Text by Rod Cedaro (M. App. Sc.) Consultant Exercise Physiologist ACC Accredited Level III Triathlon Coach

Elite marathon runners have known it for years. Running well when fatigued is as much about strength-endurance as it is about cardiovascular fitness. For the triathlete that gets off the bike, having ridden anywhere between 20-180km, which "pre-fatigues" the pelvic girdle and leg muscles, "running strong" becomes an even greater consideration as it allows you to "hold your form". It is when your form goes, in any of the triathlon disciplines, that your performance really suffers but more so in the run because it happens at the end of the event.

With the aforementioned consideration in mind try getting 2-3 specific running muscle strengthening exercise sessions into your training program each week because at the end of a race, when you're starting to get tired it'll be your strength that'll get you through the closing few kilometres of the run. In fact, various studies have shown that regular strength training can significantly improve running efficiently lowering the "oxygen cost" (i.e. How much oxygen your body needs at a certain speed) by as much as 8% - which effectively means greater speed and endurance. For many triathletes juggling three sports is already hard enough so fitting in another 2-3 sessions per week dedicated to strength training can be a pretty tough call. Having said that you don't need to be spending 2-3 hours extra in the gym per week, doing a few key exercises from home, which will take you about 15 minutes per session, can have a considerable effect on your performance.

Having reviewed a number of research papers and suggestions by elite distance runners I've come up with the following key suggestions and exercises to help you achieve these objectives:
* Before you can strengthen your legs you need to have a strong basis of support. This comes from your "functional stability muscles" located in your abdominal and lower back region. It is this "core" that gives you the basis from which to drive when running. No functional/core stability = no performance, it is as simple as that.
* Address imbalances. Most triathletes have well developed quads, calves and glutes but pathetic hamstring strength. So triathletes need to strengthen their hamstrings (see "hamstring push-up" exercise below). * Bilateral instability. Triathletes always tend to favour one side of their body more so than the other, so aim at doing the following exercises with each leg individually. This will help you identify which leg is stronger/weaker and allow you to create balance across your body and eliminate these discrepancies.

Single-leg Squat Squat down on one foot until your leg is bent about 50 degrees; push back up. Once you can do this easily add weight by holding dumbells. Reps: 2 sets of 10; build to 3 sets of 12 Strengthens: Quads and glutes Balance Run Stand on a stability trainer (i.e. A half round platform with a flat top). Hold light dumbbells and swing your arms in a running motion. Keep your knees slightly bent and your abs tight. Reps: 3 sets of 30 seconds Strengthens: Core muscles and hones balance. Calf Raises Stand on a curb or platform with your heels over the edge. Lift up onto your toes, raise one foot and slowly lower take your heel down to full stretch. Once you have the move down, add dumbbells to increase the load. Reps: 1 set of 8; build to 3 sets of 15 Strengthens: Calf muscles and Achilles tendon. Hamstring Push-up Lie on the floor with your feet on a chair (or to make the exercise harder; a Swiss ball that's against a wall). Lift your butt off the floor, then lift one leg off the ball. Slowly lower your body to the floor, using the hamstring of the supporting leg. Reps: One set of 8 on each leg; work up to 3 sets of 12 Strengthens: Hamstrings The plank + lift From a push-up position, drop onto your forearms. Lock your pelvic floor muscles on (i.e. Imagine you're having a wee and you wish to stop the urine flow mid stream, those muscles that you draw up to stop the urine flow are the ones you want to lock on when doing this exercise). Then lift one foot about 15cm (keep hips square to the floor), hold for five seconds, and repeat on other side. Reps: Continue for 60 seconds, build to 3 minutes Strengthens: Core and glutes individually.

The above are relatively simple, time effective exercises you can do from home, you'll initially be amazed at how weak you are when you attempt them, but a little practice and persistence will pay significant dividends for you down the road from a run performance perspective.