There comes a time in many triathletes’ competitive lives when the daily routine of a swim–bike–run routine becomes too monotonous. When this happens a little change is needed. This is a perfect time to throw additional multisport options into the mix, enabling athletes to take a mental and physical break from the sometimes monotonous training of swim, bike, and run.
Multisport is the term used to describe sporting events made up of just that: multiple sports. In this format, athletes race in a continuous series of stages, often referred to as legs, and rapidly switch, or transition, from one athletic discipline to another, with the objective of completing the entire series in the least amount of time. Usually multisport events are endurance races, which can include swimming, biking, running, skiing, and kayaking. Triathlon, the most common multisport, consists of swimming, biking, and running at various distances, ranging from the sprint up to the Ironman. Yet, multisport captures much more than just these three sports. It has grown to encompass many combinations of multiple disciplines. We now see many types of multisport events inside the United States as well as around the world. Some of the more common types include duathlon (run, bike, run), off-road (swim, mountain bike, trail run), and winter triathlon (run, mountain bike, skate ski, all occurring on snow). Additionally, multisport is not limited to the more common “tri” options. Athletes can find events consisting of more than three disciplines that fall into more of the adventure racing category. These events tend to be composed of anything and everything and are not limited to kayaking, rappelling, orienteering, mountain biking, and trekking.
Events from the Olympic Games, such as the pentathlon, decathlon, and modern pentathlon, are not usually considered multisport because their individual components are not held back to back. Multisport events are a great way to learn a new sport, improve base fitness, and expand skills that can be applied to other multisport activities. It is not unusual to see crossover between the various formats. For instance, many athletes competing at the highest level in winter triathlon are the same athletes consistently finishing at the top of the podium in off-road triathlon events.
In 2010, USA Triathlon, the national governing body of triathlon and multisport, sanctioned 2,265 events of which 26 percent were disciplines other than swim, bike, run. Nontraditional events are included in this 26 percent. Nontraditional events have a multisport component but do not fit into any of the categories mentioned previously (e.g., a 5K beach run, 4-mile board paddle, or 4-mile surf ski). Obviously an event such as this deviates from the norm, and therefore it falls into the nontraditional category. USAT sanctioned 156 off-road events in 2010. These off-road events included both triathlons and duathlons. Additionally, 28 events of a similar nature were held for youth.
Multisport continues to morph and grow each year, supplying all endurance athletes the opportunity to showcase their talents, whether during single-track technical mountain biking, cross-country skiing, rappelling down a rock face, or kayaking across a body of water. Whatever it may be, multisport continues to welcome new formats into its family. This chapter discusses the history of multisport events such as duathlon, off-road triathlon, winter triathlon, and adventure racing as well as the equipment needed to complete these events and some training suggestions.
Many single-sport endurance athletes turn to multisport for that mental break or even just to try something new and challenge themselves in novel and exciting ways. Following are a few of the most common types of multisport.
Duathlon combines the sports of running and biking, usually in the format of a run, a bike, and then another, sometimes shorter, run. This format is often considered a more demanding event than the triathlon. Many triathletes will tell you that duathlons are more grueling. Athletes begin with a hard run, jump on their bikes more fatigued than after a swim, and then finish the race with another run of the same distance as the first run (or slightly shorter). Athletes tend to agree that a duathlon requires considerably more recovery time than a triathlon completed in the same amount of time. Organizers sometimes produce events with just a run and bike, eliminating the second run leg in an attempt to not scare participants off.
USAT sanctioned 383 duathlons in 2010. One of the first U.S. duathlon series was the Coors Light Series, which had regular stops in big cities such as Phoenix, Chicago, and Denver. It wasn’t uncommon to see big-name triathletes competing at these events, not to mention ESPN televising them. The Coors series offered athletes experience, money, and exposure. Some of the more popular duathlons in the United States are Powerman Alabama and the Desert Sun Duathlon in Arizona. The Dannon Duathlon Series once provided duathletes an opportunity to race frequently against the most competitive duathletes in the country.
Many athletes consider Powerman Zofingen, in Switzerland, the world’s most demanding duathlon event. The race consists of a hilly 10K run, mostly on trails; a hilly 150-kilometer road bike of three 50-kilometer loops; and finally a very hilly 30-kilometer two-loop trail run. Mark Allen, six-time Ironman Hawaii champion, has been quoted as saying Powerman Zofingen is the hardest race he ever participated in.
