<?xml version="1.0"?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>Women - Duathlon247</title><link>http://www.duathlon247.com/index.html</link><description>Latest women articles from Duathlon247</description><item><title><![CDATA[Sheactive Every Woman's Duathlon: Cotswolds report]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.duathlon247.com/article_5738.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[As you know, the weather was more Costa Brava  than Cotswolds this past weekend, but it did not hamper our resilient ladies doing the first Sheactive Every Woman&#039;s Duathlon at the beautiful Cotswolds Country Park and Beach.

The lake side setting was perfect to enjoy the scorching hot weather. The fantastic course made for a real memorable day. The atmosphere was really friendly with women from all fitness ranges and ages taking part. &amp;nbsp;The event saw two waves go off at a 3 minute interval. First the shorter novice distance and then the longer challenge distance.
Although to us everybody is a winner who takes part, we must mention Jeanine Calder who won the novice race in 47min 26sec and Chew Tan coming in first in the challenge distance in 1hr30.
We must also thank our sponsors Sheactive, Woman&amp;rsquo;s Fitness, Lanson Running and Shock Absorber for making the day possible.

If you want to enjoy another wonderful event with us, we have more duathlons coming up soon. The New Forest event on the 12th of June is next up with Bristol on the 26th of June shortly after on closed roads. We end in Bushy Park in September on the 4th and 5th. 
Visit our website and get yourself entered! www.everywomansduathlon.co.uk

]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Pedal it Pink in 2010]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.duathlon247.com/article_5681.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Breast Cancer Campaign&rsquo;s women-only cycle ride, Pedal it Pink, sponsored by Santander, is set to take the nation by storm in 2010 with three events already announced and more to follow.

The first Pedal it Pink of 2010 will take place in Lee Valley Park, Essex/Herts, on Sunday 28 March.  So if you have a &lsquo;get fit goal&rsquo; for the New Year this is a perfect event to enter to help motivate you to keep training.

Following the success of the very first Pedal it Pink, which took place in Liverpool in spring 2009, the event will return to Sefton Park on Sunday 18 April 2010, with hopes of being an annual challenge in the city. 

Olympic cycling champion, Victoria Pendleton is an ambassador of Pedal it Pink and took part in the first Liverpool event with her mum. She said: &ldquo;I really enjoyed the event, it was refreshing not to ride on a road for a change. It was so good to see so many women out there supporting such a great cause and everyone was really supportive of one another, clapping and cheering each other on.  What a great way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon!&rdquo;

Pedal it Pink has a variety of cycle routes to choose from so there is something to suit all abilities. Beginners can opt for the 5k Family Lap (which is also open to the men and children in your life) and those wishing to push themselves that little bit further can select either a half (13.1miles) or full (26.2miles) marathon distance. At each event, all routes will be completely enclosed within a park, so it&rsquo;s safe, traffic-free and suitable for all existing and aspiring cyclists.

Each year 45,500 women and 300 men are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK. Although it is the most common cancer, thanks to research funded by charities such as Breast Cancer Campaign, around 80 per cent of women diagnosed today will be alive in five years&rsquo; time.  

Samantha Gold, Senior Events Manager at Breast Cancer Campaign said: &ldquo;We are delighted to announce the new 2010 dates and venues for Pedal it Pink.  Our first year was such a huge success with over 1,200 ladies pedalling away in pink to help the charity to fund vital research into breast cancer. 

&ldquo;We have raised over &pound;100,000 so far through Pedal it Pink and would like to encourage you to help us continue to add to this amount by joining us for the 2010 events.  Not only is cycling a great way to stay fit but the challenge of the event is sure to make it a fun day out for friends and family with all proceeds going to a very worthwhile cause.&rdquo;

Further Pedal it Pink events are planned for 2010 including one up North and another further South, as well as a repeat of the Nottingham event, which will take place at Holme Pierrepont on 17 October 2010. Details of these events will be available on the website as soon as they are confirmed.

If you would like to register for one of the Pedal it Pink rides and help put the brakes on breast cancer, please visit www.breastcancercampaign.org, email pedalitpink@breastcancercampaign.org or call 020 7749 3700. 

