Almost an Ironman Most people think running a mile is a lot. What made you start training for multi-sport events like the Shanghai Duathlon? I knew pretty little about multi-sport events until six years ago when I met my mentor Helios Kim. I first saw the video of the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon at his home and I was captivated by the human drama and the courage displayed by the participants. So what's the Shanghai Duathlon event in October all about? Shanghai Duathlon started in 2006 and it's a non-profit running and biking race, organized by the amateur triathletes from the local Shanghai triathlon training groups. How many people participated in the first one?In 2006, the first Duathlon had 26 participants. And the second? The second drew more than 80 people. Wow. So how many are you expecting this year? Registration is still open for a few more days so, we hope to see a significant increase over last year. Why do you think more and more people are coming out for this event? Well, it's not because we're the most well organized group, but I think more people come out each year because it empowers them to adopt a healthy lifestyle. What's the hardest part about running a duathlon for first timers? The hardest part is getting over your lack of confidence so that you can actually complete the race your first time. You mentioned that you're part of a training group. What are the benefits of training for a race with a club? Most athletes know that it's boring to train on your own. Group training improves your performance and also allows you to make new friends. We have to ask, how many pairs of sneakers have you gone through while training for these events? I've probably wornout four or five pairs of sneakers in the past three years.

DETAILS

Where: Dishui Lake
When: Oct. 12
Email: duathlonchina@gmail.com
Web: www.duathlonchina.com