Race Coverage

"...darn proud of this day."

Saturday, 28 May 2016 00:10

By Erin Sontowski (bikesandcatsrightmeow.blogspot.com)

Gear West Duathlon Race Report - First things first, if you are not a fan of random Game Of Thrones references every now and again, now is the time for you to leave. Heck, I'll even hold the door for you. (If you are caught up with this season, this reference will be both heartbreaking and relevant for you.) While this blog is predominately triathlon and fitness related, you can definitely bet on the fact that there will be many super nerdy puns and interjections that come from the fantasy book and movie genre. Cough, cough, Harry Potter mostly, cough, cough.

But I digress. Back to the important matters at hand. It is that glorious time of year that thousands of us Minnesota inhabitants dream of. It is finally warm enough to pull our bikes off the trainers, shed our many layers of sub zero thermal gear, and to get back out onto the roads and trails of the beautiful midwest. As with every start of the 2016 multi sport season, Gear West Duathlon is usually the first race for most of us, and 2016 was no...

different for me. I will preface this by telling you that this race is usually a course that I absolutely loath and love at the same time. The "rolling hills" that the website describe are much more aggressive and annoying that the term "rolling" really does justice. And while the cross country run is absolutely gorgeous, and a nice departure from the concrete jungle that we usually end up on, my calves and hamstrings really disagreed by the end of it.

2016 is a really different year for me in many ways. The first is that I will be tackling my first half Ironman distance race in only 2 weeks. My training has been completely different than it has in the last few years, and I have really started to dial in my nutrition and lifestyle to accommodate that. I have even given up beer for the next two weeks. (Not my favorite idea, but I am testing a theory. I will update after the race to see if that was worth it.)  READ MORE