Tinsel Triathlon

The Tinsel Triathlon has been going on for over 25 years. I can remember racing it back in the 1980's when it was at Chaffey College. It is now at Hemet High School. They limit it to 1000 people. And they expect that. Unreal. I have not competed in one of these sprint reverse tri's since last April. I like doing them. They hurt. Balls out 5K run then immediate 12 mile time trial pain fest on the bike. Oh and then jump in their jacuzzi or pool which then qualifies it as a triathlon. Word is Alex Yanez as seen here with his very swank steed will be there. And he just turned 32. Good. Because now I'm 52. He will need that extra year come Sunday. (by the way great birthday party Sat. Alex!)

Results up from Fat Tire Classic

Hooray! They just posted race results from Sundays mud bath. We left right after finish to begin the really difficult part:De-mudding. With beginners and sport classes starting after and doing fewer laps, there was no way of telling how I placed. I rode(schlepped) up front for a few laps then it got all crazy with other groups tossed in the mud fest. The results have me 2nd in Expert 35+. Cool. Jodi gets the credit on this one for lending me (and then cleaning)!!! her bike.

23rd Annual Palm Springs Tram Race

If you have not done the Palm Springs Tram race. You should. Record breaking 900+ participants signed up this year. As race director Greg Klein commented: People coming from everywhere: All over California out of state and some (probably snow birds)from out of the country. It has grown big over the years. It is kind of like the Mt. Baldy race. You always remember how tough it is/was so it's easy to convince yourself to skip a year. Or two. Or five. This venue is a challenge. Less than 40 runners went sub 40 minutes on this course. There is zero, zilch, nada flat section on this uphill beast of a run. It begins hard, gets harder. Then gets crazy steep. It was fun dicing it up back and forth up front with the top ten. That and painful. But this is thee kind of training we do here in our backyard: Steep grinds. Jodi(1st division) suggested on skipping the school bus ride provided back down for us runners. We ran down but after one mile I was real tempted to display my hitch hiking talent. Feeling it in the quads today. But what's new. Great race. Great time. Great competition. Great camaraderie. Can't wait until I forget how hard it was so I can return.

Some more Furnace Creek 508

That's my friend Jeff Henley on the course at last weekends race. His team of the Black Scorpions just rocked the FC 508 missing the podium by minutes. 508 miles and just minutes. Against a strong and solid field of competition.
What's even more impressive is Jeff got his employer to donate a buck for every mile ridden/raced towards The Kevin Unck Foundation. And brought Kevin along as his image was screened on all of their jerseys. Podium finishes come and go. Raising funds for a good cause ongoing memory do not. And then learning Monday night from Jeff himself that he had never even met Kevin. Jeff Henley, his employer and the Black Scorpions are: Bad ass.

Furnace creek 508(miles)!!

The Furnace Creek 508 in many ways is like an Ironman triathlon IMO. It takes a huge commitment just to enter and get accepted. Then even bigger to show up. Still larger than that: Doing it.
I see the comparison that they are both just so down right demanding. Physically, mentally and emotionally. Maybe the two of most demanding competitions on earth. Again IMO. But then I can't be 100% on that because I have never done the Furnace Creek 508. But my sister Sherry Newsham has. She is 63 years young, president and member of the San Diego Cyclo-Vets Team(oh and a Phd in sports psychology) and just finished it with her team of four all women this morning (30+ hours racing NON STOP from Valencia torching through Death Valley, Kelso, Amboy, onward finishing in the lavish town of 29 Palms under the black sky). I believe winning their category too. Congratulations Sherry. I hope I am just like you when I grow up. I always have.

LA TRI Series Steamboat race

Young Dillon Nobbs stopped by our house yesterday. Yep. He wanted to see the artillery I borrowed from good friend Al Wiscovitch for use at the triathlon Sunday. Everything Al owns he builds himself. Everything Al builds is the best.
I love the "whoop whoop" sound a disc wheel makes when you are motoring along. With a dozen swimmers out of the water ahead of me I took the lead on the bike a few miles before the run transition. My goal was to be the first into bike/run. Didn't know if I could pull it off. But Al's bike did just that for me. And dear friend Terry Martins' classic 80's aero helmet was not only stylin' but slippery too.
After the race young Dillon Nobbs said he knew I was coming because he heard the "whoop whoop" coming up on him. It was half through the 5K when I heard not "whomp whomp" but rather light and fast feet. Yep as figured: Dillon. What an awesome display of all out competition today.I had a blast. Dillon 1st, Clint Hostetler caught and overtook me with half mile to go for 2nd. I rounded out the overall podium with 3rd.

GREAT race guys. And big congrats to Jodi too for placing 2nd woman overall in a large female field by less than a minute!!

A few blasts from the past!!!!

