Duathlon advice

Why would you run if your bikes not broken? 🤔

Interested if anyone has any good advice and/or could suggest a training plan and interesting articles/videos on it?

If you're doing that distance and just for fun you don't really need a training plan. Just mix up runs and rides during the week. If you can run 12-15km and feel fine afterwards you'll be able to finish without any major problems. Perhaps a bit closer to the event you could try a few brick workouts (do an hour's ride, then run for 20 minutes) just to see how unpleasant the first few minutes running after riding are.

Of course, if you do want to add a bit of structure and follow a plan you'll get a better result, but it certainly isn't 100% necessary if your main aim is just to make it the finish line and have a good time.

I’ve done quite a few over the years - what hurts is the bike to run transition! Prepare for cramps and muscle pain for the first couple of mins on that last run! The first transition from run to bike is a blessed relief though!!

Transitions need practice too, but they are great fun events!

In my experience, most entrants are runners that bike a bit, which makes the race interesting and a bit topsy turvy as a biker that runs a bit! Enjoy!

In my experience, most entrants are runners that bike a bit, which makes the race interesting and a bit topsy turvy as a biker that runs a bit! Enjoy!

And ime the MTB courses are so easy that the 'off-road' description can be almost misleading. There was one off road duathlon near here a few years ago that used slightly more techy trails - it was carnage.

As above - get some practice in on transition. I can still remember the first duathlon I did. My legs were a cross between rubber and lead!

I did my first one back in June at Castle Howard and like you I opted for the longer one straight off the bat- 10.5k run, 90k ride, 10.5k run.

I also am pretty keen runner and cyclist so neither of those thing are new to me. I did some brick runs to test if I had "wobbly" legs running after being on the bike but this was never an issue for me.

I did find that I underestimated the combined fatigue from doing both together though- the last run leg was tough, I would 100% reccommend doing a trial by yourself of a ride plus a run, at least 50 or 75% of the total distance you will do on the day just so you know what to expect. I also found that for some reason, on the day, my feet were killing me when pedalling the last 30kms...this has never happened to me before I can only assume they swelled up in the first run leg or something, I've cycled 100's miles in those shoes before and they never hurt me like that before or since.

Practising for duathlon was also the only time I ever had problems with chafingbut I think that's largely because I got drenched when cycling and then I immediately went out for a 15k run as it was drying up....never again.

I didn't race through transition- in fact, I even went to the toilet and ate some food and relaxed for 5mins. I sort of regret that now as I finished way higher up the field than I expected and would have made more of an effort to reduce my time in transition if I knew! There's no obligation to smash through it though unless you're really pushing for a result.

It was great fun though, I'm planning on another one in the Spring.

problems with chafingbut

Nothing worse.

I did quite a few of these in my 20's and they are great fun. As mentioned above, do not underestimate the feeling of switching between running and biking, also races can be won and lost in the transition.

I used to train by cycling to my local parkrun, running the 5km parkrun, doing a short 5km or so bike lap and then running the parkrun loop again.

I also found that the mtb sections were more off road paths than full on trails, a hardtail or short travel FS is the name of the game.

Have fun.

Ooh @Duggan I did the same Castle Howard race last summer.
I overcooked things (literally) - not enough liquids on a very warm day - the second 10k run was brutal.

The legs do indeed feel really strange after T2 when running again. Try it in training, so you'll get used to the feeling.

Ooh @Duggan I did the same Castle Howard race last summer.

Expatscot- nice, we may well have chatted to each other if you did the Middle Distance duathlon! I was impressed with the organisation, it was a great event. There is one in Cholmondeley Castle in Cheshire in June next year and I'll aim to do that one next I think, as its closer to me.

Got a back issue at the moment though so depends on how successful physio is I think 🤞

Indeed @Duggan!
I helped out on the Saturday, (as I did last year), and raced on the Sunday. The organisers are fab.
I'm planning on doing it again next year.
I'm also thinking of Cholmondeley - it's fairly near family.
I'm also looking to race Age Group (V50) duathlon. Some of the events have not yet been announced, so I'm not sure which one(s) I'll do.

Brick training was the big thing for me.

It makes you practice your transitions and gets you used to going from one discipline to the other. You don't need to do big distances either, I used to have a 1k loop for the run and 2k one for the bike and then spend a training session just going from one to the other.

I've done a few in the past.
the run-bike-run format where they have taken a triathlon and removed the swimming part, seems to mean that it is 2/3rds running, 1/3 biking... or worse, by effort and time of an average competitor.

As a biker, that disparity gets even worse.

the bike course will probably be doubletrack/fireroad for the most part. Which is good, because there will be a lot of people who can run faster than you that are worse cyclists, being able to pass them as and when you catch them will save you a ton of effort.
There will definitely be areas where off road bike skill will get you a good time advantage, late braking, holding speed through corners nd so on. Even just being used to varying your effort - compared to say a runner who wants to do the whole event at a constant pace - will let you sprint up sharp climbs or out of turns, and utilise the coasting as recovery.
Be nice as you overtake them though, as they will probably get you back on the third leg.

I didn't follow this advice when I last did one, but if you are at all adept at riding in flat pedals, I'd consider biking on flats and running shoes. especially on the shorter distances. If not, triathalon elastic laces will save a lot of time, and I actually prefer them in my running shoes full time now.

Used to host a Fearless one at Llandegla mid February... all the runners would be well ahead after the first run... fun reeling them in on the bike.... especially when it was snowy... half of them were on borrowed bikes with 50psi in the tyres to make them faster! Lots of bambi on ice action 😉