk would be different to the “just want to finish” type of walk. A confident, faster walk, chin up, as opposed to a heads down, slow slog. Mentally, it is also easier to break a big task into small steps, you only need to focus on running the next ten minutes instead of running the entire length of the course which can be mentally very challenging.

Another benefit of this strategy is a better opportunity for hydration and calorie intake during aid stations as it is easier to drink or eat while you are walking rather than running.

In training, including walking breaks means you will be running faster and with a better technique as compared to a run only strategy, as once you start to fatigue, you lose your technique and slow down, as opposed to taking a break every once in a while then resuming running fresher again. The main benefit of this strategy in training is that you reduce chances of injury due to the better technique and faster stride rate.

The biggest challenge of this walk:run strategy is to overcome your own ego  and that it is acceptable to walk in a triathlon race. Make sure you also ignore spectators that will be encouraging you to get back to running if they see you walking, just switch off the noise and focus on your own race. Once that happens and you apply this strategy in your races, you will start to see faster run splits.

Option 2 – Negative Split:

The term “negative split” means the second part of your race or training, is faster than the first.

One of the biggest benefits of running with the negative part is feeling very good and strong towards the end of a race while all athletes around you are slowing down.  Mentally, this can mask some of the pain you are going through and make you go faster

In physiology terms, you have a limited amount of kilometers that you can go hard, once that number is reached (sudden increase of lactic acid inyour system), you can’t recover from that effort fast enough, thus forcing you to slow down. Save your highest effort for the final kilometers of the race.

This is a strategy that should also be used in training, as now you create the habit of always finishing stronger than you started, but you will also go hard when fatigued, thus creating an ‘insurance’ that you won’t be able to run extremely fast, which for most athletes is not specific enough for their races and the benefits come with a lot of drawbacks, mainly related to recovery timeand injuries. A hard run on fatigued legs is like having an insurance policy that you will stay consistent in training.

Option 3 –Positive Split:

Having a positive split is something that only a minority of triathletes should do and won’t apply for 99% of the readers of this article, but as a ‘Complete Guide’ to running is important to explain this possibility as it will also help you to not to aim for such.

The positive split, as the name suggests, is exactly the opposite of the negative split. The first half of the run leg is done faster than the second. The main benefit of this strategy is a combination of positioning yourself ahead of your usual competitors or your goal, thus creating a scenario where you will be so motivated to hold that advantage that you will motivate yourself to a new level and will also help you handle fatigue and pain for longer and at a higher intensity.

Visualize a high performance age grouper starting the run of an Olympic Distance race with 1h20min, this athlete has never been able to break the forty minute mark in a 10k run, but this time he decides to take a risk and goes through the first 5k in 19min30sec, that way he has created a cushion of 30 seconds to break two hours for the race and also to break forty minutes on the ten kilometer run leg.

That margin will fade away as the pace was stronger than he should have done, but he may be ableto dig a little deeper than the usual due to the opportunity of a breakthrough performance in his overall time and run leg split.

Another example commonly practiced by professional or high performance triathletes is to exit the transition at a much stronger pace than is planned to hold for the rest of the race, that way the top athletes of the race will drop the weaker athletes and not allow them to take advantage of running in a group or pace themselves from the faster athletes. Just like in cycling, at a very high level of running, to position yourself in the middle of a group will make running easier as your effort shifts from setting your own pace which can be mentally draining, to only have to ‘sit in’ the pack. There is also a marginal gain with less wind resistance.

I believe that most readers of this article will have better performance using options 1 and 2. Option 3 requires a high level of fitness (semi-professional or professional). You can also discuss with your coach the possibility to participate in smaller events and to try various strategies and test what works best for your goal.
Enjoy your training,

Vinnie Santana

ironguides is the leading Lifestyle Facilitation company for athletes of all abilities. We provide coaching and training services, plans and programs, as well training education, health and fitness products to help you learn and live a healthy lifestyle. Come get fit with one of our monthly training subscriptions, event-specific training plans, coaching services, or a triathlon training camp in an exotic location! ironguides also provides Corporate Health services including Corporate Triathlons, Healthy Living retreats and speaking engagements. At ironguides, your best is our business!

Train with ironguides!

