Steve Issaris
April 20, 2008
Steve Issaris
Steve was born in the San Fernando Valley, grew up in Burbank, and completed his education at the University of California at Santa Barbara. Originally enrolled as a marine biology major, due to his lifelong love of the sea, computer programming caught his fancy, and he switched majors while at UCSB, completing a B.S. in Computer Science. While attending UCSB, Steve was a member of the school’s surf team. Steve began his career in 1986, working at the Pt. Mugu naval base, where he enjoyed being a member of the privileged surf club at Pt. Mugu. In 1993, he married Roberta O’Leary and had two daughters, Katie and Lily. Steve enjoyed a family life of camping, beach walks, and visits to the local parks with his daughters.
Steve was a life long surfer, who learned how to surf having to get rides to the Los Angeles area coastline from the inland San Fernando Valley, showing a repeated theme in his life: sheer determinism to achieve his desires and goals. During his school years he did well in competitive surfing, and then as a working man bought a boat so as to access the fabled surf of the Hollister Ranch. He and a small cadre of friends had many years of magnificent days of perfect surf. It was said that during these days, when his manager at work saw his office empty and dark, he knew the surf must be up. Steve enjoyed all types of surf, from the huge waves of Todos Santos Island, to long boarding out of the way spots, to boogie boarding with his little daughter. Surf trips to Baja, Mexico were integral to his enjoyment of friends and a surfing way of life.
Steve’s love for surfing and the ocean drew him towards triathlons, where he initially competed as part of a relay team. Steve ran track for a short time in high school, so combining those old skills and some biking he began racing short distance triathlons by himself in the early 90’s. Steve quickly became very competitive with the other members of his age group, where many a long term friendship was formed during these early days. As Steve’s ability grew each year he began to think about racing in the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon, held every October on the Big Island of Hawaii. He continued to race longer and longer races, hoping to earn one of the few qualifying slots for Hawaii, while also sending in his application for the race via its lottery system. This became an annual ritual, the sending in of the application and then waiting for the early May drawing of the names.
Steve would slip away from competing in triathlons while his family grew, then return with a vengeance. After successfully competing in his first Ironman distance race in May 2001, Steve signed up to race Ironman Utah in 2002. The winds on race day forced the cancellation of the swim and a change to the race distance. Steve did not earn an Ironman Hawaii slot that day, so he decided to do another race in Texas, a Half Ironman, to try for a slot. Steve once again did not earn a slot to the Hawaii Ironman, but instead earned a slot to the Ironman race in Lake Placid, NY, where Steve did compete and earn his well deserved slot to Hawaii. Steve went on to compete in Hawaii in October 2002, his last race. He ran across the finishing line with his oldest daughter Katie, sweeping her up into his arms in celebration. Steve’s love for his family and the sport of triathlon was never more evident then in that moment. He has left behind a legacy for all the triathlon community to follow.
Steve is survived by his wife, Roberta, and his daughters Katie, 6, and Lily, 2. His family, friends, and colleagues will miss his trustworthiness, steadiness, and love. They can be comforted knowing he had achieved his goals, and recently had exhibited a Zen-like calm and peace with life. Steve’s ashes will be spread in the Pacific Ocean in a private ceremony.
Blair Whitney and Fred Maggiore, January 17, 2003
New Zealand 2008 Ironman Rookie-part I
April 4, 2008
by Fred Maggiore
Part I – Getting Older
Prior to nearing the ripe old age of 50, I never had the desire to do an Ironman distance race; it’s funny what the perspective of aging up can do to a person. After more than 16 years of racing triathlons, I started to look ahead to the 2006 season, when I would race in my new age group; this was to be a building year for ‘07 and beyond. I started to think about taking up a new challenge, maybe even a full Ironman when I turned 50, late in 2007 or early 2008.
Part II – The Plan
Starting with some winter LSD (long slow distance) rides and runs, I would peak for my first “A” race, the Wildflower Olympic. But first I would do the UCSB Kendra Payne Memorial Sprint Triathlon without any taper, just for fun. I came into the Wildflower race feeling like I had a good longer distance base, hoping I could hold a slightly harder pace during the race, which I did, placing well. My first goal had been met, on to my second “A” race, the 70.3 Vineman.
I stepped up the distance training in preparation for the Half Vineman, and ultimately for the Long Beach marathon in October, which if everything went right, would set the table for my Ironman New Zealand training. I had finally committed to the idea that I would do an Ironman, even if I would wait to sign up as late as possible, making sure I could finish a marathon and not get injured. Before that, I would do the Ventura Olympic distance tri, training through it. I wound up getting two flats, placing well down in my age group, but happy with the effort.
I had probably the best half IM bike ride ever at the Half Vineman, trying to hold back the whole time while PRing the course. The run wasn’t all that I hoped for, but I placed well and would be ready for the Santa Barbara Triathlon four weeks away. In spite of my marathon training focus, I had two great races that weekend in Santa Barbara, winning my age group in both the long and short courses.
It was time to put the finishing touches on my marathon training, skipping the Carpinteria Tri, by running at Long Beach. My plan was to run with the 3:40 pace group, running easy, as a very long and hard training day, working my nutrition and pacing like I would at an IM race, with a goal of not stopping. I finished in a respectable 3:42, the first 3:40 pace group finisher, without a single stop – mission accomplished!