Bryn Douds, left, and son Erik Douds at the New York City Triathlon
SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Thanksgiving will look a little different for Bryn Douds and his family.
The family will be in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, watching Douds cross a triathlon finish line for Team USA. The South Orange resident qualified for the World Triathlon race when he competed at the national race in Milwaukee, Wisc., in August, and he has been training for the international triathlon since September. But triathlons — a half-mile swim, 20K bike ride and 5K run — are still relatively new to Douds.
“My son talked me into doing one with him in Atlantic City, and I guess I got bitten by the bug,” Douds said in a phone interview with the News-Record on Nov. 2. “It’s never too late to start a new thing.”
A bassoon player, Douds was interested in increasing his lung capacity to improve his breath control while playing. Running a few times a week and swimming lengths at South Orange’s Peter S. Connor Memorial Swimming Pool helped, and he had a bicycle that he would roll out of his garage occasionally. But the combination is new, and he’s been learning how to get better at all three. His daughter bought him a triathlon bike, which is lighter and more aerodynamic than a regular road bicycle and has different handlebars.
“From our house it’s a little more than a mile to the pool, so I run there, swim and then jog home,” Douds said. “I’m faster on the bike now than I was when I was in college. I used to live in Manhattan and would try to go 20 miles an hour around Central Park, and I was never able to do it. Now I’m at about that speed.”
Completing a triathlon is about endurance. The times for each leg are added up, but the transitions are also accounted for: The clock doesn’t stop between getting out of the water and getting on the bike. Douds has had to figure out how to pace himself to maximize his race time and minimize the transitions.
“You have to figure out: What is the pace that’s a little faster than comfortable, but not so fast that you burn out,” he said. “In the big triathlons they start in staggered age groups, so I’m usually happy if not too many people from the next group are passing me.”
There are hacks, such as wearing shoes without laces so he doesn’t have to spend seconds — which could end up making a difference — tying them. Hydrating and trying to eat something is better done while on a bike than either swimming or running. Practicing going from the water to the bike, and then from the bike to running, is just as important as trying to shave time off the race itself.
Weather is also a factor. Training in New Jersey in the fall is very different from competing in Abu Dhabi, where the average November temperatures are in the high 80s to low 90s. It will be most noticeable while running, according to Douds.
“It’s going to be at least in the 80s for sure,” he said. “So I’ll have to cover the distance and pace myself. I usually allow myself to stop at some hydration stations. It depends on the weather.”
If he had to rank the legs of the triathlon, Douds would say biking is his favorite and swimming is his least favorite. He’s not as fast in the water but can make up for that time either on pedals or on foot.
At 66, he competes in the 65 to 70 age group. His wife, Joanne Douds, joked that, after retiring, he got a new job as an endurance athlete.
“Really what inspired it was our son,” she said in a phone interview with the News-Record on Nov. 1. “He roped his father into it, and it hasn’t stopped. Bryn has a lot of humility; he doesn’t really tout it. But he’s not the same person when he’s out there. He’s really competitive.”
An added bonus of qualifying for the international championships is the travel. Bryn Douds has never been to the Middle East, so he’s looking forward to the trip. He also already qualified for next year’s race, which will be held in Pontevedra, Spain.
“There’s a thriving triathlon community, especially in South Orange and Maplewood,” Bryn Douds said. “There are other people from the area on the podiums, so I’m excited to be participating this year.”
Photos Courtesy of Joanne Douds
About the Author
