Training Tips

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Training Tips

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The Harcourts Marlborough Kids Duathlon is not a competition and your times will not be recorded. It's all about giving it a go, having fun and bringing your family along for a great day out.

We've worked hard to give you a duathlon event for kids - designed to be fun and challenging, yet safe and achievable - just what sport should be all about for kids.

If you do some exercise outside school or maybe play a few sports, you will find this duathlon achievable, so relax and enjoy!

Preparation

A bit of preparation means you will have extra confidence when it comes to the day.

So, what will happen on the day?

1st stage: Run or walk

Transition comes next - you pick up your bike here

2nd stage: Cycle

Another transition - drop your bike off here

3rd stage: Run or walk

Looking after your body

To make sure your body performs at its best, you need to take care of it. Here are some healthy hints:

Get enough sleep each night, give your body the foods it needs to re-fuel after practicing or being active and drink heaps of water (you need to drink around 6-8 glasses a day). Always let your parent or carer know if you are practicing any of these activities and always practice safely.

Run, Run

Try running around the block at home or around the oval at school. Running around the perimeter of Oliver Park will give you a nice 1km route. Remember to start slowly; this will give you some energy for a great finish!

Good runners focus on where they are going, so don't look down at the ground as you run - keep your head up! Choose good running shoes that don't restrict your movement. Shoes that fit better perform better. Make sure they are well tied (eg double knot if needed) and are not too tight. Go with a friend, running at a pace where you can talk to someone is a great training technique.

Idea: Do the lamppost jive: run one, walk one, run one (between lampposts). Next week, lamppost jive a bit further: run two, walk one, run two!

Cycling

Practice getting on and off your bike after running. You will be surprised how funny your legs will feel! Practice turning corners safely on your bike to build confidence. Your helmet must be worn when you ride your bike, with the clip fastened!  Remember, the duathalon course is not suitable for training wheels - so practice riding without them.

Idea: Make cycling fun - see if you can get all the family involved! Try going along the Taylor River or bike to school instead of driving or walking

Transition

Transition is the change from running/walking to cycling and from cycling to walking/running. Everyone will be walking through the transition area and there is no need to rush, as it's not a race! Your bike will be in one of the coded areas to help you find it and there will be people to help you too. You can practice this at home or at a park. Just run a couple of short laps (eg around the house), stop and put your helmet on - remember to do up the buckle - do a short cycle (a few more laps around the house or park) come back, park your bike, take your helmet off and hang it over your handlebars, then run another shorter lap.

On the day

Great, the day is here!

Have a light breakfast and a healthy drink. There will be plenty of food and drink at the venue for you to have after your event. Get to the venue early so you don't feel rushed. You can collect your race number and t-shirt here between 8:30 and 9am but we recommend that you go to one of the pre-registration days to get your number. If possible register at one of the pre-registration events at Bikefit (Market St, Blenheim) on Friday or Saturday. Warm up a little bit, walking up the hill to the start will be good or do some star jumps.

Remember to take it easy, that way you can finish feeling great!