Cycling is a great form of cardiovascular exercise, which helps to burn fat and if done regularly contributes to a healthy lifestyle.  Cycling is also great for toning leg muscles and can burn up to 500 calories an hour. ]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[An experienced eye takes a look at the London Duathlon]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.duathlon247.com/article_5624.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Eddie Brocklesby knows a good duathlon when she sees one! She&#039;s raced all over the world, at World and European Championships and has won gold on more than one occasion. At 66 one might think that this invincible redhead could be thinking about putting her feet up, but no, definitely not Eddie. 
Last weekend after organising her race Three2go on the Saturday, she headed to Richmond Park on the Sunday for the Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity London Duathlon, &#039;for a little warm-up before next weekend&#039;s World Duathlon Championships in Concord, North Carolina&#039;, as Eddie put it.

Its not always the case that athletes come away from a race singing its praises, but Eddie certainly was about the London Duathlon. So we thought she should put pen to paper and tell us why she thinks the World&#039;s biggest Duathlon really is worth a go.



I&#039;ve raced on a fair few different courses and in my experience the London Duathlon course was simply  brilliant - by far the best duathlon course I have raced!  Richmond Park is a fabulous Royal Park anyway, with some stunning views, but it was such a privilege to bike round, on a road closed to traffic, enjoying those long downhill stretches, and taking roundabouts on the wrong side with not a cop in sight limiting us to the usual 20mph.

It must have been a very fast course for the top guys, with few obstacles, although I passed one guy, calling `on your right` as I went by and he screamed `Left` and there ahead of us, was a huge deer, waiting patiently for us to pass before he crossed the road! But these are just some of the joys of Richmond Park, which is just a stone&#039;s throw away from central London.
 
It&#039;s a challenging course, with some hills, which is great because you really feel like you&#039;ve worked hard and had a good solid race at the end of it. The run course, described as undulating, was not the easiest, but again it takes you through some fabulous scenery, which I guess takes you mind of some of the pain. I never find the second run in a duathlon easy and the undulations around the run course certainly don&#039;t help, but I&#039;m not complaining, as I said this is a fabulous place to race.

Although it would have been good to have seen more elites racing, and greater focus on the Elite event, the whole-day event offered something for all, especially beginners. I quite liked the staggered race starts, as it never became over-congested. Some may miss the `race` element, but I don&#039;t. As someone who&#039;s used to coming in well towards the back of most races, it was great to have the opportunity to overtake a few people, albeit on commuter bikes with baskets - who were so clearly also loving the experience! Many good runners and cyclists are put off multi-sport by the thought of the swim in a triathlon, so I think this is a great race to help whet the appetite of anyone thinking of doing a multi-sport event. 
 
The plentiful supply of enthusiastic marshals was impressive, and it was good to see the event was also attracting older people to compete or to volunteer. Duathlons are a great goal for those seeking to develop a more active lifestyle! Apart from a few minor suggestions to enhance safety, I hope that consideration can also be given in the future to four loops on the bike, thereby more akin to the Olympic duathlon distances, and perhaps attracting our elite athletes! All-in-all though a great race which I would highly recommend to anyone interested in doing a duathlon.

For more information on the London Duathlon go to www.londonduathlon.co.uk. ]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Royal Bushy Park Success]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.duathlon247.com/article_5617.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[A record number of entries for the Bushy Park, Shock Absorber Every Woman&#039;s Duathlon descended in the Royal Bushy Park in Hampton on Sunday the 6th of September. It was great to see both, so many of last year&rsquo;s entrants along with those who have never competed before.

After the morning race and safety briefing, the event was started by former World #1 duathlete Annie Emmerson. Two waves, five minutes apart, set the competitors away with more space to manoeuvre around the course.

The run route was a fast 2.5km on varied surfaces. The runners left the start area and made their way down the fast gravel paths against the perimeter wall. The run then moved into a grassy section meandering past the resident deer and stags. After this, it was back towards transition on a tarmac path on a slight incline, but with a welcome water station at the end.

The weather started off cloudy and cool, but things quickly warmed up with the action on the course as the women took to the bike section of the course. The 10km bike route, all set within the park boundaries starts fast. The ride heads down towards Chestnut Avenue, around the usually spectacular Diana Fountain which is under repair at the moment, so no posing for photos this year round. The bikes completed two laps before climbing back up to transition, ready for the next run leg which followed the same route as the out run.

