SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Airmen participated in the inaugural dry triathlon at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, Sept. 6. The event consisted of a 2,000 meter row, 300 body squats and a 5K run.
Kristina Brandes, 2nd Space Operations Squadron, said the event seemed interesting and unlike anything else the fitness center has put on, so she wanted to challenge herself with something new.
“I also love to work with the staff at the fitness center during all of the events they put on,” she said.
To prepare, Brandes went through the event several times in practice and in different orders, changing things up, to make sure her body was ready for the stress.
“During the event, I was very fatigued and my legs were definitely worked hard to the point that during the transition from the squats to the run I had to re-orient myself because my legs were shaking and unstable,” she said. “After I finished, I was even more fatigued but felt great because I had finished the event.”
Brandes said the hardest part of the event was the transition between the exercises.
“Each exercise stressed different muscles and winded you in a different way, so trying to actively recover from one exercise while performing the next was a challenge, especially when you are performing for time,” she said.
Lt. Col. Teina Stallings-Lilly, 19th SOPS director of operations, welcomes new fitness challenges to maintain a healthy life balance.
“This was an awesome opportunity to step outside my comfort zone,” she said. “The DriTri was a great event, I hope we continue to have it every year.”
First Lt. Brady Weaver, 4th SOPS, finished first among the males with a time of 40:27:00 and 2nd Lt. Nastassia Arrington, 4th SOPS, finished first among the females with a time of 47:36:00.
Stallings-Lilly was shocked, and grateful, when she learned her results.
“I just hoped to complete the event for a sense of satisfaction, but placing in the top three for females, that was an added bonus,” she said.
Brandes, who finished second among the females, said events like this are important for Airmen because it gets us out of the office and puts a healthy stress on our bodies and minds.
“We get to meet new people with a like-minded attitude toward athletic competitions and working out in general,” she said. “Not everyone is into the same thing, in terms of working out, but these events offer an opportunity to get out and try something new in a safe way.”
The next fitness center event is the annual half marathon starting at 8 a.m. Oct. 4. For more information about upcoming fitness center events, call 567-6628.