Dualthon quickly approaching...

Where has the time gone?  I cannot believe a week from today I will be lining up with fellow athletes to take part in the sprint duathlon held by Somersault Events.  I have been really slacking in my bike training for this event since all my focus has been on the half-marathon I have slated for the 18th.  With that in mind, this past week I have put my nose to the grindstone and really tried to incorporate both disciplines into my workout routines.  Unfortunately the weather has not been cooperating as I would hope (many windy days this week) so I have neglected my biking and taken to the road with my shoes.  I do not feel save riding in 20 km/h winds, especially since I live on such a busy road, a chance I will happily avoid.

My goals for the Duathlon?  Well finishing would be nice, but I have definitely given myself some pretty decent time goals.  The race consists of a 2km run, followed by a 30 km bike on Colonel By (1 loop done twice), topped off with a 5km run.  I would like to finish the 2km run in under 7 minutes as this would give me a very decent start into the bike.  I have biked along Colonel By before and I am familiar with the roadway so I am hoping to finish the bike portion in under 55 minutes.  I am going to really push myself to finish in under 50 minutes because this would give me a great advantage in the final 5 km.  I have a Cat-Eye Wireless odometer on my bike which I will watch like a hawk for the bike portion.  I really do not want to fall under 35 km/h during the bike portion so I can stay on track with my goal.  As for the final 5km, I want to finish it under 20 minutes which I have done twice before.  I know I can do it, whether or not I can do it after a 30 km bike will be the true test.

I have put in the time training and I am really anticipating this to be a decent race.  Overall, I want to finish in under 1hr 30 min - including my transition times.  I have practiced my transitions and are quite familiar with the technique so I feel I can easily switch disciplines efficiently.  September 3rd - here I come!

BTW - My good friend, Adam Kourakis, is taking part in the Canadian Iron 226 Triathlon that day as well.  It is hosted by the same organizers and they enter the water no later than 7am.  I will hopefully see him on the bike course as I do my 2 loops and he does his 12... Click the image below to see the full event details!