The Duathlon Race format:

The Duathlon Race format:

This was the first time that this format had been used here at US
Masters Nationals. This is also the first year that it's been done on
the World Cup circuit. I also liked this format a lot.

I heard JD Downing say that the 'old form' of pursuit racing had
been done at masters, and when combined with wave starts, it was
organizationally very challenging and confusing. This format, on the
other hand, did not require very much additional work in the
organizers part. They did have to mark off an area for us to put our
skate gear into, and they did provide separate timing for the classic
and freestyle parts. I don't know if the time in the transition zone
was included in the classic or the skate legs - skate I'm guessing,
but it doesn't matter much. It would be interesting to see a separate
timing for the transition zone. Note to organizers - there is a
drawing of the transition area on the web site.

For the competitors, it meant bringing 2 sets of gear to the start,
and deciding what boots to wear for each part. Actually that's not
quite true - several competitors, including one age group winner, did
the whole race on classic gear. They were required to take off there
skis and run thru the transition zone like everyone else.
I didn't look real carefully, but I think that nearly everyone did
the whole race in skate boots. I'd tried that at home and it worked
fine there, and did so here also. After the men's event finished, I
watched the fastest women in the transition zone, and they all had
skate boots with the top buckle open during the classic portion. They
did crank down that buckle before they put on their skating poles. I
had my skate boots cranked down into full skating mode during the
classic part, and I thought that was fine too. YMMV.

I quite enjoyed this format, and hope to do it again soon.

Erik Brooks, from Marquette

"Erik Brooks" wrote in message
om...
The Duathlon Race format:

Erik - thanks for your stories about the Masters. I have enjoyed reading
them.

I didn't look real carefully, but I think that nearly everyone did
the whole race in skate boots. I'd tried that at home and it worked
fine there, and did so here also. After the men's event finished, I
watched the fastest women in the transition zone, and they all had
skate boots with the top buckle open during the classic portion. They
did crank down that buckle before they put on their skating poles. I
had my skate boots cranked down into full skating mode during the
classic part, and I thought that was fine too. YMMV.

I've read that the world cuppers are using racing grade combi boots - not
skate boots - for both legs. I've read the manufacturers are coming out
with combi boots of their highest line boot, but aren't marketing them to
the rest of us so we don't get into the bad habit of replacing two pair of
expensive boots with one! The video clips I've seen seem to support this.
Do you think anyone was using these - either a new top line combi or some
other combi boot- at the Masters?

At first blush, they look like insert your favorite brand here racing
skate boots. E.g. a lot of racers were in what looked like Salomon Carbon
or other racing skate boots. But, from what I've read and seen, it sounds
like they are really a racing grade combi boot, with the typical combi
classic-like flexible sole rather than a rigid skate sole and an upper cuff
similar to other combi boots. Since I have pilots I couldn't imagine
striding in them, I would have to come up with some sort of switching
strategy if I were to enter a duathlon - in fact I couldn't really imagine
striding in any real skating boot, but I haven't tried it. I'm thinking on
picking up a pair of regular old combi boots for light touring and the
possibility of participating in a duathlon in the future makes it even more
tempting.

It also sounds like the Toko/Yoko 232 type pole (with removable straps
and/or glove) might save a few seconds at transition? I saw the skiers on
the WC video clips messing with pole straps and for those guys a second or
two is meaningful (not for me!).

Grissy Griswold

"Griss" wrote:
At first blush, they look like insert your favorite brand here racing
skate boots. E.g. a lot of racers were in what looked like Salomon Carbon
or other racing skate boots. But, from what I've read and seen, it
sounds
like they are really a racing grade combi boot, with the typical combi
classic-like flexible sole rather than a rigid skate sole and an upper
cuff
similar to other combi boots. Since I have pilots I couldn't imagine
striding in them, I would have to come up with some sort of switching
strategy if I were to enter a duathlon - in fact I couldn't really imagine
striding in any real skating boot, but I haven't tried it. I'm thinking
on
picking up a pair of regular old combi boots for light touring and the
possibility of participating in a duathlon in the future makes it even
more
tempting.

I don't think that the sole of the Racing Skate 9 is so stiff that it makes
striding difficult. If you try to stride in your Pilot bindings, the hook
is the main problem, not the sole. I would think that the cuff is the main
bother. In the store fondling merchandise, I notice that the Racing Classic
9's sole is really quite stiff - way more than my classic boots (Adidas
Nagano and Carbon Pro), so the sole stiffness might not matter all that
much. I also noticed in the store that the Carbon Pro skate boot has a much
more flexible sole than the R.S.9. In fact, it might be close in
flexibility to a stiff classic boot like the R.C. 9 (I didn't do a direct
comparison). It kind of makes sense that you don't need huge up/down
rigidity in a skate boot anyway, since when the boot's down, the binding
ridges hold everything solid laterally. The Carbon Pro Skate's cuff is also
lower than the R.S. 9, so that would help in a skiathon. I wonder why few
people use classic boots for the skiathon. My carbon pro classics feel
really good skate turning downhill today and skating a bit on my classic
skis. I haven't tried really skating in them because my skate skis with
Profil bindings broke before I got those boots, but I might swap out the
Pilot bindings on my skate skis because I think they suck. Something to do
before my first skiathon next month.

It also sounds like the Toko/Yoko 232 type pole (with removable straps
and/or glove) might save a few seconds at transition? I saw the skiers on
the WC video clips messing with pole straps and for those guys a second or
two is meaningful (not for me!).

My poles are all loop straps now, which will be quick to change. I'm glad
to be rid of the expensive and fragile Evolution/SR2000 straps that also
ride up and are uncomfortable. I should have gotten loop straps when I
started out, but I didn't know how awesome they were and the Evolution type
junk came with my poles. The loop straps with the wider backs like the Swix
SR-BIA (biathlon?) and Excel Aero? are nice. I can fully relax my hands at
the end of the stroke just as well as with the more complicated straps.

Andrew Lee