Duathlon Training and Racing for Ordinary Mortals (R)

Book excerpt: USA-Triathlon, the national governing body for multi-sport racing, is committed to fostering the duathlon as the organization’s “growth sport.” With the full backing of USA-Triathlon—including sections on duathlon history and the forthcoming USA-T program for promoting duathlon—author Steven Jonas has penned the first modern guide for the aspiring multi-sport racer who cannot or simply doesn't want to swim. Well known for his original ground-breaking book Triathloning for Ordinary Mortals, which has sold nearly 50,000 copies in two editions, and his USA-Triathlon Life column “Ordinary Mortals ®: Talking Triathlon with Steve Jonas,” the author covers: how the run-bike-run duathlon works; how to have fun, get and stay fit, and promote your health doing duathlons; the training principles and programs for races of varying lengths, from starting from scratch to Doin' the Du on a regular basis throughout the season, centered on a series of 13-week training programs; finding and choosing your races; the basic techniques of running, cycling and fast walking (which can be used on the run legs in both duathlon and triathlon); equipment; race planning and racing; and duathlon as part of a total program for healthy living. This book provides a wealth of knowledge and inspiration from a 29-season multi-sport racer, a prolific author on the subject, who is also a physician and professor of preventive medicine.