General Discussion Triathlon Talk » du vs. tri Rss Feed  
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2009-10-30 11:03 AM

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Subject: du vs. tri
I am a decent swimmer, but get a little freaked out during the swim portion of tri races. I have been thinking of racing in a duathlon the first of spring. What are your experiences in regards to a du vs. tri?


2009-10-30 11:11 AM
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Subject: RE: du vs. tri
Dus are generally a lot drier. I like to do them both. Looking for any particular experiences/questions answered?

In this area there are a lot fewer dus than tris and they're usually in the late winter. I think we only have four within 75 miles of me, and they're all between mid-February and mid-March. Then the triathlons start.
2009-10-30 11:13 AM
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Subject: RE: du vs. tri

I like dus, because they are often available in the early or late season.  I've done a couple each year.  In fact, my first multisport event was a du.

They are great because it's good transition practice and the bike and run portions are pretty much the same as a tri.  You also need a lot less stuff and I like that my hair looks a lot better at the end

They are "character building" in that the first run is generally very fast.  The group is off like a shot - wow.  The second run usually hurts me a lot more.

Du it!

 

2009-10-30 11:15 AM
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Subject: RE: du vs. tri

Dus are fun and have their own set of challenges. Generally it helps to be a good runner and a very solid biker.

Nothing to be freaked about for a tri swim though. If you line up on the outside you can often avoid most, if not all, of the contact.

2009-10-30 11:24 AM
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Subject: RE: du vs. tri

You'll get over the freaking thing with more open water swim practice.

FWIW, I think duathlons are harder than triathlons.  Running two hard 5ks in one race is tough!!  I'll do one or two next year since my running and biking need help. ;(

Brian

 

 

2009-10-30 11:37 AM
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Subject: RE: du vs. tri
Du's are awesome. They definitely hurt quite a bit more though, as you can go pretty hard in swimming without causing too much pain and getting your heart rate up. Not so with running. If you're racing, that first 5k or so should be pretty close to all out, only I like to start a bit slower and not kick at the end.


2009-10-30 1:05 PM
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Subject: RE: du vs. tri
I enjoy the Dus much more. I'm not a strong swimmer and not real confident in open water. When I race Tris I'm about mid pack in my age group and no where near the front. When I race DUs I'm usally front of Age group if not top 5 to 15 overall in most events. The hardest part is how hard to run on that first run. As someone else said you can push pretty hard in the water on a tri and have lots left for the bike and run. But If you blow it out on the first run you've got a long race ahead of you! Depending on where you live you may have lot's of Dus to choose from or very few. I'm in Indiana and there's quite a few from March to October within reasonable driving distance.
2009-10-30 1:19 PM
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Subject: RE: du vs. tri
golfer17 - 2009-10-30 11:37 AM

Du's are awesome. They definitely hurt quite a bit more though, as you can go pretty hard in swimming without causing too much pain and getting your heart rate up. Not so with running. If you're racing, that first 5k or so should be pretty close to all out, only I like to start a bit slower and not kick at the end.


That's why they hurt so much, slow down a tad on that first run. I like du's because of the mass start. It's more fun to race, otherwise it's the same thing just dryer, sometimes.

Edited by smilford 2009-10-30 1:20 PM
2009-10-30 1:20 PM
in reply to: #2489218

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Subject: RE: du vs. tri
duathlon= wintertriathlon= summer
2009-10-30 1:45 PM
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Subject: RE: du vs. tri
I've never done one, a Du that is..   But my son, who is a little freaked out about swimming, wants to do one.  So I'm thinking we could do it together..  Then when he gets hooked, we'll slowly introduce the swimming...Wink 

Personally I like the cross training that Tri's offer.   It's just one more routine for me, so I don't get bored..
2009-10-30 5:38 PM
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Subject: RE: du vs. tri
the bear - 2009-10-30 12:11 PM Dus are generally a lot drier.


HAHAHAHAHAHA.  Almost fell out of my chair I was laughing so hard.  I would hope that they are drier than triathlons...lol


2009-10-30 6:21 PM
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Subject: RE: du vs. tri
I like Duathlons much more than triathlons. For me the advantage is I don't have to have a gym membership to train. No pool necessary. Triathlon has become very mainstream right now and duathlons are obscure. Some triathlons around here include a duathlon option if you don't want to swim.
2009-10-31 2:39 AM
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Subject: RE: du vs. tri
We have a group here that does a "friendly" du every month. I've done 3 of them so far, and I can say that as a slow runner they're discouraging. The whole pack is gone before the first half of the run is over! It's a good way to practice transitions though...
2009-10-31 3:31 AM
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Subject: RE: du vs. tri
If you have buoyancy of granite, Duathlons are much more fun (not to say safer). My swim looks like a drowning exercise, and I hardly move forward. Yes, I can finish a swim leg without drowning, but it won't be pretty, fast, or efficient.

The reason why I do Du's is simply that I'm a decent runner, a fairly strong cyclist and I can endure the pain quite well. This makes me an ok Duathlete. If I would do Tri's instead, I would be so far behind after the swim (plus I would've wasted lots of energy just finishing) that I wouldn't be even close of competitive, so motivation to train wouldn't be as easy....

I know lots of people that do Du's in the spring before starting up their Tri season. I also know a lot of people that said that they start with a Du, and the will go on and do a Tri, but fell in love with Du's and are quite happy if they never do a tri...

Plus, I absolutely love Du's!
2009-10-31 6:50 AM
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Subject: RE: du vs. tri
I've done an early season du a couple of times. The second run is REALLY hard. My legs got a bit crampy both times, which has never happened in a tri.
2009-10-31 8:35 AM
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Elite
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Subject: RE: du vs. tri
I'm registered for the local du series that runs Dec-Feb -- very fun!  I'm also going to do some spring duathlons just cuz it's too early for OWS tris in CO.  Looking forward to them -- something different.


2009-10-31 11:13 AM
in reply to: #2489218

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Subject: RE: du vs. tri
Never did a du, and just recently finished my first tri this past summer but will highly recomend the Total Immersion way of swimming and learning. I bought the combo book dvd (freestyle swimming)  and was the best $50 investment I made overall. Took me from swimming one lap and drinking 3 gallons of pool water to swimming a mile with NO problem in three months. Do yourself a favor and invest in this! www.totalimmersion.com, u wont be disappointed. I am gonna get the Open Water Swimming book (or dvd) next
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General Discussion Triathlon Talk » du vs. tri Rss Feed