When I saw an advertisement about Windsor Duathlon 2016 I decided to take part as I like Windsor for its beauty and lots of greenery. There were two optional disciplines: Sprint distance (5km run, 20 km bike and 2,5 km run) and Olympic distance (10 km run, 40 km bike and 5 km run). I chose to do Sprint distance.
The event was held in Windsor Great Park next to the Long Walk for the first time ever organised by British Triathlon Championship. When my boyfriend and I arrived at the park, there was a problem with car parking and a long queue so we decided to park somewhere else. We still had plenty of time to collect the time chip and also to prepare my bike in the transition area. My sister and her boyfriend came along to support me too. Unfortunately, it rained the night before the race and the Windsor Great Park was muddy in the morning. So my first impression was not good. Then we were told that the race would be a half hour delayed and we will have a briefing 20 minutes before the start. The start line was about 1 kilometre away from the Registration point. Straight after the briefing we went to the start line and when we got there we straight away began the race. The first running leg was a mix of road and trail just over 6 km long. I quite enjoyed it, even though it was longer than they advertised. Then I got to the transition where it was very slippery. I changed my running shoes for bike shoes, cycled off and completed two loops. In some places there were sharp corners and some cyclists did not cycle on the right side as they have been told to do so. It was great to hear my supporters cheering me along. I got to the transition for my second and last time and swapped my shoes again. By that point I felt pretty tired. My supporters ran with me for a bit. We finished the last stretch running on the Long Walk. I pushed myself to the end and was pleased to complete the race. Everyone who finished, received a medal and a goodie bag. I finished with a time of 1 hour and 41 minutes and I ended up the 5th woman in my age group.
After the race we had a chat about the event, the pros and cons and then we went home. It was nice to see familiar faces too. Well done to all who participated in this event. See you soon! :)
Windsor Duathlon 2016
