This year I decided to take up a notch and signed up for my first full marathon in October. As part of that training, in August I decided to participate in my first ever duathlon in Brockville, Ontario with Somersault. As part of that event, both my partner and I signed up for different races. He participated in the Olympic Triathlon while I, not being a strong swimmer, decided to complete the duathlon. We chose to do this race because we added it onto the end of our summer road trip out to Kingston and Ottawa this year and doing a race in Brockville seemed like a nice way to end our trip.
I highly recommend this race as it had a small town feel and doing a race in a less crowded destination made for such simple logistics. We did not have to go too early to find parking close to the start line, we were able to leave our three kids at the finish line without having to worry where they were and we were able to leave the area without any traffic cops assisting us. One of the best parts of the duathlon for me was being able to run through Ontario’s oldest train tunnel, the Brockville Railway Tunnel. It was completed in 1860 and is recognized as Canada’s first railway tunnel. It stretches approximately 527 metres beneath Brockville running north and south. While running in it, LED lights light up at different points of the tunnel and the best part about is that the temperature probably reaches a good 5 degrees Celsius less. Such a welcome reprieve on a hot August morning! You can tell by the last picture below, how hot and dry the summer has been…the grass is so parched!! Depending on which event you are doing, the course consists of loops in proximity to Brockville’s Centeen Park. Not the greatest for someone who enjoys the change in scenery, but I did get to run through the tunnel at least twice and was able to keep an eye on the kids as we looped back. Somersault has several races out in the Ottawa/Gananoque area so if you’re close by check them out.
Participating in this duathlon also allowed me to reflect on marathon training and the amount of time it takes. Thankfully my partner, even while training for his own triathlon, was on board and I could not have done any of my activities without his support. With a full-time job and 3 children all in extra-curricular activities, most of my spare time was put towards training for the marathon and so any time I was on the bike, I felt like I should be running. Even while at our children’s activities you can most likely find us running on a trail in the area we are in that night of the week. What better way to use that time than to use it to train? I am not sure I would do duathlon again if a marathon was in the plan because I don’t think I did the bike training any justice and I also realized I don’t like being on a bike for that long. For some crazy reason, I would rather be pounding my legs and feet into the hard ground. There is a peace when I finish a run and while my mantra has always been one foot at a time, or one kilometre at a time, by the end of it, knowing that I completed that run gives me a sense of satisfaction. I am usually not listening to anything as I run, perhaps being in my own thoughts is enough and as someone once quoted before, “There is magic in misery. Just ask any runner.” So onto the next marathon I go!!
Bravo!! Great to hear about the course and your thoughts behind the scenes.