Triple the effort

A triathalon requires one to test his or her physical limits as a competitor. A triathlete has to run a marathon, swim for an extreme distance and bike a Tour de France distance, at least in the eyes of a spectator. For non-competitors it seems impossible, but Keene State College junior Dan Theleen has taken on the challenge of competing in arguably one of the most difficult events in sports.

Theleen competed in the 2010 Collegiate National Triathlon Championship in Lubbock, TX. Theleen had a chance to compete against some of the best collegiate tri-athletes in the country.

“There were some big name clubs racing there. Colorado Boulder was there and they have the best tri-team in the country. It was a great experience there and it’s always fun to go up against the best,” Theleen said.

Seeing as the triathlon is one of the ultimate test of stamina, Theleen has a training schedule.

“I started training for this competition six months ago. An average week would be around 15 to 19 hours of training,” Theleen said. “Three days a week I swim for an hour and two days a week I bike between an hour and a half and two hours and run for an hour to an hour and a half.”

Peter Thomas, head track and field coach, said Theleen works hard in his training. “It’s certainly a tough event and he works very hard at it, puts in a lot of time both swimming and biking, and then what he can get running-wise,”  Thomas said.

Time management is essential for training because the schedule is very demanding.
“It doesn’t interfere with my life at all. I’m able to hang out with my friends and get my work done. I train in the morning and afternoon, so I get to see all my friends at night,” Theleen said.

Traveling to Texas for the competition, Theleen said he might have had a slight disadvantage because he lives in New England.

“Living in New England, I can’t bike ride in the winter months. The tri-athletes who live on the west coast and the south can bike all year long,” Theleen  said. The weather conditions were not ideal for running a triathlon, Theleen said.

“It was 41 degrees that morning and the water was 54 degrees. It was cloudly all day and there were winds between 25-30 mph,” Theleen said. “I was cold the entire race. It was something I was wasn’t prepared for.” 

The weather also affected the course of the race. The wind changed the swim portion from one mile to 500 yards.

“It changed the swim to a sprint from a distance race. It kind of hurt me,” Theleen said.
Despite the setback he faced, Theleen was able to finish 35 out of 456 participants. Thomas commented on the race and the year Theleen had. “He had a pretty good race. He’s had an interesting year. He’d been hurt during cross-country season after a good start, came back during indoor season, ran reasonably well, had a couple decent track meets. That helped him prep for the triathlon,” Thomas said.

Theleen said he enjoyed the big stage and knows the experience will help him in the long run.

“I was happy with my result. It was my first national experience and I now know what to expect for next year,” Theleen said.

After the race, Theleen was able to find out what areas need improvement from the race.
“I need to train more with a bike. Over the summer I am going to bike a lot more hills,” Theleen said. “Also, I thought that I struggled a little bit with the running part.”
Theleen has had an interest in the sport for quite some time, dating back to his days in high school.

“I was a swimmer and runner growing up. I had coaches talk to me about triathlons,” Theleen said.  “My senior year in high school, I tried one out with a friend in my hometown and I got hooked on it. After that I signed up for more and more and got really into it.
Theleen has a passion for triathlons; he created the Keene State College Triathlon Club.
“I wanted to start it to get a general interest in triathalons. We have about 10-20 members right now,” Theleen said.

The goal for the program is to bring more students down to the CNTC. Theleen is working on expanding the club for fall 2010 and is training to qualify for the 2011 World Olympic Triathlon Championship next year in Beijing.

Chris Thelin can be contacted at cthelin@keeneequinox.com