The winner Clare Nichols came in at 41.49. Congratulations and well done for a very fast time. Clare along with all the finishers were greeted at the finish line by an &lsquo;Against Breast Cancer&rsquo; representative who handed out well earned finishers medals. All competitors also received an ethical bag for life filled with Lipton infusion tea, eat natural bar, energy sweets, water and a Shock Absorber T-shirt.

A successful event is never possible without all the support from St John&rsquo;s Ambulance and our fantastic marshals and sponsors. We would like to extend a big thank you for all your help, as do I&#039;m sure all the competitors.

Every Woman&#039;s Duathlon 2009 events have been well supported by sponsors who share our vision for the coming years. Shock Absorber Sports Bras, our title sponsor, have made a valuable contribution which has enabled us to provide you with a fantastic experience. We hope to continue with their support in the coming years while we put on more events in more locations around the country. Keep up to date by signing up to Every Women&#039;s Duathlon newsletter.

For more information go to: www.everywomansduathlon.co.uk]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Interview: Emma Dews]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.duathlon247.com/article_5611.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Some people have it all don&#039;t they - looks, brains and talent! Good job that Emma doesn&#039;t have it all, well I tell a lie, she certainly does have looks, brains and talent, but there is something strangely missing; the self-confidence that you&#039;d normally expect to go with those three attributes.

 When I contacted Emma about doing an interview her reply was, &quot;well if you&#039;re sure you want to, but I feel such a fraud.&quot; It&#039;s hard to understand coming from an athlete who&#039;s won so many races including two World Championship titles and one European. she has a habit of rocking up to a race (quite annoyingly for some of the other athletes) having made the decision to race the week before and then wins it, as she did in Powerman Geel. 

With such an impressive list of sporting accolades perhaps Emma could afford to be slightly less humble about her sporting success, but then again, that&#039;s probably what makes her a winner.




AE Well Emma that was a pretty impressive result at Powerman Geel, probably the best of your career so far? 

ED Thanks Annie, yes I really enjoyed the race. It was an amazing atmosphere, really well organised and supported. It was the right distances for me &ndash; 10k/60k/10k and non-drafting - so that is my sort of race. It was great to have a proper podium style prize giving with flowers, teddies, champagne and also great to see Michelle there as well and have two Brits on the podium! 
 
AE You&rsquo;re known for not taking life or training too seriously and although of course you train hard, after a result like that does it make you think with a structured program you could achieve a lot more?
 
ED Well I do race and train pretty hard but it just fits around my life rather than the other way around. I will never make a living from racing so it has to be secondary to other things. I enjoy training, but I&rsquo;m not the sort of person who can train for long stints, I don&rsquo;t have the mental endurance.  

ED Maybe a more structured approach would improve my performance, but I like the flexibility of my training in that I decide what I am doing day-to-day based on a number of different variants; how tired I am, how much work I have on, what I have happening on the social front, what training my friends are doing, what local club training/racing events are on etc. I think that sort of flexibility helps to keep things interesting and makes training and racing a fun part of my life, rather than me resenting it. If I tried to be more structured and had a coach pushing me and telling me to do certain sessions on certain days I would probably not enjoy it as much and that might affect my performances adversely.

AE You&rsquo;ve recently moved to Bournemouth and have given up your full-time job to go freelance; does that mean you now have more time to train?
 
ED Yes I left a pretty high pressured job in London to come to live in Bournemouth. I did intend to try and find a similar job in Dorset but I couldn&rsquo;t find anything I wanted so have set up as a freelance marketing consultant. Setting up my own business has been a great learning experience and has had its own challenges, but I have found some great clients and have got some good regular work.  

ED The work aspect has not really changed the amount or type of training I am doing but living in Dorset certainly has its advantages over London. The New Forest is amazing for running and cycling and I am lucky enough to live 100m from the beach.  The environment here makes training so much more enjoyable as it is much safer and less polluted and congested.  

AE You recently finished fourth overall in l&rsquo;etape, just ten minutes behind James Cracknell, tell us about your I&rsquo;etape experience and how hard was it?

