First Duathlon

Ger the man

Hi all,
I've done some biking and have also started running but I swim like an anchor so instead of a triathlon I considered doing a duathlon. What training/gear advice would you recommend? Also, is the Dublin city duathlon held just once a year? What other duathlons are organised?

Thanks for all replies.

trihard

Ger, one of the great places to get the list of duathlons is www.triathlonireland.com. Duathlons and an extension of triathlons (or is it the other way around .... don't give up on the swimming though :-)

daymobrew

The Dublin City Duathlon Series is a series of 4 duathlons (May, June, July, August). The last is tonight. It is a longer version of the previous three.

The Triathlon Ireland calendar will list the duathlons held during the year. Most are finished.
Early in the year is a series in Limerick, another in Punchestown. Early in the summer is a series in Belfast (though only one this year).

Ger the man

Thanks daymo, plenty of time to start training for next season!

Cheers

blorg

I just did my second tonight (first was the Focus one on Sunday.) In terms of gear, well I must say I found a tri suit very comfy. I will also get a race belt, I can really see the benefit over safety pins, especially if you have to do front and back!

I had ordered a tri suit last minute but it didn't arrive in time for Sunday so I just wore running shorts and a cycling jersey. Tri suit arrived on Tuesday and so I gave tonight's one a go using that. It was really comfortable for both the cycling and running bits, I reckon better than on Sunday, particularly the top bit for the run.

I got a Descente Aero-X Tri Suit from probikekit.com as I have the same brand in bib shorts for the bike and really liked them (and I knew the sizing etc.) They have the Descente tri suits reduced pretty good at the moment, starting at £35 but I spent the extra to get the £45 one. Shipping to Ireland is free.

tunney

All you need now blorg is to get rid of that fecking triple and stick on a 55 big ring and a 23-11 and you'd be flying

blorg

It's all about the big ring with you Tunney Bike split including running the bike in and out of transition was 0:34:37 which I think was pretty good. Excluding transition 35km/h average on the dot according to my Garmin, over an undulating course (yes I know that is the wrong side of 40 tunney ) Didn't really feel like I was running out of gears at the top with my 50-12 or being weighed down by my extra chainring. I will admit of course that I didn't use the granny ring last night, but I use my bike for more than one thing and can still appreciate it if there is a big climb 170km in to a long course! Overtook more than one person with TT bikes and disc/HED wheels.

My running is of course another story, I can't really do that very fast at all yet.

hunnymonster

I've never gotten used to tri suits especially because they are a pain to pee and poo in over longer distances.

Ger the man

Had planned to go for a run last night but felt a sore throat coming on. :mad: Does anyone still train while their under the weather?

hunnymonster

depends as a general rule, if it's above the neck and not a hard session then yes, if it's in my chest or a hard session then no.

tunney

blorg wrote: »

It's all about the big ring with you Tunney

But you can hardly race in the little one!

blorg wrote: »

Overtook more than one person with TT bikes and disc/HED wheels.
.

Very different state of affairs to a few years ago. One maybe two discs, very few TT bikes. Unfortunately the trend in Triathlon in ireland is to try and buy speed rather than accept that most benefits will simply come from proper training - consistent smart training to start, and then maybe a coach.

hunnymonster

Are you coached Tunney? (one-on-one rather than a general club coach) If so, would you have a few seconds at some stage to jot down a little bit about what you feel this has done for your training and racing. I'm sure a few people on here would be interested.

hunnymonster

Th other thing I notice about all the poncy bikes is how badly fitted some of them are. yes your bike might weight grammes but if you can't get any power out of it, what's the point?

Bambaata

i've a lot to learn!! Im going to buy a TT bike next year but i wouldnt have a notion what would be right for me so i better get researching! Do cyclesupertore and Wheelwoerx really giev a good bike sizing session or do they just rush through it?!

hunnymonster

Both shops should have a good service at off peak times. Saturday afternoon is not the time to visit. No harm in reading up about things yourself though. Try
http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/techctr/bikefit06.html
as a starter.

christeb

hunnymonster wrote: »

Th other thing I notice about all the poncy bikes is how badly fitted some of them are. yes your bike might weight grammes but if you can't get any power out of it, what's the point?

I can testify to this, bought my one on eBay (out of college, first proper paycheck!) and it's a bit too small, although felt pretty good last night. Not sure I overtook too many of the disc wheel brigade but they weren't passing me either!

Stark

Anyone know the winning time for yesterday evening?

christeb

No, they normally post results a day / 2 after the event. I would imagine he was around 55min, considering I think I was lapped twice by the leaders.

Bambaata

i think i recall someone saying winner came in on 56 mins. I could be wrong there though. 3 passed me as i went into my final lap. i kept pace with the leader for 1/4 lap but when we reached hills he flew on past me! lovely sound of those tt bikes as they breeze past

Ger the man

Bambaata wrote: »

i've a lot to learn!! Im going to buy a TT bike next year but i wouldnt have a notion what would be right for me so i better get researching! Do cyclesupertore and Wheelwoerx really giev a good bike sizing session or do they just rush through it?!

