Frequently Asked Questions

TriJacks is a Northern Arizona University affiliated sports club.

Triathlon is a multisport event that combines swimming, biking and running. There are various distances for each race. The standard distances are a 0.9 mile swim, followed by a 25 mile ride, concluded with a 6.2 mile run (1.5km/40km/10km). This is known as an Olympic distance triathlon, because it is the distance that is raced in the Olympics (how 'bout that?).  We also compete in sprint distance events, which includes a .5 mile swim, a 12.4 mile ride, and a 3.1 mile run. 

T-R-I-A-T-H-L-O-N...triathlon. Not triath-a-lon. not tri-jack-lon, not tri-gono-metery. It is spelled TRIATHLON. While we're on the subject, it is AEROBARS, not airobars, not airbars.

We meet every Wednesday evening at 6:30pm in the Wall Aquatic Center on the NAU campus. When you walk into the lobby, take the stairs on your left and you will find us in the bleachers.
Of course, we also have group workouts planned for every day of the week.

Dues are currently $30. This includes the cost of your awesome TriJacks t-shirt!

1. You get great deals through our sponsors.

2. You receive a workout plan. Though we do not currently have a certified coach, a LOT of research and love has gone into the design of our workouts. They are probably better than what you would come up with on your own. =]

3. We are hoping to implement race subsidization into our budget this year. We will be doing a lot of fundraising, which means that you may not have to pay as much to race.

4. You can buy one of our awesome uniforms. 

5. Of course, the biggest perk is that you get to hang out with and train with the coolest club in the universe. Training with friends is far superior to training by yourself all the time. 

6. You will have an opportunity to actually compete as part of a team against other schools.

The TriJacks swim practices are held in the Wall Aquatic Center, which is probably one of the best pools ever and is free to students. (A lot of swim teams training for the Olympics come to NAU to use our pool! It's that cool.)

All over the place! We especially like Lake Mary Road and Snowbowl Road. Occasionally we'll take a trip to Sedona. We will arrange a meeting location for all group rides that will be posted along with the workout on the calendar.

The run locations are To Be Announced.

Nope. All are welcome.

Yup. There are 2 main goals of the club. One is to expose people to the sport of triathlon. Veteran members are more than willing to help out the newer ones. One thing you'll find about triathlon (I hope...) is that most people are friendly.

Well, if you ask nicely you can.

Yup. Triathlon is a great way to get in great shape. Another thing that I think you'll find is that triathletes who have been in the sport for a while are hot!

Yup. Most members start out with no biking experience. Try out the sport for a while. We are more than willing to help you look into bikes, and we can probably help you find a sweet deal!

Sure! You are welcome to join us in workouts, buy our stuff, and hang out. Nearly all of the races we do will allow you to compete as part of the team, too.

From the above questions, the club sounds like it is full of wimps and slackers. I have fourteen state titles in cross-country, track, swimming, and wrestling. Will I have people to push me to a higher level?

I hope so. There are some people with a lot of talent on our team. Several members consistently place in their age groups, some have competed in NCAA sports, and we've had members qualify for world championships. There should be people to challenge you and to learn from.

As a club sport, we don't have the resources to offer scholarships. We receive limited funding from the rec center, which we use for subsidization of members racing at collegiate nationals.

To kick butt! Every year we travel to the National Collegiate Triathlon competition. Of course we want to represent the school and place well.

The 2010 USAT Collegiate Nationals is going to be in Lubbock, Texas. It is going to be awesome! Hope to see you there!

The race schedule for the 2009-2010 school year looks like this:

• Nathan Tempe Triathlon on Sept. 27
• Powell3 Triathlon on Oct. 17  *conference race
• Desert Classic Duathlon on Feb. 28th
• Lake Havasu Triathlon on March ?   *conference championships
• Collegiate National Championships April ?

There are several other races that team members will be participating in, but these are the races we will focus on.  We also like to dress up for and win the Bilby footrace on campus on Halloween. 

Yup, all of the triathlons we do include the option of doing a sprint distance race. The length is about half that of an olympic distance, so about a .5 mile swim, 12.5 mile bike, and 3.1 mile run (750 m/20k/5k). Sprint distance triathlons are certainly an achievement, and are encouraged for new folks. We offer sprint-specific training plans and group workouts as well.

The Ironman is the ultimate triathlon. It consists of a 2.4 mile swim, at 112 mile bike ride, and a 26.2 mile run (a marathon). There isn't a club focus on these, so don't worry about being forced to do one of these! (Unless of course you have been really bad...)

A reasonable estimate is anywhere from $600-$1000. The bike is the biggest initial expense. You'll also need good running shoes and the skimpiest Speedo possible (just kidding, the running shoes don't have to be that good).

Nothing beats the feeling you get when you cross a finish line of a triathlon. It is truly an awesome experience. Plus you get the benefits of not burning yourself out on cycling, running, or swimming if you are doing one sport. There are usually cookies at the finish line as well.

Of course. We always need money and we will be very gracious if you want to donate it to us.

We put each of our sponsors name on our team uniforms each year. A link will go on the website. You also get direct exposure to a large group of triathletes, most of them at the college level...so we'll be making lots of money in 10 years. Other terms and conditions can be discussed.

Feel free to contact the president of TriJacks, Janee Overson. She's pretty good about responding to e-mail in a timely fashion. nau.trijacks@gmail.com

TriJacks is a cool group of people that like to train, race, and have a great time together. We want you to join us. =D