ED Well I didn&rsquo;t really know what to expect &ndash; the only cycling abroad I have done is flat duathlon races and cycling in Lanzarote when I&rsquo;ve been to La Santa. In preparation I did a really tough 105 mile sportive in North Wales called the Dave Lloyd challenge. I did pretty well in that but it is very different, lots of short steep climbs rather than long unrelenting climbs.  The thought of 21k climb up Ventoux, having already covered 150k seemed pretty daunting.

On the day I took the first 150k fairly steadily and found it fairly comfortable; but then came Ventoux. It was everything I had read and heard about - relentless climbing and the 36 degree windless conditions added to the discomfort! I suffered a bit on the last 6k &ndash; you can see the top but as I was only cycling at 8k an hour (I know &ndash; how slow?!) the torture is that you know that 6k is going to take you a hell of a long time. 

I finished in six hours 35 minutes; it was definitely one of the hardest but best things I have ever done!  I have definitely got the mountain cycling bug now though and I really want to get back out there! We had to cycle 40k back to our gite afterwards, pack up the bikes and get a flight home the next morning at 6am, that was tough!
 
AE At the major Championship events you&rsquo;ve always raced as an age-group athlete; do you have plans to race elite at the major Championship races one day?

ED I am not a strong enough runner to race elite at standard distance races as the drafting format does not suit me &ndash; I&#039;d would be at least two or three minutes down after the first 10k. Powerman races are non-drafting and usually longer than standard distances so suit me better. I could potentially race an ITU long course duathlon as an elite athlete as that is in non-drafting format, but the race was cancelled this year and the BTA would have to select me first so I won&rsquo;t hold my breath! 

AE What have you got planned of the rest of 2009, did you not think about racing Zofingen, that would have to right up  your street, wouldn&#039;t it?
 
ED I only really heard about Zofingen recently and by the time I came to look into it, it was already July and I just didn&rsquo;t think I had time to train for such a hard-core race. But yes, as a duathlete, I should probably have a stab at it as it sounds like the duathlete version of Lanzarote Ironman. Maybe next year...   

AE What&rsquo;s your favourite training session?

ED My favourite session is an easy run around Hengistbury head. I just run out of the house, down the zip zag and run on the beach for a couple of miles. Then I get to Hengistbury head which is a beautiful sandy headland from which you can see panoramic views of Christchurch harbour, Bournemouth and the Isle of Wight &ndash; its an amazing run. A good way to spend an hour after a days work.
 
AE And what are your long-term plans for your sporting career?

ED I don&rsquo;t really have any plans, I like to see where life takes me...
 
AE And finally, your motto for the day?

ED Carpe Diem!
]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Review: Skins Cycle (women)]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.duathlon247.com/article_5573.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Compression garments are fast becoming what appears to be an essential item for most athletes. There are plenty of great brands on the market, but one that seems to be very popular at the moment is Skins. Skins, which is an Australian company, have recently brought out a new range of cycling gear called Skins Cycle. The range includes four men&#039;s and women&#039;s garments, featuring shorts, bib shorts and longs and bib longs. We asked two of our in-house testers to put this high quality product to the test and found that they certainly weren&#039;t disappointed.

In today&#039;s review, GB age-group duathlete and triathlete, Josephine Perry, takes a look at the ladies bib shorts. Tomorrow Ironman athlete, John Franklin, will look at the men&#039;s. 





Male bike shorts need two things &ndash; to fit well and have good padding. Female kit has one extra requirement &ndash; to slim your thighs! OK &ndash; maybe that is just me but training for triathlon means spending a lot of time in Lycra so you want some kit that looks good and hides how many cake stops you&rsquo;ve had out while riding.

Until now I&rsquo;ve lived in Assos bike shorts. They used to feel like a secret only a few triathletes (and lots of real cyclists) knew about. Now everyone has them on their Christmas list but they are still fantastic, thigh sliming and brilliantly padded.

Then Tri247 asked me to try Skins. I had heard of Skins but thought they were mainly for footballers, or as compression kit. I had no idea whether they were at the cheap or mortgage end of the market and there was so much science on the box I didn&rsquo;t know if they are to help you recover, make you train better or to send you into space.

After three weeks of trialing them I&rsquo;m still not sure what they are supposed to do (I have tried to dissect the box for you further down), but I have worn them for every ride in that three weeks and dramatically sulk if I&rsquo;ve not managed to wash them in time for my next session.