Ironman Canada, Ironman Japan, Ironman Germany, Ironman New Zealand and World Championships in Kona. At one time I competed five different Ironman in five consecutive years.(then I got wise and spread them out) I am on a different bike every race/year! Ironman Germany: A Kestral. Ironman Japan: A SoftRide. Ironman Canada: A Litespeed. Ironman Hawaii: A Quintana Roo. And there were many more Ironmans (and bikes) as IronMan California(Cannondales) twice, and then New Zealand, Canada and Kona repeats. I love everything about bikes: Riding them. And then riding them some more. They are all fast and sexy IMO. As that old saying goes: "So many bikes, so little time" (or something like that)

Traveling and racing abroad

Looking back on the year one of the most memorable experiences hands down was our trip to the small island off Honduras of Roatan. A world class ITU triathlon competition coupled with world class scuba diving. Meeting many new friends was icing on the cake.
After landing on this Giligans' sized island we carted out our Winnebago sized bike cases and stuck our thumbs out. Hitched a ride in no time. Sardine canned our bikes into a little run down beater car with destination: Other side of the island. Josef was our first new Honduran friend and what turned out to be our personal little tour guide/driver/go-to-guy. We scored out of the gates.
Corey hooked me up with this never-before-I-had-ridden Kona demo bike.I did not want to expose my 15 lb. carbon cracker box bike to the baggage handling gorillas of the airlines. Been there/done that. The bike was a great call and carried me well through the hot and hilly course helping me with a first place podium finish. One size too big, 25mm tires, compact cranks and all. Jodi took first also and was not far behind me. I saw her multiple x's on this course as it was out and back. Up and down. Out and back. Up and down. Little rascal.
The race was off the hook. The people too. Would not hesitate to return in 2012. It's just that there are still many other spots and races on the map yet to explore. Tough decisions!

Jodi again on Ironman Podium

Standing on the podium can be cool. Making it to the podium at an Ironman event is the coolest. Jodi has done just that in several. Here in the USA as here from last week in Utah. And several foreign countries as well. Yeah. I think my wife is pretty cool.

Top three today within 30 seconds

What a kick. That was fun. You know, the painful kind of fun. Small race, maybe 200 at the start line. Very well done, from A-Z.
I could see some serious artillery bike-wise in the transition area so figured if the rider can match the bike, people are going to go fast today.My goal was to stay in the top 10 on the run and try and not allow the lead runner to enter a different zip code. Then drop the hammer on the bike. Pretty sure I was 6th or 7th off the run and caught 1st place on the bike at the top of the climb which happened to be the turn around. This is Alex Yanez in photo and he held 1st until then. Fortunately I was riding a Giant also(albeit standard road w/ clip on bar) and she didn't let me down.
We had company on the descent and the guy passing was pushing a big gear where as Alex and I spun out. Tuck and get aero, all we could do. The race ended with a mere 100 yard swim and by the last 25 meter I was in the race leaders lane. Now I don't pretend to be some good swimmer. But I do wish we had another 25 to go :) Great time, great people, great workout, great race!

Back from Bay Islands, Roatan!!!

Awesome. Incredible. The island, the people, truly beautiful. More than I expected. The race course was more than most expected too!! It was thee most challenging Olympic distance to date. It is an ITU race where many aspiring 2012 Olympians race for points in effort to make their countries Olympic team. About 40 elites from several countries competing and about 75 age groupers as ourselves(for the challenge and podium).
The race directors Leslie and her crew put on a incredible race. Purely one of the best I have experienced. The whole package was exciting, challenging and beautiful. Big monster hills on this island. At steepest, 20%!!!!! We have hills here. Long grinds. They have nutty straight up stuff that so many were off the bike and walking. We never unclipped but both could have used a 25 tooth cog! My borrowed entry level Kona(compact cranks and all) from Corey worked great but the serious age groupers brought their serious artillery. I'm still glad I kept mine safely @ home, but 15 lbs of carbon and deep dish wheels would have been sweet on that course.
I could see Jodi on the turn arounds on the bike and she had the lead of all women age groupers. With the ITU elites starting a half hour before us and way up front in packs on the bike, it was spread out from our start. I had a typical lethargic-paced swim but by the 1st turnaround 8 miles out(and damn high) I could count 6 age groupers on the bike ahead of me. I pretty much held that(damn compact cranks)! place to the run transition..
At one mile the run course went straight up for a long time. Then straight down. Then we got to do it all again on the 2nd loop 10K. I kept my head down and ran those beasts.I love the hot hilly quad busting hills they offered and caught and passed 3 runners during the run and finished placing 3rd overall. Stoked? Yep. And it's always a treat to see Jodi on the course multiple times.. She left the field near another border as she was running like the wind. She placed 1st female age grouper overall handily. Thank you Leslie Pojoul Brown, Jennifer and all the crew, volunteers, everyone that made this race awesome. It was all that and more. We met and made many a new friends. Locals and travelers alike. Truly one epic trip. Hope to see you all again next year.

Kevin Unck gone but never forgotten

One of the nicest guys on the planet. One of the most passionate cyclist on the planet. A Coates Team Rider for many, many years. Kept getting stronger and faster each year. Had a houseful of high end bicycles, many rescued dogs (he could bring a different one into the shop M-F day and the love and care he gave was evident). A beautiful and wonderful wife. I knew Kevin and Liesel all the way back from the early 90's when we all lived/trained/raced in the Palm Springs area. Then we became reaquainted here in La Verne/Claremont thru Coates Bicycles. Kevin died today from complications due to a crash on Glendora Mountain Road. We are in shock. I am sure everyone that knew him is. A very, very sad day. You will be dearly missed Kevin Unck.