I've been thinking about the world of duathlons for awhile now, and with the purchase of my fabulous new bike I've been itching to make completing that first du a reality. There's just one problem. Apparently du's aren't really all that popular here in Alberta. I've managed to find 4 in the nearby vicinity of Calgary - an off road one in Canmore, two the day after my half marathon in June, and one in Sylvan Lake this weekend.
Sylvan Lake is about 2 hours away. The event is the 1st Annual KGH Sprint Triathlon that has a du event as well. It is a 3k run, 26k bike, 3k run which sounds pretty doable for a first race (sorry, no pun intended). I first found out about the race on Wednesday. I was actually going to try and convince a couple of folks to enter the tri as a relay team, but the more and more I thought about it, the more I wanted to enter the du on my own. I thought about it as I drove towards Rocky Mountain House and beyond on Thursday. When I got home I knew I really wanted to enter. After I hit the "submit" button I started to get nervous. So my blogging buddies, I'm asking for your help if you have experience in the multisport event circuit:
Sylvan Lake is about 2 hours away. The event is the 1st Annual KGH Sprint Triathlon that has a du event as well. It is a 3k run, 26k bike, 3k run which sounds pretty doable for a first race (sorry, no pun intended). I first found out about the race on Wednesday. I was actually going to try and convince a couple of folks to enter the tri as a relay team, but the more and more I thought about it, the more I wanted to enter the du on my own. I thought about it as I drove towards Rocky Mountain House and beyond on Thursday. When I got home I knew I really wanted to enter. After I hit the "submit" button I started to get nervous. So my blogging buddies, I'm asking for your help if you have experience in the multisport event circuit:- Bike check and packet pick up start at 7:30, but my race doesn't start until 8:45. How long do I need to allow for the bike check? Should I be there right at 7:30?
- Transitions, what do I need to know? Obviously the helmet goes on first at T1, comes off last at T2. What other things should I look out for?
- How does the whole mount/dismount line work?
- I haven't put together my flat kit for my bike yet... I'm guessing I should do this before the race..?
- Umm, anything else you can think of for advice?
There are 99 people and 2 relay teams signed up for the event - except I can't tell how many are in the tri or the du. The smallness of the event has me nervous. What if I come in last? Oh well, just as long as I have fun, right? Thanks in advance good readers!
7 comments:
I have no experience in du's but Sylvan Lake is a nice area, haha. From doing long bike rides I would definitely recommend putting together your flat kit since you might get a bit spread out. Good luck!
Yessssss! I think you'll like the multisport thing. Changing sports mid-race really spices it up and it's fun to see how it all shakes out with people's different strengths.
I'll give you some advice (since you asked for it) and feel free to take it or leave it:
1. You are here to have fun. Never, at any point in the race, let ANYTHING get in your way of having fun.
2. I don't think you have to show up right at 7:30, but plan on showing up a bit earlier than you would for a running event, because they'll close the transition area 15-20 minutes before the start and you want to make sure you have time to set up before then.
3. They'll tell you when to get off your bike. It's not hard, there'll be someone standing there and a line on the ground. Stop. Get off the bike. Dismount like you normally would. Crashing in front of dozens of people when you're trying to look cool is not fun. You're here to have fun.
4. You should carry a flat kit every time you ride. You're just as likely to flat in a race as any other time. It only takes one bad experience to learn that lesson.
5. Have a blast.
Good luck!
I'm only just starting to train for my first tri so I don't have any advice to offer yet.
But if you have a chance to practice running after biking before the race, do it! I can't believe how heavy my legs feel after a ride!
Of course, I'm very new to biking. I'm sure you'll be fine!
advice...
1. everyone WILL shoot off like a bat outta hell on the first run. try to keep in mind you will be biking and then running AGAIN later on... don't kill your legs in the first run!
2. ALWAYS bike with a flat kit.
3. show up early. you'll probably need to get body marked, and there's usually a good line for that. plus getting your chip, and setting up transition area. earlier is always better.
ALWAYS!
4. transition is easy, you're just changing shoes and putting/taking off your helmet... leave your shoes next to you bike, open, read to put your feet in, so when you get there you can quickly switch.
5. if you haven't already, get some YANKZ. if you don't know what those are, google it. any running store should have them. TRUST ME you will LOVE THEM. costs like $5.
6. when your getting on your bike, go over the "mounting line" and move to the side so that faster people can go past you. then get that butt on your bike and GO! the mount/dismount line is always hectic. just be aware of the people around you... there's no real trick here. just do it.
7. duathlons are SO fun, but remember its all leg, so when you get off the bike (if you've not done many bricks) your legs will probably not like you much for a minute or two. keep moving, and remember the point is to have FUN!!!
8. celebrate the hell outta your victory, no matter WHAT place you finish!
Congrats on entering your first du...particularly so last minute!!
Looking forward to the RR coming up for the du! I hope you had a blast.
Good luck with your du! I feel your anxiety over this, too! Thanks, also for all the suggestions here b/c I'll need them for my first du in a couple of weeks.
Post a Comment