The design

  
    
    There are strong grips on the legs to stop them riding up and the padding is brilliant - easily good enough for an Ironman ride. The sizing is based on Body Mass Index rather than regular sizes and for me this certainly worked well. These are the first shorts I&rsquo;ve ever worn that feel like they were actually designed for females and by females. And, essentially &ndash; they look good!

They do not have a traditional bib short look. They are a cross between bib shorts and a tri suit. There is a fine mesh in the body part so you don&rsquo;t get too hot. This design means they stay up better and you don&rsquo;t find yourself riding along with one of the brace sections sliding down your arm. You definitely still need a cycle jersey on top though &ndash; you would look odd without.

The only issue I can see is that because of this design you may find them too hot for brick sessions.  You can roll down the bib section but when you do you find you have a lot of material round your middle. Despite that, they are comfy enough to run in if you want to.

And for safety they also have reflective strips and logos to help car drivers spot you.
  


The science

Skins claim these shorts incorporate BioAcceleration technology to provide increased performance on the bike.  They also say they have &ldquo;anatomically positioned the seams to work as anchor points along muscle groups to focus power and dramatically reduce vibration.&rdquo; The material used is designed to be moisture wicking, to incorporate antibacterial and antimicrobial features and provide sunblock equalling factor 50.  Outside of a lab I don&rsquo;t have any way of testing any of this; if the shorts speed up my cycling, or if my power was focussed (!), but they do fit so well and the padding is so good that you focus on your riding rather than your kit &ndash; which can&rsquo;t be a bad thing.

The extras

On top of the fit and look there are little touches that add to the appeal of these shorts. Someone has obviously thought about what annoys you when you wear bike kit and, as a result, cleverly eliminated the itchy washing labels and just printed the instructions on the inside of the kit.

The cost

As soon as you take them out of the box you can tell these are not going to be cheap. Everything about them shouts quality; the material, the design and the extra touches. A quick internet search shows you can buy the shorts for about &pound;125. If you are doing long distance training though and want to avoid saddle sores and comedy walking these are well worth the money.  There are long bib tights too in a similar design for &pound;145.

The love

On top of the look, the fit, the science and the comfort, sometimes you just love a piece of kit. There is not always a rational reason, more that it just makes you feel good and ride well. These bib shorts are one of those pieces of kit. Just make sure you buy plenty of washing powder at the same time so you can wear them as much as you&rsquo;ll want to.


For more information on all Skins products or to find a stockist click here.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Interview: Vicky Graves]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.duathlon247.com/article_5572.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Vicky Graves is known more as a triathlete, but last year when she won a bronze medal at the European Junior Duathlon Championships, she proved herself to be a pretty good duathlete too. In May she returned to race the European Championships, which took place in Hungary, and shocked the home athletes - the pre race favourites - by dominating the race and cruising home with a comfortable margin of 49 seconds to be crowned European Junior Champion 2009. 
We caught up with Vicky to find out about victory and what the rest of the season has in store for her.


DUATHLON247 Hi Vicky it&#039;s good to catch up with you, we&#039;re looking forward to hearing a little bit more about the recently crowned European Junior Champion. European Champion, that certainly has a good ring to it doesn&#039;t it?

VG Yeah it does. I had an amazing time out there and to win just made it better!

DUATHLON247 Last year you won a bronze medal at the European Champs, did you believe you could win gold a year later?

VG I went to the race wanting and hoping to win, but I knew it would be tough. I knew that it would be the Hungarians that would be the hardest to beat.

DUATHLON247 You were nearly a minute clear of the second place finisher, Ezster Pap from Hungary, so you had a pretty comfortable victory?

VG Yeah! I was very pleased with the result. I was hoping to win but I didn&rsquo;t think it would be like it was with me doing it on my own! Or having such a big lead!

DUATHLON247 Talk us through the race?

VG I had a good first run and managed to string the field out so that it was just me and Ezster going onto the bike, she didn&rsquo;t do much work and on the second lap I dropped her and managed to extend my lead. Coming off the bike I had a comfortable lead and so didn&rsquo;t have to push the second run so I was able to enjoy the atmosphere of the event!

DUATHLON247 Tell as a little bit about your sporting background before you competed in duathlons?

