It’s that time of year again already. It is time to start thinking about how best to prepare for your big races in 2016. It doesn’t matter if you are training for your first triathlon, an Ironman, or a half marathon. Starting your season with duathlons will help you toward your goals.
For our runners out there, training for and competing in early season Du’s allows you to train longer and even harder without early season wear and tear on your body. Being on the bike means less pounding on the pavement and less chance of over-use or stress related injuries. The running season is a long season, your body will thank you by springtime!
For our triathletes, early season duathlons are great motivators to get you back in gear for the new season. Signing up for these early races will force you to be in decent race shape earlier in the season and allow you to have a few high quality training day complete with police and race support! These are great events to use for B and C races where you can set early season goals and check on progress.
2016 Duathlon Calendar
Northeast Park Duathlon – February 27th, 2016
Short and sweet (er, sweat?). This late February event is a tradition in the Triad. Run 1.6 miles, Bike 10.5 and Run another 1.6. This is a great, quick event and an amazing introduction to the sport or to the 2016 season. Also (and maybe most importantly) Libby will be making chili for this one!
Hagan Stone Duathlon – March 12th, 2016
The distance gets a bit longer as we head into March. This will give you a chance to increase your endurance. We love this event because we get to run on the gorgeous wide trails at Hagan Stone Park and then bike on the rural roads that surround it. You will run 3.1 miles, bike 15 miles, and then run another 3.1 miles to finish.
Grandover Duathlon – April 3rd, 2016
With April comes just a bit longer of a duathlon. We have some fast fun roads around Grandover Parkway and we like to use them! The event, again, is a bit longer this time with 4 miles on the run, 20 miles on the bike, and then 4 more miles of running. We will be using the same gorgeous course as we have used for the regional championship in the past.
May Day Duathlon – May 1st, 2016
When I first moved down from Michigan I kept hearing about the May Day Biathlon, one of the oldest in the state. Now I have the honor to say that we get to be a part of it, and have it be a part of our series! The biathlon is going through a bit of a facelift this year. Instead of just being a run-bike event, it will now be a standard run-bike-run duathlon. It will also be USAT certified in 2016. All the great things that have allowed this race to become a constant in multisport racing in the area are still a part of the event. Cash prize? YES! Breath-taking bike course? YOU BETCHA! Many of you will have already started your triathlon season by May 1st, but that doesn’t mean a 3.1 run, 19 mile bike and 1.5 mile run isn’t the perfect early May event for you!