Many athletes turn to duathlon because they are proficient runners and cyclists but are not comfortable in the water. Greg Watson was a duathlon world champion in 2004. He came to duathlon in 1988 with a running background as a member of a biathlon team—Greg ran and his teammate biked. After a few wins, Greg decided to branch out and try to tackle both the run and bike himself. He immediately found success and enjoyment and set his sights on the 1991 Duathlon World Championships in Palm Springs, where he did earn the title of overall age-group champion. The following year, Watson decided to race as a professional.
Fortunately, the equipment needs of duathlon are not as complicated as other multisport events. Athletes simply need a bike and running shoes. You can choose any type of bike to compete on. I recall my first, and last, duathlon experience when I chose to ride my 40-pound (18 kg) 10-speed Huffy I had received for my 12th birthday. I finished what was probably one of the most grueling events I have competed in to date, but my bike split was nothing worth raving about. It is helpful to know the course when considering what type of bike to race on; if it’s a hilly course, athletes may choose a road frame, while a time-trial bike frame is great for a flatter, less technical course. Off-road duathlons are another option, in which case a mountain bike is your desired type of bicycle.
Of all the multisport categories, duathlon training may be more structured than other formats for the simple reason that the event consists of only running and cycling. Depending on the goals and ability level of the athlete as well as the length of the event, training plans may vary.
For a beginner, training should remain fun and unintimidating. By training for both running and cycling, the athlete is not risking the same overuse injuries as a single-sport athlete. As an athlete’s competitiveness level increases, training sessions may become more frequent, with increased intensity within each session. Duathletes at the top of their game average 60 running miles (97 km) per week as well as 300 cycling miles (483 km). Many variables dictate training including available time, the athlete’s goals, and what his body is able to withstand in terms of training load. Figure 28.1 provides a suggested training week for the average duathlete trying to maintain fitness as well as keep weight off. Keep in mind this athlete works 40 hours a week and has a family but is competing at the USA Triathlon Duathlon National Championships (5K run, 35K bike, 5K run).
Off-road triathlon is often referred to as Xterra, the name of the race series that has helped launch and grow this style of racing. Xterra has been the title sponsor of the race series produced and developed by Team Unlimited, an events and marketing group based out of Honolulu, Hawaii. Xterra has more than 100 events in 16 countries and continues to add new events to the calendar each year. These events culminate at the Xterra World Championship in Maui, Hawaii, each October.
Before Xterra there were mountain bike triathlons with no set distances or specified rules. Athletes rode their mountain bikes on grueling technical courses, and when finished they rode down to the ocean and jumped in the water to wash the mud off. Eventually a run element was added, and voila, off-road triathlon was born. The off-road events tend to appeal to cyclists, unlike the road triathlon where runners generally have the advantage. During a road triathlon 50 to 55 percent of the total time is spent biking, while during an off-road event this tends to be at least 60 percent. As for the run during a road triathlon, 35 percent of the event tends to be running, whereas during an off-road event this is lower, closer to 25 percent.
The equipment needs in an off-road triathlon are fairly similar to a road triathlon in that the same three disciplines are being contested: swim, bike, and run. The swim equipment remains the same. Like any swimming event, you will need goggles and something to swim in. It is very common for off-road events to be held at higher altitudes, which means the water temperatures will be cooler. USAT rules state that wetsuits are permitted when water temperatures are 78 degrees Fahrenheit (26 degrees Celsius) and below. Therefore, you may want to invest in a USAT-approved wetsuit. It is not an enjoyable experience to swim in cold water without a wetsuit. Just as the classification indicates, the biking leg is contested off-road, and therefore a mountain bike is needed to negotiate the trails. Depending on the course, some trails may be more technical than others, and you will want to consider whether a full-suspension or a hard-tail mountain bike is the better option. A full-suspension bike adds more weight that may be less forgiving on major climbing sections, but it may be optimal on a hairy, technical downhill with a lot of rocks and roots.