VG Well my parents got me into swimming and running when I was younger and I just competed in the separate sports for a few years before my brother and I started doing biathlons. My best performance was third at the National Schools Championships, we then progressed onto doing aquathlons where I qualified for the Inter Regional Championships at the age of 14. After that I started doing some cycling and it progressed from there.

DUATHLON247 What are your plans for the rest of 2009?

VG Well I&rsquo;ve just qualified for the European Triathlon Championships in Holten in July so that&rsquo;s next. I&rsquo;ll be doing the Hyde Park race in August, which should be a good event as it is running alongside the elite Dextro Energy World Cup series.

DUATHLON247 You&#039;re actually known more as a triathlete than a duathlete, do you have plans to race anymore duathlons?

VG Yeah I mainly do triathlons, but I hope to get into more duathlons. I move up to senior level next year, which means the distance doubles in both duathlons and triathlons, so that will mean more training.
DUATHLON247 What&#039;s your favourite training session?
VG I think that would have to be a long run somewhere nice with beautiful scenery to enjoy!
DUATHLON247 When you&#039;re not training and racing what are you doing?

VG I enjoy spending time relaxing and spending time with my family and friends.

DUATHLON247 How many hours a week do you training and how is your training divided up?

VG I probably do about seven hours of swimming, ten hours of cycling, five hours of running and about two hours of gym work.

DUATHLON247 Who&#039;s your all time sporting hero?

VG Probably Kelly Holmes as she overcame so much to become a double Olympic champion.
DUATHLON247 If you had a magic wand what race would you most like to win and why?
VG It would probably have to be the Olympics as there aren&amp;rsquo;t many of those medals out there!

]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[A beginners guide for women entering into the world of duathlon]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.duathlon247.com/article_5570.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Gina Naude, the main woman behind everywomansduathlon.co.uk is passionate about what she does! With a depth of knowledge second to none she talks us through duathlon and all you need to know to get you started.

As the organizer behind the Shock Absorber Every Womans Duathlon Series, I have gathered a good understanding of novice women entering into the world of duathlons. Many women have not even heard of duathlon, so getting them to join in to an unknown sport can be difficult. Others seem to have a more personal issue holding them back, such as lack of fitness, feeling self conscious about being the last in the pack or even feeling too old to join in.
I started our duathlon series with the objective to create an event that enabled women of all sizes, fitness levels and ages to join in without feeling any of the pressures of a more competitive environment. I believe that as a beginner to any sport your first introduction needs to be based upon enjoyment. Once you have tasted the joys of participating you can build a foundation to compete at a higher level. Many women dive into the deep end of competitive duathlon and triathlon only to find themselves out of their depth. What they were hoping would be a door to a new sport is quickly shut by the realization there was no fun in it.

It&rsquo;s not easy for beginners to take the fitness leap from a safe session down the gym or a jog around the block into entering an event with hundreds or even thousands of people. This is why we developed formula to our events which make them less intimidating and more accessible. Firstly we decided to make the Shock Absorber EWD Series an all women event. Secondly we decided that although you are always well rewarded with medals and goody bags, the emphasis would be on participation, support and personal achievement rather than competition. Finally we wanted to make our events motivating, so we decided the events would always be held at locations with inspiring beauty, where you could enjoy more that just a morning of reaching your fitness goals.
 
Getting into the groove

To get started, choose a duathlon that is aimed at beginners, this way you will avoid the serious athletes and feel more comfortable competing. Another starter&rsquo;s tip is to register in the shorter distance event. Remember, don&rsquo;t run before you can walk. A lot of the more novice duathlons will take place on quiet roads with very little or no traffic, but remember wherever the route takes you, a cycle helmet is compulsory on the cycle leg, so don&rsquo;t forget it at home and risk not being able to participate.

Your Equipment

You don&rsquo;t need to have an expensive racing bike to take part in duathlon. Many first timers dust off old faithful from inside the garage, make sure it is road worthy and away you go. Some events like our EWD duathlons have bike mechanics at the event to help out should any bike problems, such as broken chains or punctures arise. Most duathlons utilise good tarmac roads, so whether you have a racing bike, mountain bike or even shopper, you will be able to compete.
 
