10 Reasons why you should sign up for a Duathlon today
Posted September 13, 2011
This weekend I took part in the London Duathlon 2011. I did the ‘Challenge’ event which is comprised of:
- a 10km run (6.2 miles)
- a 25km cycle (15.5 miles)
- a 5km run (3.1 miles)
Here come the excuses; I was suffering slightly from a virus I had picked up the day before, it was very windy and also, it turns out that Richmond Park is somewhat hillier than you might expect.
In any case I suffered immensely so was pleased with my overall time of 1hr 55mins. Thanks to those who supported me, it's always nice to have a crowd shouting your name.
There’s a lot of hype these days about Triathlons, and rightly so, they are great fun, but Duathlons don’t seem to get so much press. But they are fantastic events, here are some reasons why you should sign up for one or two yourself…
1. Beginner Friendly
Duathlons (and triathlons for that matter) attract the complete spectrum of abilities. Plus they are generally mass events so you are pretty much guaranteed not to come last :-)
In my experience they are always pretty well organised and expect you to not know where you are going etc when you rock up to the event looking sheepish.
2. You will nail the bike section
As a cyclist, the bike section is where you can really flex your muscles. Many Duathlons vary in terms of the distance ratios between cycling and running, so if you are scared of running, try to pick one with a long bike section. Zipping past all those suckers who ran past you is quite satisfying. Just make sure you put enough ground between you to not get overtaken on the second run!
3. They run all through the winter and autumn
Unlike Triathlons and Sportives, duathlons tend to run from late summer to late spring so you can generally find some kind of event all year long. This gives you another way of honing your racing skills through those winter months.
4. Family Friendly
When did you last take your family or loved ones to a Time Trial or sportive event as a spectator? Right, never. Well the great thing about Duathlons is that your rent-a-crowd can see you multiple times; they’ll see you start, come back for the first transition, ride your bike, come back for the second transition and finish. Plus if the legs have loops in they will be sick of the sight of you.
Needless to say there are lots of cheering chances. They also have a great atmosphere, the London Duathlon was buzzing with people, there was music, various stands, a bar, cafes, a constant commentator type person and so much more. It really is a great day out.
5. “What the hell is a Duathlon” kudos
People know what a triathlon is but but so many know what a duathlon is. When you explain it’s a run followed by a cycle followed by a run, they will instantly think you are some kind of super hero capable of scaling the tallest of tall mountains and much more.
You will instantly be more interesting, more mysterious and undoubtedly more attractive to the opposite sex. Well you know, within reason.
6. It’s hard!
A Duathlon isn’t simply the sum of running a couple of times and cycling in between. It's the combination of those of those activities with the effects that each one has on the next.
If you’ve ever done a time trial, you'll know how tiring they are; but imagine jumping off your bike at the end of your time trial and instantly running as fast as you can for 3 miles. It’s tough, let me tell you – your body has spent the last 30 mins pumping blood to your cycling muscles, but now you need your running muscles to work hard. This-really-hurts.
As a cyclist you already love pain, so you will love Duathlons, I guarantee.
7. Chaos is hilarious
Imagine the pandemonium of the transition zone – a big square containing bikes and athletes. People running in to change shoes and get there bike, people staggering in with their bikes to change back into their running shoes, all happening at once. It’s hilarious - people zig-zagging all over the shop – really good fun!
8. It forces you to run
If you’re a cyclist who wishes you occasionally did more running, well, sign up for a duathlon or two, you’ll soon find yourself doing crazy ass brick sessions and getting those track sessions in.
9. There is no excuse not to train
If you can’t run, you can cycle, if you can’t cycle, you can run. There is simply no excuse. If it is pissing with rain outside and you don’t fancy a bike session – don’t resort to a turbo training boredom session – just put your running shoes on and get out there.
10. You’ll get a medal
What could be better?…
Done a duathlon recently, what do you love/hate about them? Let us know…
top picture via Graham McCarthy
