Is this a training rule, or a way to practice the transition? I keep thinking I should run to work now and then, but a bike ride is more fun and about as fast as the bus, while running is a lot less convenient even before considering a cool down period. Looks like the next distance up is Olympic, about double the sprint. The transitions won't take any longer, so you should be able to beat three hours, right?"every ride ends in a run."
The idea behind running after every ride is to get your legs and body used to the idea. It's less about practicing the actual transition and more about learning how you'll feel once you're into the actual run on race day. I should have mentioned distance. An Olympic is the next distance up at 1500 m swim, 40 km bike, and 10 km run. To that end, my event wasn't quite a proper sprint. The swim was too short by nearly half, and the bike was a little long. For an Olympic the goal would probably be three hours but might have to adjust a bit depending on the exact course length and difficulty. I think for unsanctioned races nobody cares if the distance is a little off because a 22 mile loop is more enjoyable than adding two miles down a road, a hard U-turn, and two miles back to get the distance right. There's a triathlon in Dousman, WI called Tri-ing For Children on the 28th, and I'm thinking about that. It has an Olympic option, but I'd do the sprint because I'd also like to do the 1.2 mile swim in Madison (called Big Swell) on the 27th. If that all goes well I may do the Lake Country Olympic in Oconomowoc, WI in August.