The Developing Details of Dave's Duathlon

Within three minutes of entering David Macomber's home just off of South Main Street, it is apparent that all of its inhabitants are athletes. Dave, his wife Kelly, and their adult son, Kyle, are all involved in various sports-including running, cycling, karate and yoga. Two bicycle pumps line the front hallway, and various athletic shoes are strewn in the corners of the kitchen.

"I was late to come into sports," said Dave, as he sits at his kitchen table poring over a map of Coventry. He is trying to plot out a 10-mile cycling route combined with a 3-mile running route for an upcoming duathlon he is looking to organize and put on in late October or early November.

"As a kid I was more into science stuff," he continued. "I wasn't necessarily the proverbial kid picked last for every team, but I wasn't ever picked first, either. I just wasn't interested in sweating, and I felt uncomfortable with the team mentality that pervades athletics from Little League right on through high school."

Kyle, who is his father's right hand man in getting this event up and running, rolls his eyes.

"My dad just doesn't get how awesome that team camaraderie can be," he said. "But it's cool he finally got into something physical."

Dave started entering road races about three years ago as an attempt to stir up his competitive juices, and he's been hooked on running ever since.

"I like how running clears my head," he explained. "You can't multitask when you're running, all you can do is put one foot in front of the other and breathe."

However, within a year after beginning running, Dave developed a foot ailment called plantar fasciitis. This injury can be chronic and ongoing and though it hasn't kept him from running entirely, it has forced him to consider other forms of fitness.

"I realized I was only going to be able to run a few days a week, that I needed to rest that foot more, " Dave elaborated. "So, I dusted off my old mountain bike and started doing some loops around the neighborhood."

Soon, Kyle was joining him, and the two of them began riding all around New England. Both men claim this served as a bonding experience between an adolescent and father.

"I was sort of disconnected from my family a couple years ago," said Kyle. "I pretty much wanted to be away from my parents as much as I could. But, cycling with my Dad, I don't know, I felt like I could talk about my life in a more real way than just like, 'How was work today?'"

After about a year, both Macomber men traded in their mountain bikes for road bikes and entered some small cycling races.

"It's just for fun," said Kyle. "It's kind of like instead of going out to lunch with my Dad or whatever, we head out and do a bike race."

Entering both road races and cycling competitions sparked Dave's idea of organizing a local duathlon, which combines running and cycling into one event.

"I've only done one duathlon before, and it was very intense," said Dave. "I'd like to plan one around here late in the Fall where people can just have some fun, involve their kids, that sort of thing. I'm rounding up some volunteers to help me, and as soon as I know what I'm doing specifically I'll put up some info on-line and some fliers and such at the library and other public spots."

Generally races involve fees which are generated both to fund the race and to support a charity. Dave plans to make this one a free event open solely to Coventry residents. Stay posted for more details in about a month.