By Amanda Mendoza |Staff Writer|
The Iron Coyote Triathlon is almost over for CSUSB’s spring 2013 quarter.
Given almost three months to complete, students are sweating to reach the finish line.
The challenge consists of 112 miles of biking, 26.2 miles of running and 2.4 miles of swimming by CSUSB students.
Student Margie Land of CSUSB has participated in the Iron Coyote for two years now.
“This is my second time participating in this event and I have enjoyed it each time. I wear my Iron Coyote T-shirt with pride and it usually sparks conversations with others. I think it encourages them to have the confidence to do something like this for themselves,” said Land.
With much needed practice to compete in this event, “I try to workout on a regular basis. This has prepped me to be familiar with the SRFC facilities, equipment and available services,” said Land.
Students can relate as to why she continues to participate, “I like this event because it let’s you complete it at your own pace. There is no pressure to compete against anyone else. For me, I tend to wait till the deadline nears, because I work better under pressure. It doesn’t matter when or how you do it, just do it.”
Niko Rabbitt, another CSUSB student competitor, didn’t hear about this event until a week before it started, so he didn’t have much time to practice to get a head start.
“The only thing I could do was prepare mentally. I planned out which days I would be doing the different activities and from there I set my goals accordingly,” said Rabbitt.
Although he is not yet finished with the triathlon, Rabbitt is proud of himself for what he has accomplished so far.
“I’m so proud of how far I’ve gotten [in this event] so far. I’ve completed both the running and cycling miles and am still continuing to reach future goal[s] beyond the Iron Coyote. Right now all I have left to do is complete the swimming portion. Unfortunately, I injured my foot while running two weeks before the end of the triathlon, so I’m afraid I wont be able to finish in time. Whatever happens I know I had a great time and am in better shape because of it,” said Rabbitt.
The benefits that Iron Coyote offered kept the students reaching for their goals and staying active.
“I’m participating in the Iron Coyote to work on my cardiovascular exercises. Before I never really thought about how much cardio workout [can be] so beneficial. I was honestly doing the challenge just for fun and to help me get out there and be more active … and it did! I’m hoping to get the motivation and inspiration to hopefully train myself to compete in a real triathlon,” said Rabbitt.
With balancing school and work, Rabbitt still had time to enjoy this activity.
“I loved it, especially how much time it gave me. Between my studies and work it was hard to squeeze in one more time consuming activity. Having the entire quarter to get it all completed was painless and fun. It was always a win/lose situation,” said Rabbitt.
With much hard work and dedication put in by all participants, the deadline is soon approaching.
Though some might finish more of the triathlon than others, everyone should have the feeling of accomplishment after putting in time and hard work.
The winner of the Iron Coyote will be announced Friday, June 7.
This event takes place every spring quarter and for those who are interested on doing it next spring, contact the recreational center for more information.
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