My other half bought me my present bike from cyclesuperstore 4years ago for about 600eur and ive never had a problem with it. I asked about a bike that was too small for me and on those grounds refused to sell it to me. I went along to my first charity cycle and felt very intimidated by lads with bikes worth 2k and upwards. A lot of them had problems with parts breaking and lots of punctures (I had none).

blorg

hunnymonster wrote: »

I've never gotten used to tri suits especially because they are a pain to pee and poo in over longer distances.

I noticed this even with my natural advantages in this regard, a bit trickier even than bibshorts but just about managed it. This was before the event naturally, I don't think anyone would need to go on even up to an Olympic distance?

Entirely co-incidentally saw this on Wiggle today. I would suspect the need for pooing could be averted even up to Ironman distance?

blorg

@Ger- To be honest punctures are luck of the draw and will happen to anyone.

Ger the man

blorg wrote: »

@Ger- To be honest punctures are luck of the draw and will happen to anyone.

True I suppose, I was very new to the sport at the time.

Poncherello

Blorg thats a very good time, I cycle that route regularly and know how to carry speed through the bends etc and I am not sure I could average laps under 7mins for 20K.
You should throw a pair of clip on bars on your machine and see if that improves your speed or have u been doing that.

I never hit lap on my watch at end of cycle so dont know my bike split
Did it in 1.11

blorg

Poncherello wrote: »

Blorg thats a very good time, I cycle that route regularly and know how to carry speed through the bends etc and I am not sure I could average laps under 7mins for 20K.
You should throw a pair of clip on bars on your machine and see if that improves your speed or have u been doing that.

I never hit lap on my watch at end of cycle so dont know my bike split
Did it in 1.11

Thanks Poncherello. My total time was 01:15:20! Need to work on the running. The 34:37 bike split was done with standard road bars, no clip ons, I may well try them to see if they help. It was a pretty much all out effort (average 170 BPM) and I had twinges of cramp starting the final lap; had to ease off slightly going down that hill (they went away thank god, wouldn't have wanted that going into the run.)

To be honest last Sunday and then bettered Wednesday night were my two fastest ever times over 20k (non-drafting anyway.) I guess you push yourself a bit harder in a race.

Bambaata

hunnymonster wrote: »

Both shops should have a good service at off peak times. Saturday afternoon is not the time to visit. No harm in reading up about things yourself though. Try
http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/techctr/bikefit06.html
as a starter.

thnaks HM, sorry hadnt noticed this post earlier! thats a nice bit of reading

crubean

HI ,
Just a quick question, With tri suits is the padding like a chamoi on a normal pair of cycling shorts ?? I have run with lyrca shorts no probs but i think the padding would really chaaff my legs as i have big thighs.

hunnymonster

Tri suits ahve some padding but not as much as cycling shorts. You get some of the comfort without getting water logged in the swim. I actually do all my cycling in tri shorts now.

blorg wrote: »

I noticed this even with my natural advantages in this regard, a bit trickier even than bibshorts but just about managed it. This was before the event naturally, I don't think anyone would need to go on even up to an Olympic distance?

Entirely co-incidentally saw this on Wiggle today. I would suspect the need for pooing could be averted even up to Ironman distance?

For sprint through oly, pee in the water and you should be fine. For 1/2 and IM you will need to pee but I find it pretty easy to go on the bike. IM Florida don't allow you to pee on the bike so I have the question, do I stop and waste time, slow down, grab extra water bottle and "cool" myself off at the appropriate time or something else? There is no way I'll last 5 1/2 hours without a pee.

I've never needed to poo during an ironman race but I have on long training rides, or more often on the run part of a brick session. We live out in the country now so usually I can nip into a field.

Yesterday I was talking about menstrual cycles for the Marathon de Sables, today it's pooing in fields. Endurance sport is all glamour I tell you!

blorg

crubean wrote: »

HI ,
Just a quick question, With tri suits is the padding like a chamoi on a normal pair of cycling shorts ?? I have run with lyrca shorts no probs but i think the padding would really chaaff my legs as i have big thighs.

No, it is substantially thinner, barely there at all really. I have run in cycling shorts before and the tri suit was far more comfortable. Haven't tried it out yet but the tri suits/shorts are meant to be designed to be fast drying too; I have swum in cycling shorts and would not be comfortable on a bike after that, the chamois got very waterlogged! Despite the thinness it was perfectly fine on the bike over 20km, reckon it would certainly be fine for 40km, very likely even beyond.

blorg

hunnymonster wrote: »

For sprint through oly, pee in the water and you should be fine.

There is a good tip, I honestly never thought of that.

Glad you can pee on the bike, it's the sign of a true pro. I am some way from that level yet

christeb

blorg wrote: »

There is a good tip, I honestly never thought of that.

Glad you can pee on the bike, it's the sign of a true pro. I am some way from that level yet

I remember reading somewhere that the first thing Lance's mechanics did after a stage was hose down is bike for similar reasons

Andrewf20

Yes, I did that Phoenix Park duathlon for the 1st time there on Wednesday. Really enjoyed the event. I did it on the mountain bike. I found I was able to take the 2 tight corners with the uphill section immediately afterwards at a much higher speed than the racers. It was great for the sligshot up the hill by keeping up the momentum. Athough I got caught a fair few times further up the hill.