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UCSD Triathletes Aim to Be One of Greenest on Collegiate Circuit

Ioana Patringenaru | May 18, 2009

Photo of
Allison Johnston was part of the UCSD women's triathlon team that captured its fifth national championship last month.
Photo/Chris Burnham

The UCSD women’s triathlon team recently captured its fifth national title. The men’s and women’s teams combined rank fifth in the nation. But they are not stopping there. UCSD triathletes now plan to make their team one of greenest on the collegiate circuit.

One of the athletes’ first efforts will be a 5K race, which will take place on campus May 23. The Grove Run bills itself as Southern California’s first sustainable race. The competition’s public announcement system and timing clocks will run on solar power, said Frank Uyeda, a graduate student and vice president of the UCSD Triathlon team. Runners are encouraged to carpool to the race. To hydrate, they will use compostable cups made out of a corn-based material.

“Being at UCSD, we’re in the forefront of seeing the impact of climate change,” Uyeda said. “So, we should take all the steps we can to make our races more sustainable and make sustainability a goal for our team.”

Team members, who are all students, have a great appreciation for the outdoors, where they practice every day, Uyeda also said. He and fellow triathlete Darlene Hunt both tell similar stories of being saddened by the amount of waste generated at some of the races they attend. Competitors usually receive plastic registration bags filled with ads printed on paper that often end up in the trash, Hunt said. Water stations are stocked with paper cups or plastic bottles that end up in the landfill. Some races are now trying to be greener, Hunt added. That provides an excellent opportunity for UCSD, which tries to be at the forefront of sustainability efforts, she also said.

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The men's team battling it out during the national championship. Photo/Chris Burnham

Runners entering the Grove Run will get a chance to compete for a greenest athlete title. They will get bonus points for using public transit, carpooling or riding their bike to the race, among other things. Bringing your own reusable water bottle and wearing clothing made of sustainable fabric also gets you ahead of the pack.

The UCSD Triathlon team plans to receive a certification from Council for Responsible Sport for its sustainability efforts. The council offers a checklist that organizations have to meet, including recycling glass, plastic water bottles and aluminum cans; using renewable power sources; and offsetting travel with carbon credits.

In the past, team members have flown to out-of-state events, such as this year’s national championship in Lubbock, Tex. They are now considering driving, Uyeda said. Carbon offsets also are an option, he said.

The team is made up of extremely focused individuals with varying levels of ability, Uyeda also said. Some just want to finish one race during the year. Others want to win the national championships. All juggle coursework and research with practices and competition.

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Triathlete Darlene Hunt, who was instrumental in the victory at nationals.
Photo/Chris Burnham

The most ambitious can attend different workouts every day, including running, swimming, biking and weight training. Coach Mac Brown guides students through three weekly practices. Brown has been instrumental in the team’s success this year, said Hunt, the female triathlete. “He’s really supported us,” she said. This year, the UCSD women’s team fielded an exceptionally versatile roster, Hunt said. “Being strong in all three events really helped to catapult us above the other teams,” she said.

For a few months every year, Hunt’s day starts with a workout from 6:30 to 8 a.m. She then eats breakfast and heads out to the lab, where she conducts research on mice and heart disease as a bioengineering graduate student. Then it’s time for another workout, before getting home around 8 p.m. The routine helped her become the first female graduate student to cross the finish line at the national championships in Lubbock.

Uyeda’s day can be similar. He is working on a computer science doctorate after studying as an undergraduate here. The workouts are a nice change of pace from days spent studying and sitting in front of a computer, he said.

“I make time for train because it’s something I enjoy,” he said. “It’s nice to move around.”


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From left: front row: Bethany Sotak, Sarah Kavaler, Allison Johnston, Lauren Chiodini, Darlene Hunt, Lisa Fong; back row: Robert Krohn, Frank Uyeda, Tim Ray, Marc Schommer, Sante Kotturi, Michael Libutti.Robert Krohn, Frank Uyeda, Tim Ray, Marc Schommer, Sante Kotturi, Michael Libutti.
Photo/Chris Burnham

 

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