Chris Wiatr ’13 wasn’t happy with his bike leg in the Minneapolis Triathlon on July 14, so you know what he did? He spent the next three weeks training on Hoosier Pass in the Rocky Mountains in preparation for Chicago.

He had no choice. He’s a professional now.

He earned that status after placing second as an amateur in the 2011 Chicago Triathlon. Click here to read that story. Now he’s competing against the big dogs, and a spot on the podium is anything but easy to come by.

“I have to catch up,” Wiatr said about his competitors, some who are Olympians.

In addition to fiercer competition, racing professionally means a chance to win money and 30 hours a week of training year round.

“I’m forced to do more now,” he said. “There’s more pressure to follow what other competitors are doing.”

Many professionals are unlike Wiatr in that they are not full-time students or do not work full-time. Their job is to train. Wiatr, however, trains in addition to his studies as an economics major at the College. He’s also a member of the cross country team.

Wiatr treated his first professional appearance in Minneapolis as an introduction to his new life and tried to overcome his nerves from being surrounded by other professionals. He finished the 1K swim, 40K bike, and 10K run that day in 2:05.

His Chicago race six weeks later on August 26 went better, but not by much. Wiatr crossed the line in 2:03. Although it wasn’t a significant drop, it had been a really rainy day, and he still felt good about his performance.

Wiatr has a lot of work to do to make it to the top, where racers finish in 1:49. And, the top is where he wants to be.

“That’s the goal,” he said. “I mean, why not?”

To get there, Wiatr hopes to hire a coach before the end of the year. Together, they will create a training schedule for next season. Wiatr also will continue to keep a log of his workouts and reflect on what he needs to do to improve.

Where does he see himself a year from now? In Colorado training full time and maybe working a part-time job. And, yes, he will be running the Chicago Triathlon next summer.

News Contact