Frequently Asked Questions

CSU Tri Team is a Colorado State University affiliated sports club.

Triathlon is a multisport event that combines swimming, biking and running. There are various distances for each race. The standard distances are a 0.9 mile swim, followed by a 25 mile ride, concluded with a 6.2 mile run (1.5km/40km/10km). This is known as an Olympic distance triathlon, because it is the distance that is raced in the Olympics (how 'bout that?).

T-R-I-A-T-H-L-O-N...triathlon. Not triath-a-lon. not tri-cat-lon, not tri-gono-metery. It is spelled TRIATHLON. While we're on the subject, it is AEROBARS, not airobars, not airbars.

We are hoping to meet every Monday evening at 6:00pm in the upstairs conference room in the Rec. center (6th and Highland).
Of course, we also have group workouts planned for every day of the week.

$76 a semester. With this money, the club pays for coaching, and race subsidization. Coaching is open to all members at no additional cost. (Even swimming!)

1. You get great deals through our sponsors. Our sponsors include:
Trisports.com - 20% off all regular merchandise
Competitive Edge Massage - discounts on massage therapy (oh la la!)
Bargain Basement Bikes - Great discounts depending on what you need.
Performance Footwear - 20% off shoes, 30% off clothing
2. You receive coaching, which is covered in the cost of dues.
3. We also work race subsidation into various races of the year. Nationals is our emphasis, so you will get a pretty good subsidation for that.
4. Of course, the biggest perk is that you get to hang out with and train with the coolest club in the universe.

The TriCat swim practices are held in the Student Recreation center pool.

All rides start in front of the Starbuck's in Main Gate Square (Euclid and University). Occasionally some rides are posted to our listserv starting at different location.

The run locations are To Be Announced.

Nope. All are welcome.

Yup. There are 2 main goals of the club. One is to expose people to the sport of triathlon. Veteran members are more than willing to help out the newer ones. One thing you'll find about triathlon (I hope...) is that most people are friendly.

Well, if you ask nicely you can.

Yup. Triathlon is a great way to get in great shape. Another thing that I think you'll find is that triathletes who have been in the sport for a while are hot!

Yup. Most members start out with no biking experience. Try out the sport for a while. Our bike sponsor is Bargain Basement Bikes and gives GREAT deals for new bikes.

TriCats are allowed a certain percentage of non-student members. The president never really keeps track of the numbers though. There is a little more difficulty in getting in to swim practices because of rec center rules about non-students. None-the-less, non-students are more than welcome in the club!

From the above questions, the club sounds like they it is full of wimps and slackers. I have fourteen state titles in cross-country, track, swimming, and wrestling. Will I have people to challenge me and push me to a higher level?

I hope so. In previous years, TriCats has put at least 2 people in the top 20 at nationals, finished for the men as high as 6th overall. Our girls have placed as high 11th. And of course, we have people who are awesome swimmers, but can't run worth @%&*, and vice-versa. There are members who have competed at the NCAA division 1 level in both running and swimming. There should be people to challenge you and to learn from.

As a club sport, we don't have the resources to offer scholarships. We receive limited funding from the rec center, which we use for subsidization of members racing at collegiate nationals.

To kick butt! Every year we travel to the National Collegiate Triathlon competition. Of course we want to represent the school and place well.

The 2008 USAT Collegiate Nationals is going to be in Tuscaloosa Alabama. It is going to be awesome! We will be swimming in the Black Warrior River We had about 40 members compete in the 2007 race in Alabama and the team finished 19th overall! It was blast! Especially the party afterward.

Our annual races include the sprint distance Tucson Triathlon series located on the UA campus. We tend to do another Olympic Distance in the spring. In 2006 we competed in Lake Havasu City. There are other races members do, but the above are the big ones.

Yup, the Tucson Triathlon series is what is known as a sprint distance. The lengths are about half the Olympic distance (The UA races are 825yd swim, 12 mile bike and 3 mile run).

The Ironman is the ultimate triathlon. It consists of a 2.4 mile swim, at 112 mile bike ride, and a 26.2 mile run (a marathon). There isn't a club focus on these, so don't worry about being forced to do one of these! (Unless of course you have been really bad...)

A reasonable estimate is anywhere from $600-$1000. The bike is the biggest initial expense. You'll also need good running shoes and the skimpiest Speedo possible (just kidding, the running shoes don't have to be that good).

Nothing beats the feeling you get when you cross a finish line of a triathlon. It is truly an awesome experience. Plus you get the benefits of not burning yourself out on cycling, running, or swimming if you are doing one sport. There are usually cookies at the finish line as well.

Of course. We always need money and we will be very gracious if you want to donate it to us.

We put each of our sponsors name on our team uniforms each year. A link will go on the website. You also get direct exposure to over 70 triathletes, most of them at the college level...so we'll be making lots of money in 10 years. Other terms and conditions can be discussed.

Feel free to contact the King of TriCats, Makko DeFillipo. He's pretty good about responding to e-mail in a timely fashion.

TriCats is a University of Arizona affiliated sports club.