How Tri Club Came to Be

I went skiing with my family in 2007 and for the first time ever, I was the last one to make it down the hill and over to the chair lift for the next go. I was complaining about this and that not working correctly but what had truly occurred was a significant drop in my personal fitness level.

I took immediate, corrective action because I did not want to become the Cocoa sipping Lodge Mom who sits next to the fireplace and reads an adventurous book while her family is just on the other side of the glass and actually having an adventure.

I started going to the gym and getting better information about nutrition. I dusted off my old bike and started riding it whenever I could. It started to feel good to have sore muscles at night and to give my body proper fuel to work hard.

I decided that it was time to step up my game and start participating in a competitive activity. Considering that I was no good at swimming, running or biking; but comfortable doing all three…the decision was easy and I began competing in triathlons.

Well, for the first three, I was so slow that the finish line had practically been dismantled by the time I crossed it.

There are actually a couple of funny stories that go along with my initial performances, but eventually, I knew that I wanted a better personal performance.

While collecting my entry package for the Pacific Coast Triathlon, I noticed this strange, lovely, animated red head who was giving a free clinic on fast triathlon transitions. She was so entertaining that I picked up her flyer and later learned that Martha Szufnarowski is a Triathlon Trainer. She is certified by USAT. She has a remarkable and inspiring personal story and an absolute CAN DO attitude.

I have ecommerce sites for my two passions: scuba diving and surfing so I have experience with creating an online presence.

Martha asked for name ideas and I spent a bit of time researching possibilities for her and finally, I found one that I liked: triclub.

Martha respectfully passed on the name in favor of her own cool choice (which is TriLaVie.com) but I had fallen in love with the idea of triclub so I had no choice but to own and develop it into a place where you can learn about all of the triathlon related events going on around the planet. Read training tips from experts and purchase great equipment.

I like the name because being a triathlete does feel like belonging to a club of supportive and interesting people who share many similar goals for their lives; the most important being to live it with health and vitality.

Think of it as a church for your body where good living is espoused by like minded peers.

Think of it as a country club that has less to do with cocktails and more to do with sports nutrition drinks. Think of it as TriClub.

Wishing you health, happiness and adventure,

Melinda Herndon

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US Women’s Tri-series, San Diego, CA – Sprint and Supersprint

This is such a special event. It is less of an hour plus of extreme endurance and more of a women only weekend of growth and bonding. Here is what you can expect.

All attendees must pick up their racing packets on Saturday, after a mandatory course briefing. There are all sorts of helpful clinics during the day on Saturday that vary, like how to find tennis shoes that fit and athlete nutrition. You can also try out lots of cool freebies. I personally spend a good deal of time at the Luna station testing out the new flavors. You can pick up some terrific deals on wetsuits and bikes and accessories, too. Expect to pay 25-50% less thank you might pay at your local shop.

The best idea is to get a hotel room close to the race. You are a short bike ride from Mission Bay’s South Shore Park if you get a room at either the Hilton or the Hyatt. It takes a while to drive a car to the event due to the large number of participants: 2000 women, and since you have to pick up your race packet the day before, why not make a weekend of it for the whole family? Both hotels are kid friendly and have great swimming pools. The race is over so early that u may return to your hotel and find that your family is still sound asleep.

Since this event is sprint distance: .75k calm Mission Bay swim, 23k miles fla & scenic bike segment and a hill free 5K or alternately, a super sprint distance: which is half as long for each segment; there are very few people who cannot commit to participating and it makes for a perfect starter race for new participants.

The thing that really gets to me about this race is the abounding kindness of all of the participants. I think that it is highly special because it consists only of women and despite the fact that everyone there wants to do their very best job; it is more important to be kind and encouraging than it is to pull a personal best.

It’s humbling to realize that a good number of the participants are cancer survivors (the Triumph Division) and to see the expressions on their faces as these women bound over the finish line is a moving experience. These are women whose bodies had to go through all sorts of tough stuff to get well. There are people in attendance who have relatives who lost the battle. All are there to cheer on women who are ready to put their able bodies through their paces to see what other magic they can produce.

The race raises money for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund which has given out over $33M in grants to researchers over the past 12 years. Their strict focus is on the science of a cure.

The U.S. Women’s Tri Series features events in three states: Illinois, Washington and California. To view more information about this Women’s triathlon series, you can visit uswts.com

Here is wishing you health, happiness, purpose and fast transitions.

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Useful Links for Triathletes

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Triathlon Checklist