By Heather Leiphart, Student Reporter
Swimming, biking and a jog outdoors may sound like just another lovely afternoon, but for 10 students it is a grade.
This semester’s triathlon class has trained all semester in preparation for the first Caveman Triathlon on Saturday in Flower Mound. The triathlon is the class final for the semester.
The Caveman Triathlon, presented by Dallas Athletes Racing, includes a 275-yard swim, an 11-mile bike ride and a 5K run, which participants will compete inside the Community Athletic Center at Flower Mound.
The students will check-in Saturday afternoon, spend the night in the Dallas area, then wake up hours before sunrise Sunday morning for the 7 a.m. race.
USA Triathlon has sanctioned the race, and students will need to buy a $10 one-day membership to compete in the sold out event.
Laura Dillman, instructor of exercise science and health, said she anticipates good results from the class.
“Whatever was their worst event, that’s where they’ve put their emphasis training all semester,” she said. “We just did a post-test Wednesday, and several of them have improved by two minutes on their mile time. Many of them have improved in the pool, which is typically most people’s worst event, and they’ve gotten better on the bikes.”
Thunderstorms recently have been forecasted for the Dallas area over the weekend, which may threaten to postpone the competition. In the event of fair weather, results will be posted on the event’s Web site, www.cavemantriathlon.com.