Spring Ahead Duathlon

What I learned from this race that you can use with your training

Apr 26, 2024

My duathlon was this weekend and while I was super happy with how it went, I have so, so much to work on to get to the next level- whatever that is.

In today’s post, I’ll be talking about what I learned from the race and what I can do differently moving forward.

While this very much sounds like a “me” post, the idea is that you’ll be able to take what I’ve written and use it to help your own training.

What I Learned

Preparation matters
- It’s one thing to do a bit of training on the bike and it’s another to be really ready. I felt like I did a smidge more the bare minimum to be ready to bike. I didn’t have a lot of time to transition from breaking 5 min the mile in March to this race, so I have some room for a lack of prep. But in the future, I need WAY more practice being on the bike considering just how long each bike leg is during a duathlon/triathlon.
Competition is good
- It felt really freaking good chasing people. I love not being the best at something and learning from others. I have to give a big thanks to my neighbor John, resident biker (and winner of the bike race at the duathlon I competed in). He pushed me to ride longer and he pulled me up and down hills while blowing past me for some KOMs.
Valued something new
- Always being a runner is easy. Adding in biking and trying to be good at two events is hard. I had a lot of fun training for and competing in this event, not only because it was different but because I had no preconceived notions of what would be “good” and what wouldn’t be.
Teamwork
- Showing up to a race with John made me feel like I was in college again. Talking with him, strategizing, prepping, and planning travel logistics made the grunt work of training easier.

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Negative
- On the bike
  - Gosh, I was so tough on myself. I found myself talking out loud saying “Pedal faster!” It was funny and not funny at the same time. When people flew past me, I got frustrated and tried to come back from it, but it didn’t always work.
- Running
  - I didn’t really doubt myself while I was running, but I certainly didn’t feel good on either run section. I felt like a baby deer with wobbly legs on the second run and on the first one I just felt blah.
- Wishing I had a better/faster bike
  - Throughout the ride, and especially when someone passed me going up a steep hill like I was standing still, I was super annoyed that I had an older, slower bike. Do I love my bike? Sure. But that doesn’t mean I don’t wish I had a faster one!

Positive
- Passing runners lifted me up
  - It felt good passing runners who had finished the ride before me or had done the shorter race distance. It was a good motivator to keep the pedal down and press on even though I was really struggling.
- Quick transitions
  - I spent less than a minute in both transitions, meaning my practice paid off. I was able to get in and out quickly which allowed me to spend race time actually racing.

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What We Can Do Differently

Train more effectively
- I’ve found that the day after a long run and a workout is most likely best served as being a non-running day. It sucks even just writing that sentence, but it’s true. I don’t recover well (I never did) and it’s even more the case now. If I go harder on Thursday, then Friday is a day I have to bike or swim. I can’t be messing around with a slog the next day when my risk of injury is higher.
Use cross-training to get work in without the pounding
- If I use cross-training to my advantage, I will be able to get more aerobic work in without jeopardizing the quality of my runs. Plus, I’ll be able to work on my swimming and biking and it won’t be a waste.

Don’t rely on my strengths; improve my weaknesses
- I know my strengths are in running, but it’s possible that they are also in endurance events…The only problem is I can’t train for only 1 sport. That means I’ll need to spend time getting in volume over a variety of disciplines including on the bike, in the pool, and even on the elliptical.
Get gear that will help me be successful
- In the 11th hour, I replaced my pedals and tuned up my bike. I should not have waited so long. The more practice I can do before a race the better. This goes for multisport events and just running races.

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Friday’s Action Plan:

Whether a multisport future is where you are headed or not, using cross training can improve your aerobic capacity, keep you healthy, and keep training fun.