Heading towards the home straight

Only one week to go until the REAL Women's Duathlon and I'm pretty nervous.

I've been training for five weeks now and feel a bit fitter but I'm wondering what I'm going to wear, what I'm going to eat and how much of a struggle it is going to be.

I can now jog for 30 minutes without stopping and I also cycled 20km last week, so I've stepped up my exercise routine considerably since this journey began.

I've enjoyed it and feel like I've achieved something already.

I just have to push myself on the day and get over the finish-line in a reasonable time.

The REAL Women's Duathlon website has given me helpful hints for the event.

It says bike pants are recommended along with the event shirt.

"Helmets are compulsory. Running shoes are recommended - leave those heels at home! Socks, sunglasses, sun hat, hair colour are all optional. Smiles MUST be worn," it says.

That sounds easy enough.

It also recommends what to eat the night before.

"As the length of the event is not too extreme, the practice of carbohydrate loading is not need. [sic] However, participants do need to eat a high carbohydrate diet in the one to two days prior to the event. This is not pigging out."

Good choices for dinner the night before the event are lean beef mince bolognaise, beef and pasta, lean lamb and vegetable pasta, casserole with potato and kumara.

Event day nutrition is designed to restore blood glucose, take care of hunger and leave you feeling ready to perform.

Cereal with fruit and low fat milk is recommended.

Drinking enough fluid is important.

Sports drinks provide extra carbohydrate.

It's my final week, and the last chance to get some training in.

I'm aiming for three jogs and two bike rides, plus my fitness class.

I'll take a rest day on Saturday and then be up early for event day on Sunday.

I'm only one of about 1000 women doing the duathlon so I'm sure it'll be a fun event.

I'll let you know next week how it went.