USA Triathlon Wants You
USA Triathlon Wants You
By Lindsay Wyskowski
Runners have the skills to be among some of the best athletes in the world, and not just on the track. For some, the ability to run fast leads down a different path to triathlon, an endurance sport that requires athletes to swim, bike and run to the finish. Three top U.S. triathletes have backgrounds in running, and have built their speed and stamina to finish on the podium at major international competitions.
Gwen Jorgensen qualified for the U.S. Olympic Triathlon Team in August 2011, fewer than two years after her first competitive triathlon. A runner (and swimmer) at the University of Wisconsin, Jorgensen found her way to triathlon with the help of the USA Triathlon Collegiate Recruitment Program. The program identifies top collegiate swimmers and runners and teaches them the skills to be successful in draft-legal triathlon.
“It is a great balance,” Jorgensen said. “I'm always entertained and having fun because I get to do so many different disciplines, and get to meet such neat people who do them as well. It also helps with staying injury free, because you get to balance all the different sports. Every day is a new adventure and I love it.
Click here to learn more about USAT's College Recruitment Program
Another familiar name in the running community is Lukas Verzbicas, who set national high school records for the outdoor two-mile and the indoor 5,000 meters. Verzbicas made the switch to triathlon full-time late in 2011, after winning the International Triathlon Union (ITU) Junior World Championships title in September and is currently training at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
“As a triathlete, my running success proves most useful towards the end of a race while everyone is running themselves towards the finish,” Verzbicas said, who believes the best part of multisport training is the process. “It’s triathlon that’s helped my running more. I absolutely love the varied training and many different experiences I go through while preparing for a race.”
Training for triathlons is possible even when training to be a competitive runner at the collegiate level. Tony Smoragiewicz, who finished third at the 2011 ITU Junior World Championships, will begin his freshman year at the University of Michigan in the fall, and he will run cross country and track while continuing to train for triathlon.
“I have a strong passion for both running and triathlon, so one of my top priorities in choosing a college was finding a coach who was supportive of triathlon and wanted to see me continue to train for both sports, instead of putting triathlons to the side for four years,” said Smoragiewicz, who has a goal of representing the U.S. at the 2016 Olympic Games in triathlon. He has worked with his coach to include swimming and biking in his training regimen.
“My success in running so far has been achieved through many hours of swimming with relatively few hours of running and biking in proportion,” Smoragiewicz said. “Coach [Alexander] Gibby wanted this trend to continue while increasing my run volume. He thinks that it will certainly benefit me in the long run (no pun intended) since I will be able to add extra volume to my training without the stress that running can cause on your body, if I was to only run.”
Verzbicas suggests runners incorporate swimming and cycling into their training to become better athletes. “Whether it's to become a full-time multisport athlete or to aid you in your training for a single event endurance sport, the variety you experience while training and racing triathlons will have you going longer and harder both physically and mentally.”
college, visit usatriathlon.org.