City Sports Club-Cebu to form triathlon team

THE City Sports Club-Cebu (CSCC) will soon have a triathlon team. The squad will not just be a group of pushover triathletes as they will be taught and trained to last in the physically demanding sport.

The formation of the team will start with the CSCC Triathlon Team Program, which is a “kind of training sequence that aims to provide members of CSCC the most comprehensive support in the sport of triathlon.”

The program will help the team prepare for the upcoming Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship slated in August next year in Mactan, Cebu.

The program will start on February 20 with the Triathlon 101. It will talk about endurance program design, performance tracking and recovery using technology, triathlon economics, choosing the right equipment and the strength training application.

Handling the program will be Pio Solon, a fitness coach who owns the Epic Performance Fitness, and Raul Sibayan, a sports performance coach and faculty member of the University Sto. Tomas.

Participants will then be briefed about sports nutrition on February 25. Several seminars will also be held from March to July

“While I was training for Ironman, I learned we have CSCC members who are into it. So, I decided to come up with this program before my term ends,” said Peter Militante,  CSCC board director.

“The ultimate goal is to bring the club’s name to a higher level and increase the value of the members,” added Militante in the program’s press launching yesterday at the CSCC.

Bernard Vonn Sia, a triathlete who is a member of CSCC, said the program is not all about helping participants earn a podium finish in the competition.

“We are not after personal records. We want to promote a healthy and active lifestyle. Triathlon should be a conduit to improve the quality of our life, to live longer and spend more time with our family,” said Sia.

Even those club members who have no plans of competing in the Ironman should join the program.

“We are targeting age-groupers. This is open to members who do not even intend to join the Ironman. Since by just joining the program will already improve your way of life. This is the service that the club is offering to its members,” said Sia.

As part of the training, team members will compete in other triathlon competitions before the Ironman.

CSCC Sports and Games manager Rey Fuentes said 30 to 50 club members are expected to join the team.

“They will compete in qualifying races for us to select the top athletes that the club will be sending to Ironman,” said Fuentes.