Comfortable running trainers and sports bra are a must. You can get free advice from most good running stores on which shoe will be of most comfort and benefit to your running style. Don&rsquo;t get brand new running shoes to wear on the day. It is a good idea to wear in your trainers before the day to avoid a foot full of blisters. Shock Absorber have developed a great range of sports bras that are very popular amongst duathletes and triathletes. If you want a smooth run and don&rsquo;t want to bounce your way over the finish line, I suggest you invest in one.

Once you have entered a few events and believe your equipment is worth updating, there are many additions you can make that will hopefully make your race more comfortable and your times quicker.

Training
 
To start out, you need to achieve at least three training sessions a week. Remember to try and combine cycling and running on some of your sessions. This will allow your legs to become accustom to the transition from run to cycle or cycle to run. If you are not running yet, start with a walk and build yourself up. It is not a good idea to push too hard too soon and risk injury. Although cycling in the gym is still good, it is good preparation to do some cycling outdoors. This will get you used to your bike, saddle and gears.

The Race Day

It will fast approach, so make a checklist in preparation so you don&rsquo;t get left with last minute head - aches on the day of the event. Make sure you have covered the essentials: had your bike serviced if needed, packed your helmet, water bottle, sun cream, warm clothes, towel, directions and event day information. Being a multi discipline sport, duathlon involves a change-over more commonly known as &#039;Transition&#039; between the run and cycle legs. Familiarize yourself with the layout and rules of the transition area, it can be a little confusing if you are starting out. Your training should be enough to get you through the race, so don&rsquo;t panic if it&rsquo;s a wet or hot day. Keep yourself well hydrated and listen to your body. Your reward will be a sense of great achievement and pride.

I hope many of you will take up the challenge and join us in making duathlon a much more popular sport. There are many events around the country that you will find suitable for your ability. Visit www.everywomansduathlon.co.uk to find out if we have a duathlon near you.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why you should 'du' a duathlon!]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.duathlon247.com/article_5569.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Duathlon&#039;s World #1, Cat Morrison takes an interesting look at the reasons why, if you haven&#039;t done already, you should take part in a duathlon! Having raced a good few of them, Cat is well placed to speak about the advantages and disadvantages (not that there are many) of racing duathlon. The multi world medallist can&#039;t recommend them highly enough and suggests that it would be good to see a few more triathletes giving this fun but tough multisport event a go!

Cat will be contributing regularly to Duathlon247 bringing us all her latest news plus her views on the sport. She&#039;ll also be talking about any progress (which we will hopefully be seeing) that is being made to improve the profile of triathlon&#039;s sister sport.



D Definitely worth a try. Whether you are a seasoned or novice triathlete, multisporter, runner or biker, or just someone looking for a new challenge, competing in a duathlon should be on your &ldquo;to do&rdquo; list.

For those new to the multi sport world, a duathlon is an excellent introduction. Competitive athletes will find that a little duathlon training does wonders for their overall fitness and triathletes will see improvements in transition skills and their ability to run off the bike. 

Most races will allow mountain bikes (but do check when you enter) so duathlons can be great for new comers and novices. Rake around in the garage or beg, steal or borrow from friends and family! There are also a variety of distances and terrains to suit all tastes. Consider a team event with friends and family.

 
U Undoubtedly the underdog to her big sister triathlon. However, from personal experience, I have to say that on the whole the duathlon scene is a big friendly place. Duathletes seem to be a little more laid back and welcoming than their triathlon counterparts (I can say this as I compete in both events!). The support that I have received over the years from the GB age group team has been fantastic.

A Advantages of duathlon include: watching lots of nice bottoms in lycra. Sorry, seriously &ndash; as I have already mentioned, duathlon is a sport for all &ndash; seasoned athletes and novices alike. If you are thinking about doing a triathlon, a duathlon can give you a taste for the event whilst taking out the swim which can be one of the stressful disciplines for many. 

The cross training aspect (bike and run) can be beneficial to many in preventing or managing injury.

Duathlons are a good way to kick start or finish off your season. When the weather is still a little inclement for donning that wetsuit, a duathlon can satisfy the need to compete. 


Duathlons are a great way to introduce children to multisport. Run-bike-run events can be organised very easily. Most kids run and many have bikes. Bikes can be shared if in short supply and for many a swim can be intimidating so a duathlon is a perfect introduction event.

