This past Saturdays race on Camp Pendleton was fast/fun/ and very competitive. First and foremost: The Marines put on a stellar event. The swim in the ocean beautiful and well layed out. The out and back up and down 30K bike course: As good as it gets. The pounding flat pavement run I am not used to but running through all the military stuff was different and welcomed. Results are up and my mile splits were 6:15’s. Cool. They emphasized USAT rules quite heavily. The same ol simple criteria: Easy to follow. But drafting on the bike was going on. I am old school and do not care to draft even in the very rare draft legal races. Oh well I kept my mouth shut and did not make any enemies.

USAT age for me is 55-59. But this race had the very uncommon (unheard of these days actually) 10 year age groups. 67 finishers in mine. To say I was stoked and satisfied with a podium 3rd is an understatement. You can bet many were still 49 yrs. young yet get to race as 50 year old under the USAT rules. 

Jodi: She is another story. Coming off a 1st place and Ironman Kona qualified race from a few weeks ago she displayed once again she has speed to go along with her endurance. 3rd place female. Overall. Not too shabby for this little wahine/full time nurse, 50+ year old Icing on the cake for the weekend surfing in the Oceanside Surf Contest Sunday. Pics to follow!!!

Jodi qualifys for Ironman World Championships in Kona. She grabbed her qualifying spot this year and this will make it her 6th Kona- qualified appearance. Tough/cold/windy conditions in Idaho and this little spud baked her competition. LiveTracking allowed us to follow her on line. She was 8th place out of the water. 2nd place off the hilly and windy 112 mile bike. Jodi took the lead 15 miles into the run. And it then proceeded to gap her competition. Amazing. Dig the pic I got of her passing the dude with “Kona” on his back. Only 50 Kona qualifying spots with over 2700 entrants. Jodi trained solely for this race entirely in Oceanside/Camp Pebdleton. Pier swims. Longs repeat cycling thru the marine base with hills. Epic long/challenging runs in the sand from O’Side Harbor to Ponto Beach and return. Obviously was a great recipe!!!! Hawaii in October!!

Speedway motorcycle race this Wednesday @ The Grand Industry Hills. Then it’s on to our more familiar event this Sunday where the motor is all you. Los Angeles Triathlon Series #3 and final race. Far unlike my speedway racing I am going into this undefeated. Cool. But what’s even cooler: ‘IF” I make top 5 overall it makes all 3 a top 5 finish. At 55 years old(young)! I guess that’s what 30 years in the sport can do. So don’t quit. Train hard, race harder and race fair. Hope to see you this Sunday. Stay stoked. Thank the volunteers. The event would not happen without them.

Been wrestling with the new computer, the new website, the new blog, and last Saturday @ Xterra Renegade I had to wrestle with a few previous and recent Xterra World Champion age groupers in my division: Tom Monica current WC in Xterra. And Bruce Wilson: Previous.

I was very stoked with finishing up second between these two guys whom each have big engines. Toms swim is freakish. As in Phelps fast. Bruce has a huge engine when riding. Having had the fastest run by two minutes I closed the gap on Bruce he edging me out by 44 seconds. One more hilly mile would have been nice! This race by far gets me more stoked compared to the two sand bagging wins recently in the road tri’s. Bruce and Tom are multiple Xterra World Champions. I have raced it sporadically these past 10 years after having won it in 2001 (World Champ Title AND got married there the day before)!. These two guys keep going and dominating. With huge foreign contingency showing up at that. But I am all over it come October. No I am all over beginning last Saturday. A darn near two hour off road gnarley race: 44 seconds off first. Hmmmmm. I can make that up. And going to have fun doing it. It does not guarantee me anything. Others could appear out of the woodworks and have their day in Hawaii. But safe to say: Some of the fastest 55 year old Xterra competitors are still all from California..I mixed it up with two of them last Saturday. Maui in October Xterra World Championships, No Ka ‘Oi!!! : )

Race # 2 is this Saturday. No report on race # 1 as our website has been getting complete makeover hence no news.

My goal was to go top five in the Express Tri last month. I dig the electronic chip timing as it nails all three swim/bike/run times along with transition times. Looks like I was 17th out of the water, climbed to 4th entering the run transition off the bike. And held that for 4th overall 1st place division. Cool. At 55 years young. Aiming for that again this weekend : )

Jodi is in full Ironman training mode. As in putting in big long training hours. Ironamn Couer d Alene end of next month. If she keeps doing what she is doing: She will do what she typically does @ the Ironman distance: Rock it!!! Hope to see you all out there this weekend. Going to be a nice one. Race hard. Be safe. Thank the volunteers.