Twice a year, Orangetheory holds its famed DriTri. A triathlon-inspired event held in-studio (on dry land), the event encapsulates everything that is OTF: supportive, inclusive, and downright empowering.
In the Full DriTri, members complete a 2000m row, 300 body-weight reps on the floor, then a 5K on the treadmill. In the Sprint version, everything is halved. But no matter which they choose, members who Tri always say the same thing: There’s no feeling like completing a DriTri. The rush! The achievement!
Haven’t yet done it? Or hesitant to do it again? Why not?!
If your reason shows up in the list below, this is your sign to squash it. Here’s what you told us, and here’s what we want you to know!
1. “I’m a power walker.” So what?! OTF member MJ Farney of Albany, NY completed her first DriTri in 2022 at age 56. And guess what? “I am a power walker and I walked the whole 5K. I was the last one off the rower and the floor—and I didn’t care one bit.” Not only that, she says she loved it and plans on doing it again. Then there’s Bernie Luono Hoye of Martinez, California. “I completed my first DriTri in March 2022 as a 71-year-old power walker. In September 2022, I finished a few seconds faster.” Who’s with MJ and Bernie?
2. “The order doesn’t make sense! The row, then the body-weight reps, THEN a 5K?” Don’t worry! There’s a method to this madness. “The order of the OTF DriTri event mimics that of an outdoor triathlon, where you swim, bike, then run. The total body movement of the row can help get your body more primed and ready for the rest of the event,” explains Rachel Vaziralli, OTF’s Director of Fitness Design.” Her advice: Be more conservative in the DriTri row than you would in the 2,000m benchmark class. It’s on the 5K that you’ll empty your tank!
3. “The treadmill part. I can’t do that.” You don’t have to jog, run, or power walk at a steady pace the entire time. You can do your own intervals or think of it as three one-mile increments where you gradually ramp up your intensity as you go, says Vaziralli. The DriTri is meant to be a challenge, but you’ll be surprised at what you can do when the coaches and other members are cheering you on, she adds. “The most important thing to keep in mind is that the goal is about finishing, not finishing in a specific time or racing against anyone else but yourself!”
4. “Burpees, push-ups, and bench hop-overs? No, thanks!” In every OTF class, we always provide options—and the DriTri is no different. Rachel says:
- For the burpee, if you can’t jump back into the plank, step back into the plank and limit the impact.
- Do knee push-ups.
- Step over versus hop over the bench.
- You also can break up the reps however you need to. For example, you will complete 40 bench hop-Overs, but you don’t have to do them consecutively. Instead, you could do four sets of 10 and rest between each.
Find what challenges you and allows you to be successful, she adds.
5. “2000m row, 300 body-weight reps, AND a 5K?! That’s too much for me.” Then go with the Sprint! DriTri Sprinters do half of everything, and still feel like they conquered the world, as they rightfully should. Marcia Danzeisen Fultz of Lexington, KY shares, “I did the Sprint and had a blast! I really wasn’t sure I could do it but my coaches encouraged me, so my neighbor and I gave it a try. Now we are anxiously awaiting the next one to see if we can beat our time!”
6. “Contests are not my thing.” Don’t look at it as a contest against other people. Just like you do in class, you focus on yourself and nobody else. We love how OTF member Taylor Ann Gonzalez puts it: “You show up for yourself almost every day. The DriTri is totally a celebration for all the things you always do versus a ‘test.’ It’s all for you.” She’s right! Why not celebrate yourself?
7. “I’m terrified of being last.” First of all, think about this: Every single DriTri held includes someone who is “last.” That’s thousands of people. But we say “last” loosely, because again, this is about you vs. you. Not anyone else! Take it from OTF member Holly Tokarz of South Elgin, IL: “I was afraid I wouldn't finish in time, but I signed up anyway and have now done it three times! I finished last the first time, but everyone was cheering me on and it didn't matter. Do it scared and surprise yourself!”
8. “I’m not an athlete. The people who do the DriTri are!” At OTF, everyone is considered an athlete—but we know not everyone feels like one (yet). That said, a lot of members who don’t see themselves in that way have found it in them to sign up for the DriTri. Like Mari Sheth, a power walker who’s completed four DriTri Sprints. “I’m in decent shape but not an athlete by any stretch. I was nervous the first time, but it actually turned out to be a lot of fun.”
9. “No way, I’m coming off an injury.” So was Lauren Haight of Royal Oak, Michigan. She had a lot of anxiety about it after coming off a knee injury and shoulder issue. The floor exercises and running a 5K scared her. But? “The staff encouraged me to do it. The head coach gave me options and a strategy for running. I encourage anyone to do the first half if they have reservations.” And of course, PLEASE get clearance from your doctor. If your injury was recent, you’re fully excused!
10. “I’m scared. Period.” One of the best things about OTF is the camaraderie. At every DriTri, there’s cheering, there’s clapping, there’s happy tears. Oftentimes you’ll find members and coaches even hopping on treads to finish alongside the “last” person, so they’re not alone. OTF member Pete Gratz of Delafield, WI says, “The pride you feel when you’re done is amazing. I was a bit nervous the first time for sure! But if you let fear rule your life, you’ll never know what you’re capable of. So why not find out?”
The biggest takeaway from all this?
You.Can.Do.It. Every row, every rep, every step. You’ve been training for this with every OTF class you conquer. All it takes to shine is a shift in mindset.
You are built to Tri. Let’s go!
