Sports

Westchester Tri Competitor to Watch: NECTC Athlete Nicholas Wendel

Name: Nicholas Wendel

School: Boston University, second year graduate student in Doctor of Physical Therapy program.

Hometown: Pittsford, New York

Why did you decide to participate in the Westchester Tri this year? Have you before?

I decided to participate in the Westchester triathlon this year because it is the conference championships for the northeast collegiate triathlon conference.  I have not done this race before but I have friends who have and have said good things about it.

 What do you like about this race in particular?

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I like the fact that this race is an ocean swim and it is a large-scale race. It is always exciting when there are lots of people in the transition area before the start.  I also really enjoy seeing all of the athletes on the course because everyone is working their hardest to go as fast as they can.

What motivates you to take on such large physical challenges?

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I started doing triathlons my freshman year in college as a new challenge after competing in team sports like soccer and baseball in high school.  I feel in love with the sport and the feeling you get when you just pushed yourself to your limit in a race or after a hard workout.  Since I started racing triathlon I have completed other large challenges like marathons, an ultra-marathon and a bike ride across the United States and I have really enjoyed pushing my body to new limits and the camaraderie that comes with completing large physical challenges with others (even if they are total strangers).

 How many months do you train for something like this? 

I am generally always training with my triathlon team at school but I would say that my focused training for the fall triathlon season begins in May.

How many hours a week do you train leading up to the event?

I train anywhere from 7-12 hours a week depending on my schoolwork. I would love to train more but I always have to make sure to put my academics first.

Can you give us an idea of your work out routines?

In an ideal week I will swim 2-3 times, run 3 times and bike 2 times but depending on my time schedule things vary.  I like to do a hard bike workout in the week and try to ride for 2-3 hours at a more moderate pace on the weekends.  My run schedule varies depending on my mood and I have a lot of different routes that I love to do in Boston.  I mostly swim at the pool at school but it is always fun to ride my bike out to Walden pond and swim in the open water at such a historic place.

What is your pre-race meal? Post-race?

My favorite pre-race meal is a bagel with peanut butter and a banana.  Being the poor college student that I am my favorite post race meal is the one that the race provides but generally pizza or subs is something that I definitely get excited about.

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The Westchester Triathlon is on Sunday, Sept. 29 in and around Rye. Here are all the details.  


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