Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I join the team if I’ve never done a triathlon?
2. How do I officially join the team?
3. When and where are practices held?
4. What are practices like, and what do I need to bring to them?
5. What kind of bike do I need to practice or race, and what if I don’t currently own one?
6. What if I can’t make it to practice?
7. What does the team’s competition season look like?
8. What kind of equipment do I need to compete in a race?
9. How do I register for a race, and how much do they normally cost?
10. How do we get to wherever we are competing, and where do we sleep?
11. How is the team organized, and who are its members?
12. What is the best way to communicate with the team?
1. Can I join the team if I’ve never done a triathlon?
Yes, you definitely can! Our team accommodates all types of levels, as well as athletes coming from different sport backgrounds. The only requirement to join the team is to be currently affiliated with the university (i.e., be an enrolled undergraduate or graduate student), and fill out and submit all the electronic forms and payments (described in the next question).
2. How do I officially join the team?
To be on our team officially under UC Davis Rec Sports (i.e., Campus Recreation) guidelines, you must register on Fusion and DoSportsEasy. The instructions are below. It is a short process and costs $10. For new members, you have 2 weeks of "tri before you buy" to practice with us. Thus, we ask that you complete registration and pay dues before the end of your 6th team practice.
Fusion
Follow this link: https://rec.ucdavis.edu
Scroll to sports clubs
Find triathlon, choose the only option you have
Read/sign the waivers, pay the $10 fee and you’re all set (less than five mins)
Note: use your address that matches your credit card
Here’s a video if you get confused: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWgWsiT4dRY&feature=youtu.be
DoSportsEasy
Follow this link: https://campusrecreation.ucdavis.edu/dosportseasy
Click on registration for Triathlon
Fill out your information
Aside from registering on those sites, we have team dues which pay for our team events and races, as well as our Coach’s salary. As of 2022, dues are $90 per quarter. You can pay dues using Venmo (@aggiemultisport), by writing a check made out to Aggie Multisport, or with cash. Cash or checks can be handed to our Treasurer, our President, or our Vice President.
3. When and where are practices held?
Team practices are coached sessions, and are currently held on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Weekday practices consist of a swimming practice from 4 to 5 PM at the Rec Pool, followed by a running practice. Saturday practices consist of a cycling or bike/run (BRick) workout.
On Tuesdays, we typically run at the Woody Wilson track from 5:30 to 7 PM.
On Thursdays, we typically meet outside the Rec Pool, and run around campus in smaller groups from 5:15 to 6:45.
For Saturday workouts, meeting places and times vary and are announced by Coach John, usually on Friday. A typical workout normally goes from 8-9 AM to 12- PM. If we’re not cycling in or around Davis, we usually meet earlier than that to commute on time. Past Saturday bike rides include routes in or around Davis, from Davis to Winters and back, and around Winters or Vacaville (carpooling to that area).
4. What are team practices like, and what do I need to bring to them?
Coach John designs and oversees our workout plans, which he also sends to the whole team via email each month. These workouts are currently divided into two difficulty levels/group schedules. The Gold Group schedule is for new or less experienced triathletes. The Blue Group schedule is for more experienced triathletes with a good fitness base. You can choose the training schedule that best suits your background.
Most of the cycling and running workouts described in these workout schedules typically go off time rather than specific distances (e.g., 2.25 hr @ LE-ME). However, swimming (and some running) workouts normally specify distance intervals (e.g., 6 x 400 yd @ TT + 20 sec).
About every 6-8 weeks, Coach John holds time trials during our swim, bike, and run practices. These time trials are meant to set benchmarks of your racing-pace times and are a great way to track your progress throughout the season.
For swimming practices: bring a swimsuit, a towel, goggles, a swim cap, and a water bottle. Coach John or the Rec Pool provide paddles, pool buoys, parachutes, or kick boards if we need them. We have the possibility of using day-time lockers at the Rec Pool (you must bring your own padlock). Many of us simply leave our backpacks in the area just outside the pool.
For running practices: bring a pair of running shoes, comfortable socks, and one or two water bottles. Coach John normally looks after our things while we run.
For cycling practices: dress in layers and bring a helmet and one or two water bottles. Cycling sunglasses and padded shorts are recommended.
For bike-run (BRick) practices: bring a backpack with a pair of running shoes in addition to your cycling gear. Coach John normally sets up a transition zone for these workouts, where we can leave our bike and cycling gear as we transition into our running gear. Coach John normally looks after our things while we bike/run.
5. What kind of bike do I need to practice or race, and what if I don’t currently own one?
Any kind of bike will work to begin practicing! We have people on all types of bikes ranging from fixies to mountain bikes to road bikes. A road bike is ideal for our sport because they are lightweight and fast, so as soon as you commit to the team and sport, we recommend looking into purchasing one.
