Triathlon and Cycling Club at San Francisco State University

A: Triathlons are an athletic competition including Swim-Bike-Run, in that order.  Each event occurs back to back with short transitions in between each one.  There are a variety of distances and competative levels.

 

A: There are different distances (there is some variation in exact distances):

    Sprint: 400M swim (about 1/4 mile), 20K bike (about 12 miles), 5K run (3.1 miles)

    Olympic: 1500M swim (.93 miles), 40K bike (about 25 miles), 10K run (6.2 miles) 

    1/2 Ironman: 2000M swim (1.2 miles), 90K bike (56 miles), 21K run (13.1 miles)

    Full Ironman: 4000M swim (2.4 miles), 180K bike (112 miles), 42K run (26.2 miles)

 

A: Absolutely.  We can definitely help with that.  We have members who are very strong swimmers that lead workouts and will start you with basic tecnique and then build up you speed. 

 

A: Again.  Absolutely. We have some members who will have an extra bike that you can borrow until you can get one.  You can also you your campus bike for training.  We get some great deals including on bikes, which makes it easier to get better bikes.  Check our our sponsors. What we do require is that you wear a helmet any time that you are participating in a bike ride. 

 

A: First go to the getting started page.  Most of the information is there.  Fill out the necessary forms, and then start coming to practices. After a week we will ask that you pay dues.  At this point we can sign you up with the conference and you can compete if you like.

 

A: Not at all.  We have a lot of members who only participate for the social experience and to get a great workout.  If you want to take a few semesters to practice before you compete that is totally fine. 

 

A: Start with just the basics.  For the swim you should have goggles.  For the run, just a comfortable pair of running shoes.

 

A: We swim at the pool on campus in the gym.  You will need your student ID every time that you swim.  We also recommend getting a locker.  To get a locker you have to go to the Bursar's office in the Student Services building and pay $15 and they will give you a form that you turn in at the locker room where they will issue you a locker for the semester.

 

A: We have a great group of students who participate.  We are pretty evenly split between men and women.  We also range in age including undergrad and grad students.

 

A: Definitely.  We have social events, and a lot of the members have formed strong friendships.

 

A: Other than the social aspect and the great workouts.  We have some fantastic sponsors who give us some great deals that are only available to members of the club.  Because we also have a lot of students with a variety of academic backrounds we have a lot of members who are willing to help out with tutoring or any help that you need in your classes. 

 

A: We are a member of the West Coast Collegiate Triathlon Conference and USA Triathlon.  We compete within the WCCTC during race season, which is generally from late January to April.  We will also be competing in a fair amount of races outside of the WCCTC.  Triathlon competition season is generally from late January to October.  We will also be competing in other races such as half marathons, full marathons, bike races, and duathlons.

 

A: The time commitment is whatever you want it to be.  You can be as involved as you'd like, although we'd like for everyone to come out to whatever practices and races that they can because it makes a better atmosphere for everyone.