The Unusual Suspects
It’s high time to introduce you to my fellow partners in crime. These are the fellows who will be racing with me in Arizona.
Firstly, me: I’ve been participating in triathlons for the last five years or so. After I graduated college and finished with baseball, I needed some sort of outlet for my competitive side. And to maintain my fitness, too, since I tend not to hit the gym if there isn’t some sort of ultimate goal in mind. So, I bought a road bike and started commuting to work on it, thinking I would start racing at some point. At the same time, I was dating a swimmer and spending a decent amount of time in the pool. I decided that it would be a lot more fun to be mediocre at three sports instead of just one, so I threw some running into the mix, and off I went.
For me, Ironman has been a goal since I first saw the Kona Ironman World Championship telecasts in junior high. This will be my first attempt at the distance, as it’s taken me several years to build up the sort of aerobic base where I could even think about finishing. The training program has been really enjoyable for me so far, and I think I’ll turn in a pretty decent time on race day, though I’d be thoroughly pleased just to finish this first time out.
Next, we have Steve: I don’t think Steve would be doing this race if I hadn’t met Kristy. Kristy is my fiance, and Steve is her older brother. Steve and I have enjoyed a “keeping up with the Jones’” relationship ever since we met three years ago and first did the Long Beach Tri together (when he used to say he had no interest at all in an Ironman). I have yet to beat him at any distance, and even though I keep making the distances longer, he keeps signing up right along with me. Steve has a marathon to his credit, and had a solid race at the Baja 70.3 this June, finishing in 6:01. Steve is also an instigator, and has a lot to do with why the other two members in our group have signed on.
Third is Jason. Jason helps run the Disney Tri Team, and is a stalwart in the Super Clydes division every year at the Malibu Triathlon. If you’ve ever been out on the roads in Orange County, and asked yourself “why is that guy riding a bike when he could be playing linebacker for the 49ers? And where did he get a 63cm bike with 650 wheels?” You’ve probably just seen Jason out training. Jason didn’t have any real designs on Ironman either, content with a good finish at Baja, but Steve got him on board for Arizona with constant badgering at work. Unfortunately, Jason destroyed his shoulder in a bike accident two weeks ago, and is on the shelf for the next few months. We’re hoping he and his new cadaver parts can get physical therapy started soon and log enough training to join us on April 13.
Last, and certianly not least, is Mike. THe most experienced among us, Mike has completed multiple Ironmans, inlcuding the big daddy in Kona. He’s also the current poster boy for the MS 150 Bay-toBay charity bike ride - see this month’s issue of Competitior magazine, the monthly SoCal active lifestyle tabloid. When I first met Mike, he said he’d never do another IM, but he’s signed up, I htink mostly due to Jason and Steve’s persistence. Look for him to do really well.