If you do not own a well-functioning bike that can be safely used for longer distances (20+ miles), the team has a loaner bike program where we allow new members to temporarily borrow a bike if we have one available for their size.
There is a 3 month limit on the bike loaner program if there is a waitlist for the bike that you are using. After this, we recommend looking for a used bike on Ebay or Craigslist. Coach John or one of your teammates are great resources for help looking for a good deal.
*The one thing that you do absolutely need to come to a bike practice is a safe helmet. Helmets must be certified by the CPSC (check the inside of your helmet for a sticker) and worn at all times while on your bike.
6. What if I can’t make it to practice?
We recommend following the workout calendar Coach John sends out, whether you’re able to practice with the team or train on your own. If you’re unable to attend the coached practice sessions, you can swim independently at the Rec Pool by signing up through the reservation tool online. They have a good amount of time slots each day, so you should be able to get time in the pool. Run and bike workouts can be completed outside of any campus facilities as you can pretty much run wherever, and the roads are open for cycling. Coordinating with other team members to swim/bike/run together on weekdays is also encouraged.
7. What does the team’s competition season look like?
Our team is part of the West Coast Collegiate Triathlon Conference (WCCTC), along with several other universities from California, Nevada, and Arizona. Many of these universitieshost different events through the Fall and Winter quarters, the last of which is the March Triathlon Series (i.e., MTS/regionals). Most of these races are Sprint distances (750m swim, 20k bike, and 5k run), while MTS is an Olympic distance race (1.5k swim, 40k bike, and 10k run). All these events lead up to each year’s Collegiate Club Championship (i.e., nationals).
It is common for each of these events to hold multiple kinds of races. Draft-legal races allow triathletes to draft during the cycling portion of the race, as opposed to classic races, which are non-draft. Some events also hold gendered or mixed team relays. Coach John selects in advance which triathletes from our team get to compete in either of these races, though most of us compete in the classic (non-draft) races.
8. What kind of equipment do I need to compete in a race?
Some people like to race in different gear than the one they train in, but many just race with the same they use at practices (e.g., swim goggles, swim cap, running and cycling shoes, helmet, etcetera). However, there are some pieces of equipment that you will likely only use during a race:
Triathlon wetsuit: Depending on where and what time of the year a race is held, race organizers may require or prohibit the use of triathlon wetsuits. Triathlon wetsuits are different than the ones you’d use to surf or scuba dive, as they are normally thinner and more flexible. If you do not have a triathlon wet suit, the team has some used ones you may borrow. In the past, our team has also received special discounts from Xterra, one of our sponsors. Reach out to our Promotions Coordinator for more information.
UCD trisuit: Athletes must have some type of University logo or name on their triathlon suit (trisuit) to sum points for our team during WCCTC races. Our team officers coordinate regular uniform orders with Castelli at the beginning of each season. While extemporaneous orders are possible, they require a minimum of 5 pieces per style (e.g., five men's tri suits, five women’s cycling tops), and take between 6 and 8 weeks to process. If you are unable to acquire a uniform before an upcoming race, reach out to our team officers to coordinate having you borrow one from a teammate.
Other: Some events require athletes to display their printed competitor number (bib) during a race. In these cases, a tri belt is needed. Elastic shoelaces are recommended.
9. How do I register for a race, and how much do they normally cost?
To compete in any WCCTC race or the Collegiate Club Championship you need to be affiliated to USA Triathlon. After purchasing a membership (annual $50, one-time $15) you will receive a member ID, which you will need when registering for any race.
Race prices vary by event, and the number of races you are expected to compete in each one. In the past, these have ranged from $60 to $140, although most events typically offer discount fees for early registration.
10. How do we get to wherever we are competing, and where do we sleep?
Our team’s Travel Coordinators arrange travel and lodging logistics in advance to each event. They normally send out an email to the whole team several weeks prior to a race, to gather information on who is planning on traveling and sleeping with the team. The team normally requests UCD vans to transport athletes and bikes, though we may also carpool to a race. Drivers must be approved Sports Club Drivers. The team normally rents out an Airbnb for lodging, though teammate’s friends or families have also hosted us in the past. Any travel or lodging expenses are divided among those who attend a race. You may travel independently from the team or make your own sleeping arrangements for any event. If you do, you must fill and submit an Independent Travel Form to our Team Officers at least two weeks in advance. However, you are strongly encouraged to travel and stay with the team.
11. How is the team organized, and who are its members?
Our team’s Officer positions rotate and are elected at the beginning of each season. You can see our current members by visiting our team’s website.
12. What is the best way to communicate with the team?
The best way to communicate with our Team Officers is through email, using the addresses specified in their profile description in the team’s website. To communicate with the rest of the team, request any of our Officers to be added to the team’s Facebook Messenger chat, where a lot of formal and informal communication takes place. If you do not have a Facebook profile, you are encouraged to get one, but you may also email the team at aggietriathlon@ucdavis.edu (you must be part of the listserv).