Have you considered that you are simply a better runner than most? Maybe what you consider a "poor run" was actually good one for that person?

No matter what I do, I will never be as fast as you coming off the bike. So if I want to have any chance of beating you, I need to do it on the swim and bike. I'm definitely not overcooking myself on the bike, in some cases my run is faster than what I do in a stand-alone race (my fastest 5k in recent years was in a tri), and I often equal or even negative split the runs on duathlons.

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"I'm thinking of a number between 1 and 10, and I don't know why!"

Try putting the shoe on the other foot for once in your life. Ask yourself why you suck on the bike and then, in your mind, switch bike and run to see if that might be a possible reason others are so slow in the run. Why do you arrogantly assume people don't pay attention to the run and don't want to improve? Why do you arrogantly assume that others have the genetic gifts that you have for long distance running? You are genetically gifted for log distance aerobic racing and train full time with no job commitments, maybe that is the answer to your question of why everyone is so slow compared to you.

You should care about bike splits. It is a race of three parts. You will always lose against any real competition because you can't bike.

That is where I wonder. When folks ask me why I can run so fast, I ask them about their run training. Basically 100% of them never run hills. Most do not even run that much.
Most never do bricks. So I just see so much opportunity for many to improve in the run.

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

It should be a focus on all since this is a multi sport. Great swimming, biking and running are relative as well. I find successful triathletes to be a bit jaded sometimes, myself included.

That said who cares what other people do or don't do in regards to how they train and/or their finish times?

I really do not care, was just a question as posted since so many talk about biking, but on the run, ...

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

Because biking has the most equipment and the must fun to talk about!

haha - kidding aside, seems like most people here will have a "focus" that they like to excel at...and like many have said, its about how you finish in the end. I never pass people, as I'm a good swimmer, a pretty-bad biker, and a very-bad runner!

point form.

Biking a bit faster/ closer to the front is easier then running for about 85% of triathletes esp long distance age groupers.

we all go about the same speed down hill so it's easy to keep up and has a sense of speed like skiing.

due to wind resistnace biking slow ( 25-30 km is very easy 2.0 watts/ kg compared to biking faster 3.0 watts / kg and only getting 3-5 km faster per hr or even 4.0 watts/ kg and you double your work load for only 8-10 km per hr faster).

you don't require as much strength, skill, and balance to bike.

you can change gears to flatten the road.

you can buy cool things that keep you interested in cycling.

If you stop pedaling you still keep moving.

If you are over wt you can still bike well esp on flats and feel good about your fitness. running not so much.

people still have energy and power left for the bike leg so they feel good doing it. Running in LDT athletes are spent physical, low glucose levels in the muscles, dehydrated and sometimes already mentally given in that they are struggling.

lastly few athletes can run aerobically in training to pace their efforts and stay healthy enough to run at races without injury.

.

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Technique will always last longer then energy production. Improve biomechanics, improve performance.
http://Www.anthonytoth.ca, triathletetoth@twitter

yep, yep and yep.

I know when I was going down the hill at Donner, this big guy comes flying by me on the bike. For some reason though I caught back up to him once the road got flat for a while. :)

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

Well, I'm here to disrupt your 100%. I live in the foothills of the San Gabriels, at the mouth of a canyon. No matter which direction I go out my front door, I'm going uphill or downhill (I live on the course of the Tour of California Mt Baldy stage). I try to get in at least a quick half mile every time I get off the bike, as well as 1-2 full brick workouts every week.

My problem is that A) I was not gifted with your build. Even at my peak fitness 11 years ago, at 4-5% body fat, I was heavier than you are. I'm basically built like a Mack Truck. I will always have to work harder than you to run the same pace, even if I manage to get down to my old race weight. And B) I now have enough physical handicaps that I will never run low 6s again, mid 8s is exceptional for me, and all too often its high 9s/low 10s. So if you pass me somewhere on the run, its not because I focused only on the bike and not on the run. And if you don't pass me, its because I also focused on the 2 disciplines where my weight and disabilities don't put me at a disadvantage to you...

