The Challenge Results…..and YES! We did!!
May 19, 2009
After three long years the coveted UCSB vs SB Tri Club Challenge Cup is back in our Possession! Last Saturday morning at East Beach was the site of our annual challenge with UCSB. Last year UCSB took the cup and rubbed it in with offerings of prune juice, Metamucil and a case of Depends. However, this year our Pres showed them that older but wiser makes for good strategy. Dave compiled a couple of groups of ringers to go head-to-head with the UCSB mixed and girls teams.
It was a perfect morning for a swim - run – swim - run – swim – run 6 person relay teams starting with an approx 700 yard swim and just shy of a 2 mile run on the hard packed sand. While we were setting up the course we were paid a visit from a lifeguard that noticed someone accidentally brought a keg of beer chased with 3 cases of Budwiser. He warned us that the local gen d’arm would be coming by in 30 min and would give a ticket to the guy with a clipboard. I noticed that would be me so I asked for the suds to be escorted back to Dave’s Pathfinder. Soon after someone inadvertently pushed the bull horn alarm and the race was on. The shore break was the tough part otherwise the swim was smooth and current free. It was my job to keep everyone staged for the relay tags and Irwin was in charge of the time. He did a perfect job with 3 knockoff Rolexes on each arm. I overheard Irwin say to each participant that the race was up to them and to dig down deep for the groomer.
At the end of the day we had two teams that claimed our victory over our youthful collegian opponents. SB Tri Mixed Team 1 made up of Ricky, Jay, Steve, Kyle, Anne and Heather clocked a 53:56 a whole 3 min faster than the Gauchos! Our All Girls Team made up of Sarah, Laura, Liz, Beth, Karen and Andrea timed in at 60 min flat leading the UCSB Coeds by 9 mins! On closer analysis, Dave purposely stacked (should I use that word) the girls team with our strongest, fastest, future leaders of the free world and cute too. Our number one Mixed team was set up the same way. UCSB coach Mateo cried foul on our strategy but race officials determined Dave’s methods, although devious, was nonetheless legal.
The all men team made up of Markus, Zac, Brian O, Matt, Craig S. and John N. came in at 57:33. Our number two Mixed team made up of Jocelyn, Sue M., Jarrett, Joe, Craig A. and Dave came in at 1:10:45. We also fielded a boys team made up of Connor and Sean, they came in so quick we didn’t catch their time. Kyle reported to me that Steve Smith ran the running course in 10:22 on the sand, a 5 min and change pace per mile!
UCSB wins the costume award hands down with tutus, pink tights and items slept in from last night’s crawl.
Very special Hoorah for the Rincon team that either drives or rides here each year to field a team that always finishes in the top times. Everyone had a great time and we all celebrated by retrieving and lightening the load back from the Pathfinder.
I noticed more laughs from the cheering section and participants than any of the clubs racing events. I know the type A is hard wired to win but this venue seems to release endorphins from the spirit of community rather than to reach a PR. However, it does feel good when “old guys rule”.
Sandy
‘The Challenge’!! THE BBQ!!
May 14, 2009
Friday’s BBQ at Leadbetter is slated to start at 6.00pm. My workers will be there a little earlier to get set up. We have about 110 people signed up so should be fun. I suggest bringing your own chairs as the seating there is limited. The Annual BBQ is held to recognise and thank our sponsors so if you get chance to say hi to one of them, tell them you appreciate all the free stuff you get because of them and you will support them as much as you can. Thanks to them we will have a very large raffle with lots of fun give aways.
The Challenge:
The UCSB Challenge will be held the next day at East Beach at 10.30am. If you are on one of the teams you already know which one. If you are not on a team we need cheerleaders. Come on out in your Tri Club gear and enjoy the fun. It will only last about 60-90 minutes and you can get your workout in before or after. We have 4 teams, UCSB will have at least 5 and the Rincoln Tri Club will have at least one. Short swims and runs keep it interesting.
So a fun weekend, no East Beach swim this week but you can always swim early at Leadbetter before the BBQ.
