weekend. 1.5 Run/16 Bike/4 Run and I’m not sure how to race it strategically. Should I just go balls out the entire time? I’m slightly weak on the bike, my goal is 19-20 mph, but average 6:45-7:00 minute miles on the run. Any advice or past experience is greatly appreicated…
*even if you’ve only done sprint tri’s any advice would help me…
well, that first run is going to be a good warmup. if you’re a 6:45-7min runner, i would aim to hit closer to 7-7:15 pace for the first run. i have done a couple du’s, the most naotable being powerman alabama. regardless of the distance, you’d be amazed how many people go out and screw the pooch in the first run. i’ve never come across a first run that short, so if you get a good warmup in you may want to push it a bit. this first run, especially in your case, will not win or lose you the race. depending on how you usually run off the bike, i would do the first run under control (aim for 10:30-11:30), then build on the bike in the first mile, then go balls out from there. if you don’t run too well off the bike, don’t go balls out but be aggressive–it just ain’t that long of a race!! good luck!
With the first run that short there are likely to be some people going out very fast. If it was me, I’d let them go. I would run as fast as I could while still staying (sort of) relaxed. Even though these are called sprint, you are going to be racing for well over an hour. The majority of your time will be on the bike, even if that is not your strongest event it is still the place where you need to put most of your effort. Try to keep a high cadence, stay aero, resist the urge to sit up. Ease up in the last quarter to half mile and spin. The last run is fairly self explanatory. Run with whatever is left in the tank. Have fun.
how do your legs feel on the bike after the first run and then is the second run even harder than if you did a tri?
I’d second that approach. Go hard on the first run, but not all out or the second run may bite you. Assuming this is a road tri then you would not have to worry too much about position for the bike. I’ve done a few mtb dus where if you go too easy on the first run you can get stuck behind slower bikers on the single track.
If you are reasonably fit, a duathlon of that length is going to be all-out for the whole distance. By all-out I mean you should be bouncing off your aerobic threshold for the entire ride and second run. The first run is so short that if you run close to 6:45-7:00 min per mile pace then you should be fine.
I wear a heart rate monitor to help my focus on the bike. For me my threshold is about 175 bpm (90 percent max heart rate) and I try to balance that fine line to make sure I’m going hard enough.
However, if you don’t think your cycling fitness is on par with your run fitness then you may need to back off a little on the ride. The great thing about this distance is that you can’t go very wrong. The whole thing will only take an hour or so, so there is not much sense in saving anything for later.
I love sprint duathlons, but maybe that’s because I have finished 2nd overall in the four I have done over the past year. Can’t seem to win one. Someone always toasts me on the bike. 
Have fun.
Chad
Thanks, reading all your responses is getting me pumped for Sunday.
I’ve picked up my bike training in the last month so hopefully I’ll feel the benefits.