Get stronger on the bike. Try the chair pose. Feel the burn in you quads!

See how long you can hold it.

Then try again.

I had problems with my internet connection that meant I couldn’t watch the streaming video, but even the text updates on ironman.com and twitter kept me hooked all day.

Craig Alexander tore up the run to back up last year’s win.  And Chrissie Wellington again showed that she is in a class of her own breaking Paula Newby-Frazer’s 16 year old record in the process.

One thing you might have noticed is that Chrissie Wellington cycles with a much lower cadence than many others… and she runs very  fast afterwards.

According to her coach, the legendary Brett Sutton, cycling with a low cadence saves your legs for the run in long races like Ironman. He even gives this counter-intuitive advice. “If you blow at the  end of the bike, put it in the toughest gear, and grind your way  home.”

There are two parts to this idea.

1. To run well you need high cadence.
   Cycling with a low cadence uses different muscle fibres so your  legs are fresher for high cadence running.
2. Cycling with a low cadence puts less stress on the aerobic  system. Just try putting your bike in a really low gear and
   spinning and see what happens to your heart rate.

In shorter races it may be beneficial to use a higher  cadence. Studies have shown that after cycling at a high cadence
triathletes naturally run with a faster cadence regardless of the  stride length. This is just what you want in sprint or olympic
distance races.

In longer races however the biggest mistake most Ironman triathletes make  (and I am guilty of this) is that they start the run too fast. Cycling with a low cadence  helps to reduce the risk of going out too fast.

Other studies also show that cycling with a low cadence allows you to run for longer before reaching the point of exhaustion. Again a benefit for Ironman racers.

So it seems Chrissie Wellington is on to something. Why don’t you give it a try. Keep you cadence between 70-80 rpms and see how it
affects your run after a long ride. Practice it in training and see the results in your races.

Leave a comment below to let me know your experience with low cadence.

BTW The great Ironman champion from New Zealand, Erin Baker was also famous for riding with a low cadence. She was even given the nickname “Big-ring Baker”.