See you this weekend.
The Pres
Wildflower 2009…The write up…the results!!
May 4, 2009
Wildflower, a lovely name in botany but for SB Tri Clubbers it’s the grand daddy of triathlons, short of Ironman, it is the rite of passage described as one of the premier triathlons nationally and internationally with an incredible 8000 competing athletes. This world class course has extremely hilly bike and brutal runs. It is the reason we do this sport to be challenged and to have fun, right? That was exactly what went through my mind last year as I was being dragged from the finish line to the med tent. This year the tri club is represented in all three courses. The Long Course 1.2m Swim, 56m Bike, 13.1m Run has 20 club members, the Olympic Course 1.5K Swim, 40K Bike, 10K Run has 13 club members and the Mountain Bike Course .25m Swim, 9.7m Bike, 2m Run has 4 knobby club members.
John Herzog reported having a great first time Wildflower Olympic distance race. He said it was a perfect day for the race with ideal temperatures and partly cloudy skies. He was fighting a cold for a few weeks which caused a long taper period. John raced his plan with a good swim after a 400 yard warm up, passing about 350 people on the bike and a good run with an average heart rate of 164. He said the Gibraltar training really paid off helping him turn in an excellent 2:39:35 and 15th place in a deep 45-49 age group.
Fred Maggiore finished with a solid long course race but just short of his expectations. Fred said he had a PR on the swim and rode conservatively on the bike keeping his heart rate under 145. He noticed some cramping early on the run so he walked it off to come back strong with a 5:17:48 and a very tight 50-54 age group race placing 8th with only a 4min spread between 3rd and 8th! After resting his tired bones over night he worked very hard the next morning photo chasing and cheering on our Olympic course club members.
Disclaiming once again, the results reported here are from the early Sunday posting to get it to you on our web site by Monday. We had three first place age group winners starting with 2-time course record setter Duncan Thomas was just seconds away from setting another record with a 5:02:36, long course 60-64; Patty Bryant, 6:05:32, long course 50-54 and Dave Groom, 1:03:39, mountain bike, 60-64. Joe Howell, 6:01:45 grabbed a 6th, long course 60-64 and Fred Kass, 3:26:03 cooked a nice 10th, Olympic, 60-64. The following is the results hot of the wire for our tri club members in no particular order: Shawn Sullivan, 3:10:27 Olympic 7th 16 under; Joe Sullivan, 2:44:54 Olympic 4th 55-59; Sue Beatty, 5:56:55 long course 9th 45-49; Corey Evans, 6:40:40 long course; John Nelson, 5:46:00 long course; Sarah Claus, 6:17:24 long course; Konnor Plymire, 1:13:02 mountain bike 8th 15-16. Kristin Aller, 3:07:33 Olympic; David Ambrose, 6:04:19 long course; Jeremy Bass, 6:26:45 long course; Tamara Berndt, 3:11:04 Olympic; Troy Hinshaw, 6:39:55 Olympic; Taj Hudson, 5:13:58 long course; Jon Martin, 6:07:16 long course; Andria Martinez, 2:56:00 Olympic; Jerrett McFarland, 2:58:17 Olympic; Brian O’Connor, 6:24:53 long course; Joe O’Flaherty, 5:34:48 long course; Andrew Riley, 5:33:26 long course; Fredrik Rosvall, 2:53:57 Olympic; Elda Rudd, 6:09:07 long course; Greg Russell, 3:11:46 Olympic; Stuart Sato, 5:39:08 long course; Marie Schnyer, 6:48:53 long course; Craig Spreadbury, 4:54:41 long course; Joslynn Spreadbury, 3:07:07 Olympic; Emi Umezawa, 3:17:35 Olympic; Karl Weis, 5:44:48 long course.
Caps off to our tri club Wildflower athletes, whether they were first timers, repeat offenders or putting in a long hard training day for an Ironman, they earned world class bragging rites. Lets give big hugs to the spouses, family and friends, the unsung heroes that cowbell and cajole us up the hills and past the finish line.
Sandy