Audrey Speight
Editor-in-chief
A large percentage of Shorter students are athletes, but what are non-athletes doing to stay in shape? Three students, Trice Riddle, Courtney Trippe and Andy Pichardo, are training this semester for the Spring Fling Triathlon in West Point, Ga.
The triathlon is taking place April 29 and has three parts consisting of running 3.1 miles, biking 15 miles and swimming 600 yards. The students are currently training by running, swimming and biking to make sure their bodies are prepared for the upcoming race.
“Right now we are at the beginning of training, but we run, bike and swim a lot,” said Trippe, junior communication major.
The three students are preparing for the event by setting aside time for their daily routines. Each day Riddle, senior business management major, swims for an hour, runs a mile and bikes between six and 12 miles. In addition, he works out at the gym and sometimes runs from his apartment to the gym for extra training.
“I’m mainly doing this to stay in shape and because I want something competitive. I like to compete against others,” said Riddle.
The students believe the training is intense, but worth it.
“To be honest, it is a challenge to put in so much time on training while still having to go to class and do homework,” said Pichardo, “but the reason I am doing the tri is because I love the training you have to put into it, but also the feeling you get when you finish the race.”
These three students encourage one another and help hold the others accountable. They believe having friends to train with and compete against makes it more exciting.
“I am looking forward to doing the triathlon with the guys. Last time Andy and I did one it was awesome, but having another person just adds that much more accountability and that much more competition,” said Trippe. “It’s going to be fun to see how all of us do compared to ourselves and compared to each other.”
Riddle, Trippe and Pichardo are embracing the training process while anxiously awaiting the big day. They have faced both physical and mental challenges, but refuse to give up.
“The training is intense because it’s tough on your legs,” said Riddle. “The hardest part, though, is that it’s mostly mentally tough. But I’m excited and ready.”