Personalized Online Coaching:  Starting at USD190/month

Monthly Training plans (for all levels, or focused on one discipline): Only USD39/months

Event based training plans:

Sprint Distance (USD45 for 8-week plan)

Olympic Distance (USD65 for 12 week plan)

Half Ironman (R$95 for 16-week plan)

Ironman (USD145 for 20-week plan)

X-Terra (USD65 for 12-week plan)

Running Plans (10k, 21k and 42k – starting at USD40)

By Shem Leong, Coach in Singapore, ironguides.net

Running on trails is different from any other type of running. In Singapore (home of Coach Shem Leong), the call of the wild offers us a much needed escape from the din of the grey urban landscape. If the promise of getting a little muddy and filling your lungs with freshly oxygenated rain forest air strikes your sense of adventure then read on, this one’s for you…

The Basics

No matter what level of runner you are, as long as you don’t suffer from chronic ankle, knee or back injuries, there is a trail out there with your name on it just waiting to be discovered.

Beginners should start with ‘easier’ trails of simple packed dirt or grass tracks to get a feel for the softer and less stable ground underfoot. The Green Corridor is a good place to start conditioning your knees and ankles for a bumpier ride. You would also be wise to aim for a conservative distance that you can complete with confidence. To the uninitiated, trail running is tough and a shorter distance can feel like the equivalent of a longer run on the road.

After a couple of goes, don’t be surprised if you’re seeking out the more challenging undulating trails in the rock and root covered terrain of Macritchie Reservoir.

The beauty of running trails is that you’re surrounded by nature so please stick with the programme and let the route dictate the run. Don’t worry about your pace or heart rate or stride rate or beating your previous best time, just let go and enjoy the crunch of gravel underfoot, the glorious sunbeams bursting through the canopy, the splash off a puddle on your calves, the sound of birdsong.

Checking your ‘data’ every 5 seconds takes away from the whole experience of navigating the twists and turns and fallen tree trunks in the road. Without the distractions of ‘keeping to your heart rate training zone’ or ‘sticking to race pace’ you will quickly learn how to dial in your own perceived effort levels as you become acutely more aware of your rate of breathing and how your legs feel moving over the humps and bumps in the road. This is by far the most valuable and underrated (and for some, the most difficult) lesson to grasp for all runners.

Just because you’re running without gadgets, it doesn’t mean you can switch off. Trail running requires more concentration and attention to your stride because you need to decide where every single foot-strike is going to land in order to avoid a twisted ankle or worse. Make it a habit to stay alert every single step of the way – literally. Scan the ground ahead of you by casting your gaze about 15 – 20 meters ahead and track your eyes backwards ( towards your feet) left to right continuously across your line of vision and look out for exactly where you are going to plant your next step.

Training for the trials.

You don’t need to be a super runner to enjoy the trails but the fitter and stronger you are, the more you will be able to enjoy the challenges of going off piste. Any form of structured training that makes you a better runner, will carry over to making you a better off roader too. For example, a 20 min programme of lunge and squat variations to build strength in yours quads and glutes performed twice a week will reap benefits across the board. However, there are some subtle differences between trail and road running that are worth mentioning and some specific tips to help you along:

1) Dodging roots and potholes, rocks and muddy puddles requires quick and reflexive lateral (side to side) micro adjustments to your standard pavement / treadmill running style. Multi-directional single leg hops are a great drill that will develop your ability to change directions quickly. They also strengthen the smaller supporting stabilizing muscles and connective tissue around the ankle and knee joint which can take a beating when running on the rougher stuff. Start by hopping on one leg backwards and forwards for 20 – 30 seconds at a time, Then progress to hopping in a “T” shape and finally hop on one leg in a square around a cone. Reverse directions and alternate legs.

2) Overcoming the little climbs on our local Singapore trails become easier if you’re able to put in some form of uphill running in the week. These are some of my favourite ways to throw some hills into the mix;

a. Short hard hill sprint repeats can be done after an easy 30 – 60 min run. Simply charge up a steep slope as hard as you can for 30 – 40 seconds and repeat 4 – 8 times.

b. Longer sustained uphill runs at moderate intensity can be done at Mt Faber/ Kent Ridge Park/ Rifle Range Road loops. Just plug into a steady moderate pace on the flat ground and work to maintain that pace all the way up the slope. Recover at an easier pace while descending.

3) Endurance junkies training for off- road ultra-marathons should do their long runs over 2 days back to back on consecutive days. This allows you an overnight recovery while still retaining the required mileage high. It reduces the risk of injury and leaves you fresher after the long run so that you are able to train more consistently.

4) Finally, there’s no better way to improve your trail running skills than to actually run on them. Experiment with using the trails creatively to mix the intensity of the runs. For example:

a. Measure out a 1 or 2km strip of trail and use this as an interval loop. For example 4 x 2km with 4 min recovery after each one. This translates to a solid 8km run. Using the same stretch, you could also finish a long easy 10km run with a hard 2 x 2 km at the end. This teaches your body how to start conservative in order to finish strong.

b. Instead of simply cruising your usual weekend long trail run you could run the second half as 1 min hard, 1 min easy to build strength.