T Travel the world! If you get really hooked, there are plenty of races all over the place that you can enter &ndash; double them up with your holidays (that should go down well with the kids and spouse) or get competitive and challenge yourself to qualify for the GB team. Just think, in 2010 you could travel as far a field as Edinburgh for the world duathlon championships!

H Hate it because it hurts so much to run twice!

L Love it because you love the hurt that comes with running twice!

Love it or hate it, duathlons are like marmite. Many people won&rsquo;t go near a duathlon. I know many talented triathletes who would make great duathletes but the very thought of having to run TWICE is enough to send them into a jelly-like state. I have to say that it&rsquo;s usually the good swimmers who shy away. Of course, there is always the exception to the rule: take Vanessa Fernandes as a super example.  BUT if running and biking are your strong points then make the most of them by facing up to the duathlon challenge.

O Overdraft. Be warned &ndash; duathlon, like triathlon (as many of you will know) involves toys (bikes, helmets, shoes, sexy lycra&hellip;.). And we all get caught eventually in wanting bigger, better, newer and shinier things as we get more and more involved. Remember that in the long run (no pun intended!)  the best and possibly least expensive investment you can make is in training your heart, lungs and legs.
 
N Next stop? Get out that race calendar and book a spot in an event that tickles your fancy!]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[It started in 1993...]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.duathlon247.com/article_5566.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[It&#039;s so far back that I actually had a problem remembering my first duathlon. Then delving deep into my rather rusty memory bank it came to me, it was the Fairford Duathlon held at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire - I think it was 1993. I had no idea what I&#039;d got myself into and don&#039;t even think I&#039;d looked at the distances before the race. Running 10k then riding 40k followed by a 5k run around a windy airfield, you would think, would be enough to put anyone off. But of course it didn&#039;t put me off, and as I drove home elated that I won my age-group and with that completely knackered feeling that multisports athletes know only too well, I knew it wouldn&#039;t be my last duathlon.

220, who organised the race soon after closed up shop (what a shame, they organised some fantastic races, of which the quality is hard to match even by today&#039;s standards) and strangely I never raced another duathlon in the UK. I did though, race duathlons all over the world, from the European Duathlon Championships in Hungary in 1994 to my last ever multisport event in 2005, the World Duathlon Championships, in Newcastle, Australia. Interestingly my first major multisport event and last were both duathlons, and so my career as a triathlete was encapsulated by triathlons &#039;poor relation&#039;, duathlon.

Even though it was triathlon which was my number one sport, it was duathlon that I felt most comfortable with. Certainly if it had been a bigger sport I would have quite happily have hung-up my goggles and wetsuit and been more than happy to stick to dry land. But sadly it wasn&#039;t a bigger sport (and still isn&#039;t) and as a pro athlete you have to think about the pennies and where they&#039;re coming from. I&#039;m certainly not saying that I didn&#039;t love my triathlon career, I have some wonderful memories and moments that I will never forget, but duathlon was different! Obviously you start with a run and not a swim, but that first run really is very exciting. It&#039;s a lung busting, balls out 10k (standard distance). There&#039;s no hiding and if you have a weakness here it&#039;s tough to make it up later in the race. I was lucky to be racing duathlon in the days, when Michelle Dillon, Steph Forrester, Catriona Morrison and Vicky Pincombe were all on the British team. All great runners, no one held back and unlike the swim in triathlon you can&#039;t really draft in running, so if you weren&#039;t in around 34:00 10k shape your race was probably over at the start.

Enough reminiscing about the glory days and time to move on and focus on how we can turn this fantastic sport around, make it as big as it can be, and give it the recognition it deserves. So, where do we start? I believe right here at Duathlon247. Lets look at it as a landing spot for everyone who wants to be part of duathlon, talk about it (the good and the bad) and most importantly help promote it and return it to it&#039;s previous glorious form.

Today, in my mind, the Powerman series is leading the way. As it always has been, it&#039;s a fantastic series, and if you haven&#039;t already, you must try one of their races. But Powerman can&#039;t do it all on it&#039;s own. let&#039;s hope that National Governing Bodies and of course the sports overall Governing Body (the ITU), work at helping grow the sport. Just merely doing enough to help it survive, isn&#039;t enough, which sadly seems to have been the case in recent years.]]></description></item></channel></rss>
