At the Powerman Spain celebrated on the 27th of February in Can Picafort, Mallorca, we had the pleasure to host one of the best Japanese duathletes, Airi Sawada. We took the opportunity to have a chat with her
Hi Airi, how did you get in to Duathlon and Triathlon? What is your favourite discipline and why?
Originally, I wanted to do triathlons, but my swimming was not strong enough to compete with world athletes, so I switched to duathlon. My performance improved a lot after that.
My favorite discipline is running – it’s something I can always rely one. My performance improves the more I run.
Was there a particular discipline which started your Duathlon/triathlon career?
I started competing in triathlons because I used to swim.
If running, What tips would you offer to runners wanting to move into Duathlons/triathlons?
Start with running - it’s simple and free. Your muscles will be much more effective as you move on to swimming and biking.
What injury problems have you had to deal with over your career?
I’ve never had a big injury, just small ones.
You came 4th at Japan Duathlon National Championship and 7th at Motala Long Distance Triathlon, What are your goals for the upcoming year and beyond?
I want to be a top ten athlete in the Powerman Duathlon. (Actually she finished 7th at the Powerman Spain with a time of 3:22:52)
What does your weekly training schedule consist of?
Morning: Running
Evening: Swim
I live in northern Japan, where it snows heavily in winter. I cycle in the summer, and do other training in southern Japan.
Talk us through a normal day?
I work at a car repair company as an assistant, and I take care of my dog.
What does a typical day of food look like for you? Do you follow a strict nutrition regime?
I eat typical Japanese food. My favorite is natto, made from soybeans fermented.
I never eat junk food like cup ramen or other snacks.
What's your recovery routine like?
Eat within 1 hour of training.
Sleep for 8 hours.
Stretch and massage.
Do you have any pre-race rituals?
I write down the time schedule before the race in advance. If I get nervous, I just look at the time schedule and relax.
Who is your greatest Duathlon/triathlon inspiration?
Nicolas BENOIT (France)
Sandra LEVENEZ (France)
In Europe, Duathlon and Triathlon have become really popular, how big is in Japan Duathlon/triathlon as an sport?
In Japan, the triathlon is much more popular than the duathlon because it’s an Olympic sport. However, more and more triathletes are competing in duathlons. They may not be as popular as in Europe, but I want to promote the sport as much as possible.
