russdaz

Hi iv been looking around the site for a while and say its great, so decided to sign up.

I havent noticed too much about duatholons tho, i just wondered how many of you guys do them.

Currently i compete in runs, and have trained todo some road cycling racing, mainly going to do TT's next year, as im stronger doing my own thing.

I found that i can do both events one after the other without effecting the other to much, so thinking its time to combine the two. Cant swim tho shoulder injury so Tri's out the question im affraid

So any-one out there got any advise how to train for duatholons, i.e do you run cycle one after the other all the time, or run one day cycle the next etc. or any general tips about the event would be much welcome.

Hopefully i may be able to use my experiance to help at some point.

mathmo

Sure people do them, yet the seemed to be treated as the little brother to triathlons. Which is a real pity, because for many people they would be far more suited to duathlons. Because they have a number of advantages, they cut out the swim (which is most people's biggest problem, and also makes it heaps easier for the races to be organised by the race director). You only need to be training for two sports, etc...

Elvish Legion

I've done a Du, and a Tri, I must say I did a lot better in the du coming from a running background, where as I don't ahve the ideal form for the swim part of a tri.

sweetharriet

the biggest similarity is the bike-run transition. in order to save their legs for the run, triathletes' bikes have different geometry. i don't know how many people use a tri bike for a du, but it stands to reason that making sure you're using different muscles for the two disciplines gives you an advantage.

the bike-run transition can be simulated in a workout called a "brick". triathletes do this to get used to the rubbery feeling of hopping off the bike after 30+ miles and getting your legs back into running. it's an odd sensation, and can take up to a mile for your body to adjust between the two. bricks are usually done with the race distances (25 and 6 miles, or 56 and 13.1, or 12 and 3.1, etc.), but you can do any two distances you like, just to get your body used to working hard on the bike, then switching to the run.

cross-training is better for the body, anyway, and i usually only do a brick workout once a week during the season, and switch bike and run and swim workouts otherwise, according to a periodization training schedule.

chrisesposito

I read a big article yesterday in one of the triathlon magazines on the death of the duathlon, or at least a significant decline in popularity whose timing is roughly correlated with a rise in popularity of triathlon races.

mathmo

Oh dear, that is sad if true. Haven't myself done any duathlons in years, and only just got back into triathlons this year (did Ironman NZ). What I think ought to happen is there should be triathlons during summer, and then duathlons during winter when the water is too cold. Then surely there would be the available market and time available for there to be heaps of duathlons during winter.

rubyspirit

I love duathlons! The popularity is gaining more each year.

I will only volunteer for triathlons. Those are really extreme for this old girl.

Anbaric Cog

I have done a few tri's and a single Duathalon. I had been sick before the Duathlon, so it probably not a fair comparison--but the one that I did was a run bike run. On the second run I felt really horrible. Not "bonking" type terrible but nauseated and weak. Next year I hope to do the same Duathlon in Fresno and this time not be sick!

a.c.

jrennie

I like du's better than the tri races(I sink like a stone in the water) but there are far fewer to compete in.

Pizza Man

I also come from a running background. I seem to remember that duathlons (then often called biathlons) were pretty popular in the late 80's and early 90's. I did a couple of the Coors Light series races they used to have with a 5K-30K-5K distance. I wish they had more of those today since that duration of event is perfect for my fitness level, and one can work full time and still be able to train well for an event of this length. I've tried a couple tri's, but like a lot of you I can't swim too well

My cycling has improved a lot lately, so I hope to find a couple duathlons next year.

caloso

I've only done one (Granite Bay Duo) and good lord did it hurt. Especially that second run.

TriBob

I need the swim for a head start on the bike. I would do more duathlons if they had more.

kosherdave

I do duathlons (though around here people call them biathlons). With a running background they seemed like the next obvious course of action. I race (running) every weekend for NYRRC.org and this year started doing Bi's with NYtri.org. I think they are done for the season, but come spring, we'll all be out there again!

caloso

Just a nitpicky thing but I thought that biathlon was skiing and shooting.

Pizza Man

That's why the run/bike event decided to change its name to duathlon to avoid confusion.

Triguy

Some people say Duathlon is a lot more competitive because if a person has 10 hours to train a week they get 6 on the bike and 4 running. Whereas a triathlete has maybe 5 on the bike 3 running and 2 swimming. I would tend to agree with this train of thought.

specialK

I personally got the feeling that duathlon gets shoved aside in favor of triathlons more often than not. I'm no veteran or anything, but for example at my last duathlon, we were at the starting line, and the race directors had nothing prepared for us. We assembled at the starting line, no pre race announcement and about half of the pack ended up taking off early (nobody seemed to care!), leaving others who wern't aware still in the transistion area. Every detail for the triathlons was looked over, but not for us for some reason.

Trying to determine which is more difficult doesn't interest me, but I getting out for the second run (as someone already mentioned) was a terrible feeling.. I cant wait for next summer

arctic hawk

I'm a duathlete in summer & cyclocrosser in fall/winter. I cannot swim so a triathlon is not for me. The people who put on the local triathlon series in Quebec always run a du concurrently as there are others, like myself, who can't swim either. I would say that the popularity is good in my province as well as neighbouring eastern Ontario, which I have had the pleasure of participating in The Canadian Sprint Du on Labour Day weekend. Much fun was had!
Looking forward toi next summer already!