Duathlete rises to meet the challenge of his sport

BY CHRISTY MARSTERS

The Hants Journal

NovaNewsNow.com

Alan Miner always liked sports and he played hockey a lot. Yet, as an adult, he found it increasingly difficult to bounce back from all the injuries he had sustained while playing hockey and eventually lost interest in it. “I wanted to get out of hockey and stay active,” he said.

Inspired by his son’s passion for mountain biking, Miner decided he would get back on a bike - for the first time in about 20 years - in 2005. In 2007, he competed in his first mountain bike duathlon race with his son in Wentworth, Cumberland County. “This was one race that really stood out,” Alan said. “Another was this year, when I qualified for the 2010 World Duathlon Championships. It will be the ultimate race.”

On May 31, Miner took part in a 45-kilometer duathlon at Lawrencetown Beach and, with a time well under two hours, qualified for the 2010 World Duathlon Championship (in the 45-49 age division) in Edinburgh, Scotland Sept. 3-5.

A resident of Falmouth, Miner will represent Canada as he competes against others around the world in a running and biking race of extreme endurance. “It’s going to be exciting,” Miner said. “I’m training between 20-25 hours a week. To get fairly good, you have to have a lot of dedication and determination to do this. “It’s a lot of mind over matter, but I enjoy it so much,” he said. “They (duathlons) are fun, very challenging, but they are still easier to do than you would think.”

Age comes into play a bit, he noted. “Earlier this month I was in a mountain bike race and wiped out on a bridge and broke a rib, but really, this is part of the game.”

Unfortunately, this injury and a job layoff resulted in a decision not to attend the 2009 World Duathlon Championship in Concord, North Carolina. “I have until Aug. 20 to decide if I want to go,” Miner said, “but I just wouldn’t be at my peak. If I didn’t get laid off I’d have definitely gone, but travel expenses, entry fees and meals add up.”

However, 2010 is going to be a nice vacation, Miner said. “The thought will keep me busy. “I regret I didn’t do this earlier, but I just didn’t know about it,” he added. “It’s inspiring to see people 20 years older do it and I hope I still can when I’m their age.”

Miner thanked his son Brandon, girlfriend Elizabeth Manuel as well as her two boys (Thane and James Macumber) for their ongoing support. If anyone is interested in sponsoring Miner in the World Duathlon Championships or would like to learn more about his passion, he can be contacted at 798-2714.