No excuses to enter enticer triathlon

If you’ve ever thought about entering a triathlon, now is the time to do so because the Northern Mariana Islands Triathlon Federation is offering an abbreviated event aimed at getting people off of the couch and into the saddle.

This Saturday, Nov. 6, the NMITF is hosting the first of a series of races aimed at getting first-timers who want to do a triathlon over their nervousness and onto a course.

This weekend’s event features a race much shorter than an average triathlon, with a 200-meter swim in the pool, a roughly 6-kilometer ride on a bike, and a 1km run. The event will be open to participants of all skill levels, and organizers have already taken measures to counteract any would-be obstacles to the racers.

Those who are not among the strongest of swimmers will be permitted to use a kick board in the pool, volunteers have been scheduled to provide child care for parents, and they have assembled an array of different types and sizes of bikes to borrow as well.

“This is a great opportunity to try out the progression from one sport to the next, practice transitions, burn out some carbo, and meet some other beginners,” said NMITF president Stephan Samoyloff.

For those who are more advanced and still want to compete, there will also be a double distance sprint race held on Saturday morning.

Following the race, all participants are welcome to meet with the veterans at Coffee Care on Capitol Hill for a debriefing and a question-and-answer session. The first-timers will also have the opportunity to socialize with other racers as well as the chance to buddy up with a veteran member.

While the group is at the restaurant, the NMITF officials will unveil the entire schedule of events of the season, including the next two events in the beginners’ series that will prepare the beginners to tackle the Tinian triathlon in February 2005.

Following the Tinian event, the NMITF will award a free entry to the Tagaman Triathlon in April for the most promising rookie in the series.

Samoyloff offered some words of encouragement to those who are teetering on the fence, “At this distance, everyone out there who is considering starting is already fit enough,” he said.

Registration for the enticer triathlon will begin at 7:30am at the Kan-Pacific Swimming Pool in Marpi, followed by an 8am start. It is recommended that racers plan to get there by 7am in order to set up their bikes, gear, and have a small warm-up.

The cost to enter is $5 for NMITF members and $10 for non-members. The annual fee to become a member of the NMITF is $25.