Running, biking and swimming, Oh my!

One mile swim. 40 km bike ride. 10k run. What sounds like the ultimate test of endurance to most people sounds like a solid weekend to the members of the Montana State Triathlon Club. While it may be hard for some of us to fathom, the Club regularly (and voluntarily) practices and competes in those three disciplines at those distances. 

Club member Alexy Orr sat down with the Exponent to offer some insight about the club.“Triathlon is a great way to push your body to the limit and see how far you can go,” she said. 

Despite the outwardly terrifying appearance of those distances, Orr offered her assurances that the pressure level in the club’s practices is low. “With our club, you can kind of pick and choose what you want to work on. Our practices aren’t mandatory, so if you’re into the run you can just do the run, or the same with the bike,” Orr said. 

Orr also emphasized that students do not necessarily need to have any experience in order to join the club, saying, “It’s this thing where any level can join. I started doing triathlons about a year or two ago. I kinda started with running and swimming in high school and picked up biking really recently.” 

“We have some people who have been doing it since they were really little, and we also have people who are just learning to swim or are just picking up the bike,” Orr said.

Orr spoke fondly when remembering her own experience with the club, especially the opportunity to travel and compete with her teammates. 

She also spoke on what she’s gotten out of the club: “I’ve met some really great friends this way, and it’s kept me in really good shape. It’s been really good for me, both physically and mentally. And of course, there’s that social aspect. I’ve met some great people and have learned alot about the sport from them.”

Indeed, triathlon can be spectacular for your health. According to professional triathlete Jon Fecik, writing for TeamUSA.org triathlon is great for your cardiovascular, brain and bone health. 

For any Bobcats looking for a very active club to join, the triathlon team would seem to be a spectacular option. Anyone interested should reach out to the team through CatsConnect or the team Instagram. @msu_triathlon