Both types of mountain bikes are ridden at these events, so the option is yours. As far as shoes, this depends on your level of mountain biking expertise. More advanced mountain bikers may choose to ride clipless pedals with special mountain bike shoes, while some athletes are more comfortable with pedals that have cages. If the latter is desired, then athletes can ride with a running shoe, which eliminates the need to change shoes between the bike and the run. Athletes must wear helmets during the bike leg according to competition rules. Some athletes choose to wear cycling gloves, especially for a technical mountain bike course that may find people off their bikes as much as on. As for the run, athletes may choose to lace up their trail running shoes for a more technical running course, but normal running shoes will always suffice.
Athletes tend to move into off-road triathlon to escape the sometimes overly intense attitudes of road triathletes. Off-road triathletes are usually more laid back and easy-going, and therefore their training schedules may lack the structure that most people assume is needed to be competitive. At the end of the day, it’s about having fun and enjoying the company you keep on those longer training days. As mentioned already, cyclists tend to be drawn to off-road triathlon because the distances are more suited to their strengths. Most athletes will spend most of their time biking and running, sometimes both on and off the road, with little time spent training for the swim, not to say this is the best way to train for an off-road event. It depends on the athletes and what their objectives may be. Figure 28.2 provides a sample week of off-road training.
For those athletes who prefer chillier temperatures and some good competitive interaction during the typical off-season, there’s winter triathlon. The sport of winter triathlon consists of a 5 to 8K run on a hard-packed snowy surface, a 10 to 15K mountain bike on snow, and an 8 to 12K cross-country ski. Winter triathlon was likely introduced by the Europeans back in the late 1980s, as there are reports of winter triathlons being organized in France and Spain. It wasn’t until 1997 that the ITU hosted the first Winter Triathlon World Championships. The first few world championships were contested on asphalt with the exception of the ski, but the races eventually moved to snow after some trial and error. Unfortunately, Mother Nature can be fickle, and some events are contested on nonsnow surfaces, although this is not ideal.
In 2010, the first winter world championship title was won by an American athlete, Rebecca Dussault, a 2006 Winter Olympian in Nordic skiing. She was recruited by fellow athlete and friend Brian Smith to give winter triathlon a try and petition for a slot on the worlds team despite not having ridden a bike or run in many months. Her athletic resume earned her a spot on the 2008 team that competed in Freudenberg, Germany. Rebecca, not 14 months after giving birth, took up the challenge despite having never competed in a winter triathlon. According to a conversation with Rebecca, it was a year of no snow, which made for a brutal and awesome introduction at the same time. “I never before had done multisport racing other than adventure racing and was excited to put my ‘jack of all trades’ endurance skills to the test. I say it was brutal because the run was very painful on the hard, dry surfaces since I hadn’t been running at all that winter, and the bike favored the power riders since it was also contested on a huge dry loop. I am a climber, so this also posed a great challenge to me. I would have to wait until the following year to find out about my winter running and biking skills! I ended up sixth despite this being my first winter triathlon, which left me hungry for more. I knew with the right training and course conditions that I could one day be world champion.”
Depending on the conditions, you may want to consider the following equipment for the optimal winter triathlon experience. For the run you can wear any type of running shoe. More competitive athletes may want to consider some sort of trail shoe that provides better traction. Some athletes may even wear a cross country spike or a racing flat equipped with one-eighth-inch (3 mm) sheet metal screws. You need to consider if the snow is hard packed or loose and deep to determine what shoe will provide that competitive advantage. For the biking leg, athletes tend to ride a mountain bike, although some may choose a cyclo-cross bicycle. Always check with the event organizer to confirm any rules in regard to tire size and width restrictions, as this may vary event to event. Because of the softer surface that snow usually provides, consider running 10 to 20 psi in your mountain bike tires. Running the lower tire pressure allows athletes more forgiveness when attempting to maneuver the unpredictable surface snow often provides. You may wear cycling shoes or regular running shoes; the choice is yours. Helmets are a must because you can never foresee when a tire will choose to be uncooperative, leading to a trip over the handlebars.
For the last leg, the ski, you can use either skate or classic skis. Skate skiing tends to be a quicker, more efficient means of Nordic skiing. It is not as easy as it looks, however, so some athletes prefer to strap on the classic skis and take a little longer. Depending on an athlete’s competitive level, it usually comes down to comfort and what he hopes to accomplish. In most situations, athletes take on such athletic challenges with the simple goal of finishing—even if they finish last—and therefore comfort wins out. Most winter triathlons are contested at Nordic centers, so you do not need to own your own ski equipment but can rent before investing in equipment you are unsure you will enjoy and use.
