Fitness
How to train for a duathlon
Come this way if you want to prepare your body for a punishing bike-run-bike event...
Triathlons are having their moment. In fact, they’ve been having their moment for a few years now. So, it’s time for their sibling, duathlons, to step into the limelight. For cyclists and runners who are not so keen on swimming, they are perfect.
You can challenge yourself with the multi-discipline and transition-based formula of triathlons, but without a dunk in a lake for your trouble. And, for those in the know, swapping a swim for a run actually makes the overall event a tougher challenge than a tri. Standard duathlon distance is 10km run, 40km bike, 5km run – and that last 5km can be wobbly-legged hell if you haven’t trained enough.
We spoke to Got To Tri’s Santi Brage, a level 2 British Triathlon coach who runs triathlon training camps in Mallorca, to get his advice on how to train for your first duathlon.
1. Keep things simple
Brage’s first tip is not to get carried away by the sometimes-intimidating world of expensive duathlon kit. “All you need is a bike, helmet, water bottle and running shoes,” he says. “It is easy to be caught up by all the shiny, expensive kit, but you can complete a duathlon with any working bike."
2. Don’t ramp up the intensity of training
When it comes to training, be careful when increasing volume and/or intensity as this could result in injury. Brage has a useful rule to stick to: “Work on the 80:20 rule, with 80% of your training at an easy, conversational pace and 20% at moderate to high intensity. In the week before your race, take it easy. Instead of training, use your free time to check your kit, bike and practice your transition.”
3. Practice transitions before race day
You can lose a lot of time transitioning between your run and bike inefficiently – faffing around, taking off your running shoes, putting on your helmet and so on. So the key is to practice, practice, practice. “You will be run and bike training ahead of your race, so why not spend some time mastering transition?” says Brage. “Set up an area in a car park or somewhere quiet and run through the motions. Remember to always put your helmet on before touching your bike. On race day, take some time to register where your bike is racked as, when the transition area is full, it’s easy to get confused and lose your bike.”
4. Run, then bike
“Duathletes often use brick sessions to practice the ‘running off the bike’ feeling,” says Brage. This feeling, if you have not yet experienced it, is the sensation of your legs turning to noodles after a hard cycle ride. A brick session is where you do a short bike ride, then get straight off the bike and do a short run, and helps your legs get used to this transition. “Once you have done four to eight weeks of base training, these short bursts off the bike are great for building your muscle memory ahead of race day. Try switching it up, with a run before a bike session instead so that you know how it will feel to ride after running on race day as well.”
5. Save yourself
As with any race, it’s often easy to get excited by the event itself and, with the adrenaline pumping, set off at the beginning like you’re sprinting for the finish line. “It’s important to pace yourself during the first run to avoid ruining the rest of your race,” says Brage. “Aim to run the first leg at a comfortable pace that you could sustain. Don’t aim for a PB on the first run – save your reserves for a sprint finish at the end.”
6. Buy some elastic laces
A simple tip, but one that many duathletes don’t realise. “One trick to save time in transition if you are using clip-in pedals on your bike is to have elastic laces in your trainers,” says Brage. “These allow you to slip in and out of your trainers with ease and save you precious seconds that would be spent tying your laces.”
7. Take a jacket
A final tip is to make use of your phone’s weather app. “As duathlons are often early season, it is a good idea to check the weather before your race,” says Brage. “Be aware that your body will warm up during the first run but if it is cold, you may need to put a jacket on in transition ahead of your bike leg. If you head off without it, you might regret it on the descents.”
Fancy taking on a run with a difference? Registrations are now open for the UK editions of the Wings For Life World Run. Sign up here for the Organised App Run in Chiswick Park.
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