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"I'm thinking of a number between 1 and 10, and I don't know why!"

I am not talking about single person events, like yours. I did say basically, which means not all.

But to a tee, the folks I talk with around me, and we have lots of hills, ignore hills in running. Just what I have seen.

My question, which was just for shooting the bull, was the larger, overall, tone and quantity of posts on ST. I have issues with a knee also, which means no matter what I would like to do on the bike, it just is not going to happen, no matter how hard I try, which some just do not understand. But, I am blessed, at the moment, with running.

Again, was just a general observation, nothing to say it is life or death. :)

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

Bike has a large impact on the run especially in LC

Totally agree.

But in short course, not so much.

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

But slowtwitch does not care about short course. Except you and me.

So you arguing against people playing a different sport.

And as a short course racer. I win when I take the lead on the bike. Never happens on the run.

My experience is pretty much the opposite of yours. The majority of people I train with come from running backgrounds. And running often remains their primary focus, for several of them triathlon is just a way to break things up a little. The problem most have with their race run splits is not their running, its their cycling. They aren't strong enough on the bike, and even a MOP bike split takes too much out of them to really let it rip on the run. What they need to do is NOT focus more on running, but on cycling. They can increase their run mileage, do more hills, but if they don't have enough left in the tank when they reach T2 it won't matter. You seem to be assuming that everyone you pass just isn't as fast of a runner as you are. Maybe A) you're right, but genetics and other factors might limit them, not just lack of training, or B) they actually are as fast or faster than you, but the swim and/or bike took too much out of them. If B is the case, no amount of run training is going to fix that problem...

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"I'm thinking of a number between 1 and 10, and I don't know why!"

This is what is interesting with ST, and social media in general. Who is trying to argue? What happened to the art of discussion, debating, etc? Oh well.

As I said, I see lot of races where folks are ahead of me in the swim, bike, and T2. I catch most on the run, just like I did Sunday when he had a 9 minute lead off the bike, and very seldom has anyone passed me on the run.

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

Get better on the bike and then no one will pass you on the run.

Yep, I now have the focus for next season. But being old, everyone should be passing me on the run. :)

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

Lol. Because I'm fat, and I hate running. And I don't want a 'runner's physique' anyway.
But I love blowing past skinny guys on expensive bikes on the flats / downhills.

Yep, you kill me on the downhills

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

My brother and i race short course and generally whoever is out of the water first will win out of us two. In the 25-29 age cat though for overall positions, you have to be good at all legs when the faster guys turn up. If you swim a 20min 1500m you probably wont win and i'd kill to swim 20min.

When people have made suggestions about other reasons for you overtaking people on the run Dave, you don't seem to have responded, which makes discussion quite hard. In all the races I do it is extremely rare that I ever get passed on either the bike or the run. There's two possible conclusions I could draw from that. Everyone else in the world should focus more on their bike and run since I am quicker than them, or I should focus more on my swim since I'm behind everyone. Guess what? I'm spending lots of time in the pool. Please discuss.

+1 good observations here.

I'm time poor (7 - 8 hours/week) so can only afford 1 ride a week which is a 40 - 50km shop ride, but to be honest I don't seem to be too disadvantaged compared to others who do 3 times the mileage and are only marginally quicker, some slower. I recently did a 2.29/70.3 (AG 40 - 44) nothing to write home about, but considering it's only 1 ride a week, I'm happy with it. So I personally think there is too much emphasis on the bike, as least as far as I'm concerned, I also think there is quite a strong correlation between run and bike fitness, if you're run fit, you'll be bike fit, to an extent. I think if did zero biking and just ran and swam, my bike times wouldn't suffer considerably.

Most people should run more, running s harder on your body, suppose people avoid it. bikes have a tech thing as well. I like running it is fun.

Lots of people cook the bike and don't do enough running, it is harder to hurt as much for most people on a bike as lots of running.

It is cooler in some peoples minds to hammer to T2 and make an excuse about nutrition GI etc than run

True - but one you can throw $$$$ at and get immediate results...