Cayetano backs RP duathlon team

Sen. Pia Cayetano will lead a national team to a world championship event in New Castle, Australia where the country is participating for the first time.

The competition is the International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Duathlon Championship set Sept. 22-25 with the lady senator and former national triathlon titleholder George Vilog competing in the tough age-group competitions on the first day.

On the second day of the competition, national duathlon champion Ryan "Bad Boy" Mendoza together with national teammate Jefferson Valdez take on the rest of the world in the Open elite division dominated by European and North American duathletes. The team will be accompanied by team manager and assistant coach Melvin Fausto.

Notwithstanding her hectic schedule as a lawmaker and businesswoman, and a mother too, Cayetano has managed to put in an intensive month-long training program designed by Australian Rob Pickard for the national duathlon team.

"Actually for this kind of an event, the training is year-round but then for the World Duathlon Championship, I really spent a lot of time and effort in my preparation, I believe it has been the most intensive training I have done and I know it is not even enough, considering the level of competition there," said Cayetano, 37, and a two-time duathlon champion in Clarkfield in 2003 and 2004.

Practically everyday, Cayetano spends time running, biking, even swimming for additional stamina for the grueling 10K run, 40K bike, 5K run event in New Castle, logging 200 kilometers of bike and 30 kilometers of road and oval running per week, throwing in a personal duathlon every Saturday, with out of town long distance bikes in Tagaytay, Tanay, and Clarkfield during weekends.