A Kayathlon consists of 3 sporting disciplines…Kayaking, Cycling and Running which takes place of multiple terrains. These races vary in distance and difficulty levels depending on the level one enters in to.
This is very relative to the distance/difficulty level you wish to compete in. But its safe to say that arriving on the day with nothing done is a big no-no. Give yourself a minimum of 6-8 weeks if you want to thoroughly enjoy the experience. If you are someone (not to unlike myself before my first race) who had done little to no exercise prior to signing up to a race, i took it day by day. Set out a slow starting plan. Remember greatness is not achieved in large jumps. Its achieved by many small steps. Every successful athlete will echo that. So start off by walking, then slow jogging, increasing your distances or speeds as you get fitter. Before you know it, it will become second nature to you.
I will be laying out training plans for all levels of fitness very soon but in the meantime, get up, get out and start moving 🙂
Never kayaked before. Join the queue. You will find a large amount of fellow race goers have never kayaked before.
But don’t despair. All the necessary equipment is provided to get you around safely and efficiently. Also to note is that for the majority of Kayathlon adventure races, you will be in a duel kayak which means you will not be alone, they can seat 2 people.
If you currently do not own a bike, there are a few options available to you.
Borrow one, Rent one, Buy one
Borrow one – The law of averages is you know someone who (in the past) had great ambitions of becoming the next Stephen Roche but now their bike lies in a shed gathering cobwebs. Ask them. Whats the worst that can happen…they can only say no.
Rent one – On the day of the race (in most cases), companies will be renting out bikes for the duration of the race. But they will not have an inexhaustible range to choose from. So unless you secure one early, you might not get what you had in mind.
Buy one – Bike to work scheme – If you are paying PAYE , then check out the latest government incentive where you can avail of up to €1000 off the price of a bike. Click here for more details.
* Word of warning though…its highly recommended that you put in some cycle training before your big day.
A part from the awesome feeling of pride and accomplishment, for the majority of these adventure races, you will receive a jersey or t-shirt before the race (usually as part of the race pack when you register/sign in) and a medal when you finish along with vouchers/goodies etc.