You do not have to be a world-class athlete to join Auburn's Triathlon Training class.
Participation requires a willingness to try and a mindset of having fun.
"I want my students to realize that they have the capabilities of completing a triathlon," said James McDonald, director of TigerFit and one of the class instructors.
McDonald said he wanted to interest his students in a sport in which they can compete for a lifetime.
"The class is about enjoying exercise that is fun," McDonald said.
The course prepares students to participate in a sprint triathlon by the end of the semester.
A sprint triathlon consists of a 300-600 yard swim, a 12-15 mile bike ride and a 3-4 mile run.
Students learn about triathlon events and equipment, how to train and perform workouts and how to transition from one discipline to another during a race.
They also learn how to fuel themselves with proper nutrition before, during and after the race.
Resources are also available to help the students find and enter triathlons.
In preparation for their triathlons, the students complete individual workouts and train between three and six hours a week.
McDonald said anyone could handle the training and complete a triathlon.
He added students should have at least basic swimming skills before signing up for the course and recommended taking swimming classes at Auburn.
"Once you get the basics of swimming down, the rest is easy," McDonald said. "It isn't hugely intense. You can go at your own pace to complete a triathlon."
Students keep track of their workouts and mileage in their training logs, which are periodically turned in.
The training log is a beneficial tool for the students to review their training, help them follow their goals and prepare them for their first triathlon in a smart and healthy manner.
McDonald also gives quizzes to reinforce the students' knowledge of triathlons.
For the final exam, students have the option of completing a simulated triathlon on campus or competing in an actual race.
By the second class day, the students were seeking triathlons in which they could complete as a group.
McDonald said this is the third semester Auburn has offered the course, and his first triathlon training class in spring 2009 filled up quickly.
He said he has had a few students come back and tell him about races in which they are now competing.
Justin Prior, junior in marine biology, took the class last spring and is now competing in Olympic-distance triathlons.
Prior is planning on running a Half Ironman, an event that takes place in April and consists of a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride and 13.1-mile run.
He is also a member of the Auburn Triathletes, a University club, and is taking the class for a second time to supplement his training.
He said he liked the class dynamic last spring.
"I met some good training friends," Prior said.
Amanda Ash, senior in radio, TV and film, is also taking the class this spring.
"I swam in high school, and I like to run," Ash said.
McDonald is teaching the class along with Eric Smith, director of Health Promotion and Wellness Initiative at Auburn.
Smith has raced every month out of the year since completing his first triathlon in 2005.
He is training for the Ford Ironman Florida, Powerman and Savageman triathlons.
McDonald completed his first triathlon in 1986 while he was in the Air Force.
He said he still likes to occasionally compete in triathlons when he has time to train properly.
McDonald said students who are interested in triathlon training should consider joining the Auburn Triathletes, a team of students, faculty and community members who train, compete in and promote triathlons together.
The club is USA Triathlon sanctioned and competes in the Southeastern Collegiate Triathlon Conference each year.
Anyone interested in joining the Auburn Triathletes should visit http://www.auburn.edu/student_info/triathletes/about_us.htm.
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