Swimming, cycling and running. Most people can do all of these things; few can do them all one after another without stopping.

Sacramento State’s triathlon team members are some of those few. A test of stamina, triathlons push competitors to their limits.

Taking a sport they’re already accomplished in and wanting a greater challenge is how many get into triathlons.

“I ran cross country in high school and I was on the swim team,” said Erica Knauff, graduate criminal justice major and president of the triathlon team.

“When I was 15, I did the Davis kids triathlon and I ended up first overall in the guys and girls,” said Shelly Pugh, sophomore nutrition major.

“I swam for most of my life and I thought doing a bike and a run would be fun,” said Michael Smith, junior social science major.

Pugh placed 6th out of a field of 45 at the 6th annual UC Davis Sprint Triathlon on Easter Sunday. “Last week I got 10th and I was 22nd the first time,” Pugh said. “And so my goal was to try to get between three and six.”

Triathlons force members to train at all three legs since it only takes one event to make or break one’s success.

When asked what her strongest leg of the event is, Pugh said, “Probably the bike, I got out of the swim at 19th and after I got into the run I was in fifth.”

Knauff finds the bike to be the most difficult part of a triathlon. “Those clipless pedals, with the shoes and everything,” Knauff said.

Smith finished 46th out of 57 after initially coming out of the pool in second place. ” I thought I’d do a little bit better but overall I did OK,” Smith said.

Knauff was registered and even paid the $40 fee to enter but suffered an injury the day before the race and was unable to attend. “I had a twisted ankle so I couldn’t even go,” Knauff said.

Sacramento State had five members competing against Davis and other California schools including Stanford, Cal, Sonoma State, UCLA, UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly. There are usually more members but event rescheduling and Easter reduced Sacramento State’s presence. It is common for around 10 members to enter a triathlon that is held in Northern California.

Joining the triathlon team is free but it does cost money to participate. Entrance fees and equipment, including bicycles, must be paid for by the student athletes.

Coming together to train is done when possible but the nature of the sport makes routine practice difficult. Self-motivation is the key to success since training is often done alone.

Being able to make planned schedules was already difficult and made even more so with the closing of the pool on campus. “Not having the pool running really bummed us out because we just couldn’t meet every Tuesday, Thursday at the pool like we did in the fall,” Knauff said. “So we wanted the pool to be open during Winter Break. That would have been really great, but you know, they didn’t.”

There are plenty of opportunities for beginners as triathlons are run frequently in Sacramento and neighboring cities. Less than an hour away from Sacramento is Auburn, which now has the town motto of “Endurance Capital of the World.”

Like other clubs, the team had a booth in the quad in the beginning of the semester. Knauff has had more success recruiting this year than in the past. “I found it way more easier, I think maybe because of the Olympics,” Knauff said.

While still just a rec sport among colleges around the nation, its popularity has been increasing rapidly. It became an Olympic sport in 2000 and people of all ages can enter. “This is a growing sport. Pretty soon it’s going to be a NCAA sport the way it’s going,” Knauff said.

The interest the club drew has led to a lot of students considering participating in triathlons. Knauff estimates there are about 78 people on the team’s email list.

Conflicting time schedules and expenses has led to only the most dedicated actually being active members. “We really only have fifteen, you know, which is typical,” Knauff said.

During triathlons men and women start at different times but merge together and race along side each other all the time. Teammates can occasionally be seen cycling and running together, giving encouragement. Eventually everyone splits up to continue at their own pace.

Normally there are more men in the club but this year has been an exception. There were three men and two women competing for Sacramento State this weekend. “We really do have an even mix this year,” Knauff said.

Time and money are precious but for the triathlon team, they can lead to things that are priceless: great memories, physical fitness and the ability to show others how to get in shape.

“Go for it, it’s a healthy lifestyle,” Knauff said. “You’ll meet great people.”

Mitchell Wilson can be reached at [email protected]