Last Sunday I completed in my first Duathlon which was the last race as part of the Hills Tri Club's yearly Duathlon Series and was held at my regular training location, Parramatta Park. This was also the first time I had taken part in a race that involved Cycling. The race was 3.2km Run - 19.2km Cycle - 3.2km Run and was conducted with standard Triathlon Australia rules (No drafting, blocking on cycle leg etc). In the end I managed to finish it in around 1h40m.
I only really got a single training session in before race day around a week before the race and had no idea what to expect. My concern was that I would break some rule when it came to the transitions between cycling and running as well as the road rules for cycling, but the event was so well organized that even as a first timer I was able to clearly see all the markings on the course and be able to follow the rules without much confusion.
I really found the cycle leg interesting, I had never raced with other riders on the road and found it really exhilarating. A few professional Triathlon Australia Team athletes also took part in this race and I felt privileged to be able to take part in the same event as these guys. One of the biggest flaws I made was that I didn't take any liquids with me and therefore didn't drink anything during the first run and cycle leg, as a result I started to cramp by pretty bad during the final run leg. As a rule, I don't consume any Isotonic drinks for any workout less than a hour but on this day I should have as I ended up sweating for more than an hour and it did affect me.
Overall, this easily one of the most exciting races I have taken part in so far and sadly I have to wait for a whole year for the Duathlon season to begin again.
I only really got a single training session in before race day around a week before the race and had no idea what to expect. My concern was that I would break some rule when it came to the transitions between cycling and running as well as the road rules for cycling, but the event was so well organized that even as a first timer I was able to clearly see all the markings on the course and be able to follow the rules without much confusion.
I really found the cycle leg interesting, I had never raced with other riders on the road and found it really exhilarating. A few professional Triathlon Australia Team athletes also took part in this race and I felt privileged to be able to take part in the same event as these guys. One of the biggest flaws I made was that I didn't take any liquids with me and therefore didn't drink anything during the first run and cycle leg, as a result I started to cramp by pretty bad during the final run leg. As a rule, I don't consume any Isotonic drinks for any workout less than a hour but on this day I should have as I ended up sweating for more than an hour and it did affect me.
Overall, this easily one of the most exciting races I have taken part in so far and sadly I have to wait for a whole year for the Duathlon season to begin again.
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