The Purple Patch Podcast Triathlon Takeover strides towards the finish line this week where Matt takes you through all you need to know to help facilitate hitting your potential on the run - including shoe choice, nutrition, terrain, and even walking your way to your fastest run performance. It is a triathlete’s guide to run success. You come out of T2 and all you need to do is run to the finish.  What could go wrong? Well, apparently, a lot.  The run is the most common discipline for your race to unravel.  Across the three pieces of the triathlon puzzle, the run sees the greatest discrepancy between performance expectations and reality.    Athletes struggle here and they don’t need to. Today’s show is all about optimizing your run performance. But before you reach for your flats and add more miles to your schedule, take heed. In order to reach your potential you must first understand two important things: Why is the run such a challenge in triathlon racing? It’s presumably the simplest of the three disciplines, but often the one that poses the most threat to race performance.  What are the many things that can go wrong in the run leg of a race? Many times athletes assume it’s a simple lack of fitness, but this is rarely the case. There are plenty of reasons your run can be derailed and Matt unpacks each one. With this groundwork of understanding, Matt then delivers the steps to run greatness.  A successful run off the bike is not mythical or magical. It doesn’t require a carbon plate in your shoe. There isn’t some secret sauce that drives you into the stratosphere, and it’s rarely the result of digging yourself into more and more training. A successful run performance is mostly about -  NAILING THE BASICS and avoiding the mistakes and causes that lead to the dismantling of performance potential in the first place. Commit to this mission and never let it go. If you do this,  you will finish with deep pride and a chance to learn and grow.  You will be able to stand tall and grow as an athlete and human and you will be an athlete that gets to say, “I nailed my run performance.” Episode and Purple Patch Resources Learn more about Purple Patch Squad High-Performance Training Program Learn more about Purple Patch Strength Programming Join the Purple Patch Performance Academy