Sean Cusack has served on the organizing committee for the McDonald’s
ITU World Duathlon Championships and USAT Duathlon National
Championship and has been named Sports Backers Volunteer of the Year.
Article updated: 3/30/2010 8:35:47 AM
He has been a coach on the Sports Backers Marathon Training Team for
the past five years and ran the Boston Marathon in 2008. He is an avid
cyclist and runner. SBQ asked Sean a few questions about the
challenging sport of duathlons and how others can get involved.
How long have you been participating in duathlons?
Since 2005. I have done 10 or 11 duathlons including races in Maryland, Ohio and North Carolina. I would race more if there were events available locally.
How/why did you get into it?
I bought a bike for cross-training. That spring I heard about the 2005 3Sports Duathlon and signed up. I had not ridden a bike consistently since 1982. I was hooked immediately.
What are the benefits and challenges of these events?
The challenge of a duathlon, like any multi-sport race, is pacing each segment correctly. It's very easy to hammer the bike segment and have nothing left for the last run. Depending on the length of the event, that last run can be very humbling if pacing has not been smart. With a 5K or running race, there is very little "equipment" required. With a duathlon, you introduce a bike, that greatly increases some of the logistics. When I arrived at the race site for my first duathlon, I took my bike out of my car and realized that I had left my front wheel in the garage at my home. Luckily I lived close to West Creek. Making sure you don't forget anything is an added challenge.
How do you train?
I still use cycling as cross-training for my running unless I am preparing for a specific duathlon. Therefore my cycling has not improved a great deal. It's difficult to train consistently for a duathlon due to the lack of events. Before 2009, there were about 3 duathlons per year in the area. Last year Richmond Multisports stepped up and added two more to the calendar which was great. Hopefully others will follow suit and we can get a number of duathlons in the area which will fuel added interest and make training for them worthwhile.
What are the benefits of a training team?
The Duathlon Training Team provides many benefits to our athletes. The first is an organized and planned approach to training. For many of our athletes, this training team is their first exposure to multi-sport racing. Training for two sports at the same time is much different than training for a marathon or 10K. We have to take the time available for training and figure out how to use it most effectively. The Duathlon Training Team also spends a large amount of time on the rules and finer points of multi-sport racing. There are numerous rules involved in Duathlon that someone new to the sport may not understand. We make sure everyone understands the key rules before race day to avoid penalties or disqualification. We have numerous clinics during the training program. Obviously a huge benefit of any training team is the sense of camaraderie that develops and keeps our athletes motivated, plus we have a blast!
What do you do nutritionally for training up to and during the event?
I don't spend much time worrying about nutrition. Leading up to an event I will change my diet slightly depending on the duration, expected weather and my goals, but it is not a focus for me. I like beer, burgers, fries and pizza too much.
Have you always been into fitness growing up? Is your family active?
I was active growing up, we used to ride our bikes all over Northern Virginia during the spring and summer and play football, etc in the yard. During college I became very sedentary and was not active until I realized how unhealthy I had become at my 39th birthday. Things have changed dramatically over the past 7 or 8 years. My daughter is co-captain of the basketball team at St. Gertrude High School and my wife walks for exercise regularly and enjoys the YMCA 10K Training Team.
What do you like about Richmond events?
The duathlons produced by Sports Backers have been very different than the other duathlons I have raced. In my experience, duathlons were always small without much vibe. Even the Powerman events in North Carolina and Ohio were kind of ho-hum. Sports Backers has taken it to a whole new level with the National Duathlon Festival concept. It has become a big event and introduces many more people to the event each year. Many more people have been exposed to duathlons thanks to the National Duathlon Festival. Hopefully we can continue this great event in some format going forward.
Tips for others who are considering a Duathlon event?
I won't use the corny—Just Do It. But you should. Duathlon is great; there is nothing like the first time you jump off your bike and run out of transition. If you've done it, you understand. If you haven't done it, try it. I won't say you'll like it, but you'll be hooked. Duathlon Training Team is a great way to dip a toe in the multi-sport pool without having to swim!
Article first appeared in SBQ Issue #12, January/February | 2010