Dussault reminds athletes to not be intimidated by the gear. “It really all makes sense and falls into place when you’re out there racing. Enjoy the fact that there are so many elements to master, and if you are good or better at most, then you’ll be great at this sport. There’s waxing, tire selection and pressure, running shoes, technical skills, strength, stamina, feeding and fueling, transitioning, balancing, problem solving, uphills, downhills, flats, and so on. With all these elements and more, there is a fit for everyone.”
Training for winter triathlon, like other multisports, is appealing because it can be so diverse, which leads to a more well-rounded and balanced athlete. Athletes do not find themselves with the same overuse injuries that are often experienced in other sports.
Start training now because you never know if and when winter triathlon will be added to the Winter Olympic program. The ITU has been pushing the IOC hard to add winter triathlon. If added, it will be the first sport to appear in both the summer and winter Olympics. The main concern from an IOC perspective is the lack of participation internationally. The IOC wants sports that are universal, with participation on at least four continents and in at least 25 countries. Unfortunately this sport is not there yet, but as participation grows and the sport becomes more mainstream, winter triathlon will find its way into the Olympic Games. Figure 28.3 provides a sample training week for an athlete participating in winter triathlon.
Adventure racing can also fall under the umbrella of multisport, although it does not fall under the purview of USA Triathlon but rather the United States Adventure Racing Association (USARA). When hearing the words adventure racing, most think of such events as Primal Quest and Eco-Challenge. They differ from the multisport events describes already because they tend to include team competition. Depending on the race, you may have teams of up to five, and therefore you are never stronger than your weakest racer.
Mike Kloser personifies the multisport athlete. Mike’s accolades include four-time adventure racing world champion, three-time Eco-Challenge champion, and five-time Primal Quest champion as well as multiple national adventure racing series titles. In an October 13, 2003, Sports Illustrated article, Mike was nicknamed “the Intimidator.” Barry Siff is another legend of multisport. When asked if he believes adventure racing falls within multisport, his response was, “It honestly personifies multisport. Its very definition is basically that of any nonmotorized sport or activity; thus, we climbed mountains, trekked through jungles, ran, mountain biked, rappelled up to 1,200 feet, in-line skated, Nordic skied, swam, scuba dived, rode horses, and probably more.” What is so attractive about this sport to athletes? Siff said in a telephone conversation he was drawn to the sport largely because of its multisport nature. “I would awake each morning, call my teammate Liz, and we’d discuss what sports or activities we’d do that day—no structure, no regimen, no schedule . . . we just got out there and had fun while typically doing two sports a day, for a total of 2 to 5 hours per day.”
Most adventure races will give racers a list of required and suggested gear depending on what sports are being contested within the event. Following is a sample gear list.
Hydration system |
Kayak |
Emergency blanket |
Kayak paddles |
Bike helmet |
Compass |
Bike |
Cell phone |
Climbing harness |
Maps and grids |
Rappel device |
Guidebook and passport |
Life vest |
|
Wetsuit or paddle jacket and pants |
Headlamp |
Tire pump |
Dry bag for maps and gear |
Knife or multitool |
Rain gear and layering clothes |
Lighter |
Survival mirror |
Spare tubes, patch kit, bike tools |
Whistle |
Gloves for bike and rappel |
First aid kit |
Long-sleeved polypropylene or fleece top |
|
As you can see from these lists, adventure racers need a fair amount of equipment in order to safely complete an event.
The beauty of adventure racing is the diversity of the training. Depending on what race you are preparing for, training can range from mountain bike riding to kayaking to rock climbing. The same principles of training apply here. Try to squeeze in two activities each day. Intensity, frequency, and duration should vary each day for each activity. You may want to add a weight training regimen when preparing for adventure races because overall strength will cross over to most activities, especially when you do not have the time to train for each activity multiple times each week. Weight training allows athletes to be more efficient and useful with limited training time.
Multisport is not limited to duathlon, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon, and adventure racing. Other formats are emerging all the time. They say variety is the spice of life, so spice up your training regimen, and jump into a new multisport event today.