5) Running in the trials in the rain is tremendous fun but if it is absolutely pouring and lightning is flashing across the sky (and landing close by) then it’s safer to head to the gym and get your running fix instead. Here how you can train specifically for the trails while indoors;

a. Do a random hills running set on the treadmill by using the ‘incline’ function instead of the ‘speed’ button. After a 20 min warm up try to complete the following sequence at the fastest pace that you can hold without changing the speed for the entire run. Advanced runnerS can aim for 2 rounds!

5 mins @ 0% gradient
1 min @ 8% gradient
5 mins @ 0% gradient
2 mins @ 6% gradient
5 mins @ 0% gradient
3 mins @ 4% gradient

b. Work on your core and functional strength with the help of Swiss Balls, TRX and Bosu Balls. Here are some exercises that you can try:
i. Single Leg lunges with a TRX
ii. Single/ double leg bridges on the Swiss Ball
iii. TRX planks with jackknifes
iv. Plyometric box jumps
v. Squats on the bosu balls

As more and more runners discover the joys of taking to the trails, the aim of this is article is to give them tips on how to enjoy the trails more fully and also to encourage the ‘roadies’ out there to head for the woods.

Trail Etiquette for Runners

It is such an awesome feeling to be charging down a trail that you barely notice the trees zipping by. You feel completely in control and utterly invincible. You feel like you own the trail… but hang on… you don’t!
Trails are public recreational spaces to be shared by everyone. Sure, they maybe your secret training spot for that half marathon PB that you are going to smash but remember that it’s also a family day out for the many young families and it’s also a romantic date spot for the teenagers and it’s also a treasure trove of wildlife pictures of for the amateur photographer.

1) Just because you’re going faster than the walkers and hikers doesn’t mean you have the right of way. Don’t charge down other members of the public that are enjoying nature at a slower pace and in a different manner than yourself. If you are overtaking slower moving traffic, slow down and call out “Trail’ or ‘On your right’ in a friendly non threatening manner – no barking out orders.

2) To reciprocate, slower runners/ hikers shouldn’t block the trail by running 2 or 3 abreast especially along the narrow points.

3) Runners be responsible for your bodily fluids. Watch where and how you clear your throat and send your snot rockets. When passing, leave a wide berth so you don’t spray others with your sweat.

4) Don’t spoil the peace and serenity by blasting music from your phones/ other audio devices. If you enjoy music on your runs, earphones are the best option.

5) Don’t litter. This is so obvious that it shouldn’t even be of this list but unfortunately not everyone seems to think so. Take your food wrappers, drink bottles and gel packs with you.

6) Don’t feed the animals because this will draw them out of their natural habitat and upset the food chain and the rainforest ecosystem. They will eventually get reliant on humans for food and lose the ability to fend for themselves.

In conclusion, be patient and share the trail with everyone else enjoying it and take responsibility to leave it as you found it.

Enjoy your running everyone!

– 

Train with ironguides!

Personalized Online Coaching:  Starting at USD190/month

Monthly Training plans (for all levels, or focused on one discipline): Only USD39/months

Event based training plans:

Sprint Distance (USD45 for 8-week plan)

Olympic Distance (USD65 for 12 week plan)

Half Ironman (R$95 for 16-week plan)

Ironman (USD145 for 20-week plan)

X-Terra (USD65 for 12-week plan)

Running Plans (10k, 21k and 42k – starting at USD40)

Shem Leong is our ironguides coach in Singapore. He has been hooked on triathlon ever since winning his age group in his first Olympic-distance race. Many top performances later, Shem still enjoys the challenges of training and racing at a high level, while balancing this with work and family. He is a firm believer in the benefits of an active lifestyle and loves being able to positively affect his athletes’ lives in this way. In the four years that Shem has worked as an ironguides coach so far, he has helped more than 60 athletes achieve their goals. They range from newbies hoping to complete their first sprint race, to 70.3 podium contenders, to seasoned Sub 10-hour Ironman athletes. Shem’s care for his athletes and his attention to detail set him apart. He completely understands the varied pull factors of life’s demands as well as the fiery motivations that drive everyday age groupers and is able to craft sustainable, effective training plans for their time-crunched schedules. An Honour’s Degree in Health Science has given Shem the knowledge to explain and expertly administer The Method. This, in turn, helps his athletes understand how each session contributes towards their ultimate goal; as a result, countless personal bests have been improved upon as his athletes continually get fitter and faster.