Newly formed triathlon club open to new members
author: nathan mccarville | sports writer
Run! Swim! Bike! Yes you should try it out!/Jeff Sawatzky
Training sessions available until the start of the summer season
The sport of triathlon is nearing its unofficial 100th anniversary, as it is thought to have been created in France, known as a race called “Les trois sports” and was later popularized in the 1970s. The race consists of cycling, swimming, and running, and is now on its way to the University of Regina as the newly formed Triathlon Club begins its first season this summer.
The thought of completing a triathlon can seem like a formidable task for anyone, even for experienced athletes, since the triathlon calls for competitive proficiency in swimming, cycling, and distance running. Though it sounds like this is not as difficult a feat as it may seem, as with the right training and the community that the University Triathlon Club seeks to provide. Based on the invitation they are extending to anyone from “experienced athletes to those who have no experience” with practices scheduled from October to April and races beginning in May.
James Lorenzen, the founder of the Triathlon Club, answered a few other questions a prospective member may have before thinking about joining the newly founded club.
NM: What can the Triathlon club offer the students of the University of Regina?
JL: We think this club can serve two main groups of people. The first group is ex-single sport athletes such as runners, swimmers and cyclists. Lots of athletes come to university and just don’t have enough time to be a varsity athlete in a single sport, are just not quite fast enough, or are constantly injured. An extreme example of this would be the Browlee brothers from Great Britain. Both were very talented runners with British national championship wins, but neither had what it took to turn pro. Last summer at the Olympics, they took gold and silver in the men’s triathlon. The second group of people are those who have never really been elite athletes but want to challenge themselves. Triathlon creates an interesting opportunity for people to constantly be challenged and break through barriers. If they were to take up a single sport they will inevitably plateau. The same thing happens in Triathlon but while you are stuck in a rut in your running, your swimming will be making leaps and bounds.
NM: What made you decide to start a triathlon club to the University of Regina?
JL: I myself have only been doing triathlon for a year. Last winter, I was talking to a friend of mine and they said, ‘why don’t you try and start a triathlon club?’ So I put out a post on the Regina Multisport Club Facebook page and asked if people would be interested. The support was overwhelming. The multisport community in Regina really stepped up with three guys sending me messages about coaching before I went to bed that night. So at that point I realized that this could be success.
NM: Why should people join and what could this program offer to the students who choose to partake?
JL: People should join for a new challenge. They will find out things about themselves that they never knew. Plus a group of built in friends. The multisport community in my experience has been nothing but welcoming. And, finally, if they’re just looking to get fit and have fun, $75 dollars a semester for four hours of training is extremely cheap compared to other programs. Don’t worry if you don’t want to do any one particular event. There are duathlon (bike, run), aquathon (swim, run) and aquabike (swim, bike) races offered within Saskatchewan and the club will support athletes in any multisport pursuit.
NM: Besides the flexible programs and events scheduled within Saskatchewan regarding triathlons, how is it possible for someone who has not even made the attempt at training for a triathlon and do not consider themselves able to complete in such a capacity against others more experienced than themselves?
JL: Triathlon training is broken up into swimming, biking, running and brick training. Brick training is any combination of the three events done in a single workout. Currently we are offering two swim workouts, a bike & run brick workout, as well as indoor cycling (once the snow comes). Athletes can come to as many or as few as they want. We are looking at adding additional workouts if our numbers grow enough to need them. Athletes may also pay an additional fee to join our competitive stream and receive personalized weekly training to help you train on the other days of the week as well as train when you can’t make practice.
