ESSENTIAL DUATHLON BIKE TRAINING

Duathlon is a brutal sport but hit the threshold work and you’ll be ready to race

The duathlon season gets into full swing over the coming months, so it’s time to hit some top-end work if you want to tackle this tough run/bike/run multisport. This issue we’re going to train for the demands of a duathlon and learn how to pace more efficiently – a key component of all racing.

I’d complete this session once a week, either as part of a brick session or as your key threshold set. Ideally, complete it outdoors so you can add plenty of variation to the pacing. If you’re doing draftlegal races, then use a road bike; if not, then a time-trial bike is fine. The session will help you pace races better by learning how to get into the red and recover faster.

What you should always be doing while racing is thinking about your position and pacing for the demands of the course, as well as focusing on wind direction so you’ll know how and when to lay down the power. By adding a session like this, with variation on pace, you’ll be able to ride any course, no matter what the terrain.