• "Him doing the run at IM Florida in ’99 with a salt shaker in his hand. He had lost all his salt pills, so he had stopped in at a bar which ‘donated’ the salt shaker to his cause. He finished the race."
  
  
• We lived about 30 miles from each other. We would meet for long rides by riding our bikes from our own houses and always ended up running into each other on this country road. One picture I can’t get out of my mind is us riding at each other on a beautiful, sunny Saturday morning and yelling ‘YO!!’ at each other as we met up for another long ride."

Rendina’s number, 1408, was permanently retired from Ironman North America races during Sunday’s awards ceremony after an emotional speech by Ironman North America president Graham Fraser. Participants shared a moment of silence and by all accounts there was not a dry eye in the room. Another moment of silence to honor Rendina was observed Tuesday afternoon. His funeral is planned for Saturday in Ohio.

Rendina was part of Big Bowls, an Internet-based triathlon club that grew out of an Ironman Florida mailing list three years ago. Members live all over the country but, with Rendina’s help, forged a unique identity with clothing and stickers proclaiming the team’s name and its trademark cry of "YO!"

"He was always upbeat, optimistic, and had a lot of positive energy that rubbed off on everyone around him," said Big Bowls teammate Mark Sunderland of Boulder, Colo. "He was a great family man and the best friend anyone could ever ask for."

Sunderland said Rendina believed he had a good shot at qualifying for Kona during Saturday’s race.

"If we can take anything away from this accident, we know that he was smiling the whole race and knowing that he was having his best race ever, right up until the end," he said.

Teammate Michael Cowart of Jacksonville, Fla., met Rendina before Ironman Florida in 1999. Their wives hit it off right away, he said, with "both having wacky triathlete husbands and being the loving spouses they are." Rendina and a host of Big Bowls members were waiting at the finish line when Cowart crossed it that evening.

"PR congratulated me and explained that even though the race did not go as expected for me, that what I had done was a major accomplishment and that I should cherish the race…" Cowart said. "He was right."

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Have we seen the final IM California?

May 22, 2001, Oceanside, California (www.slowtwitch.com):

Wandering through the transition area; through the Bartertown-like post-apocalyptic portable Ironcity erected just for the event; and down the spectator-lined Strand on Oceanside's scenic shoreline; one wouldn't think that this event was anything but a spectacular success for everybody concerned. Think again. This was very possibly the final edition of Ironman California.

The City of Oceanside wants the popular event to return. In fact, next year everything but the bike ride would be moved off the Camp Pendleton Marine Base and onto city property. But the bloom may be off the rose as far as the base is concerned. The Marines apparently do not want the event anymore, and it remains to be seen whether they'll even want to host the Ironman's bike ride segment (should the base choose not to host the bike segment it would effectively spell the end of the event).

Base personnel lobbying for the event two years ago cited both their desire to "be good neighbors" to their neighboring cities of San Clemente and Oceanside, and to have their own signature event rivaling the Marine Corp Marathon. According to one source that was familiar with these early meetings between World Triathlon Corporation and the base, WTC president Lew Friedland was up-front in explaining the degree to which the event would paralyze the base on race day.

But a base like Camp Pendleton is not like a city or a corporation. There is little institutional memory. Personnel changeover is frequent, and many of those who sit in such meetings are not stationed at the base two or three years later. Indeed, the base commander, General Edward Hanlon, Jr., is leaving within the month, to be replaced as part of the normal rotation of commanders. General Hanlon was himself a new commander--having replaced his predecessor in August, 1998--when the deal was made for the original Ironman California.

Three years ago WTC expected--and was apparently told--a new 5-year deal with the base was forthcoming after organizers demonstrated the event could be successfully staged in year-one. While everybody praised the event after last year, no 5-year deal was forthcoming.

What is certain is that ground zero for the race--should there be a next-year's race--will no longer be on the base, but at Oceanside's harbor. It is not clear yet whether the base--which possesses the only open roads suitable for an Ironman bike leg--is willing to host the bike segment, and if so, what the cost to the city or the race organizers will be. The dollar figure is rumored to be in the low-to-mid five figures. Also not certain is whether the City of Oceanside is willing to pay that fee in addition to other considerations. Sources report that the city is anxious to keep the event and will dip into its own resources to a significant degree to do so.

Should the event leave Oceanside, Ironman California will be relegated to historical fact. The race will relocate in one of the cities not granted a 2002 race (Wisconsin beat out several cities' bids for the 2002 Ironman). Multiple sources tell Triathlonlive that it will probably not be Austin, Texas, and that if this race relocates a bid from Utah is receiving favorable consideration.

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It's the DeBoom show at IM California

May 19, 2001, Camp Pendleton, California (www.slowtwitch.com):

If you squinted your eyes and blurred your vision just a little, it looked just like Mark and Dave on the Kona course in '89. Side by side they swam, biked, and ran, never more than a few feet or meters apart at any time until the very last miles.

But it wasn't Mark and Dave, and it wasn't a pair of athletes marking each other, looking for a weakness, waiting for an opening. It was the brothers DeBoom, Tim and Tony, working out a strategy they'd talked about often and planned for months.

Pre-race armchair strategists had Craig Walton out of the water and onto the bike first, with Texan James Bonney perhaps with him. "I'll consider that," said Bonney before the race, "But if Walton wants to set the road ablaze, he can do it alone." Set it ablaze was exactly what Aussie Walton did.

The question, then, was whether Tim DeBoom would take a shot at riding up with Ironvirgin Craig Walton. Not many thought last year's Kona's podium finisher would be content to stick with his brother. But that's just what happened.

Tony––frequently second fiddle to the more talented Tim––was on superb form today, and the brothers exited the water in 47 minutes and change, just 2 minutes behind Walton's lightning fast 45:22 swim. The brothers then simply marked time with each other, with both available to monitor the pace and effort.

Walton rode with the confidence of an Ironman veteran, not someone taking his first shot at a distance twice as far as he'd every raced in his life. He added a minute, and another, onto his lead over the DeBoom brothers. But 112 miles is a long way, and halfway through the second of two 56-mile laps the brothers stopped losing time and started to reel the Aussie back in.

They came into transition only 2:20 down on the hard-riding Aussie, having erased all but seconds of the advantage Walton had over them exiting the water. While nobody knew what Tony was capable of on the run, two minutes clearly wasn't enough of a cushion to stay clear of brother Tim.

The DeBooms did carry on side by side, taking the lead from Walton inside of 10 miles on the run, and ran comfortably together through mile 22. With Tony safely ahold of the runner-up spot, Tim went solo for the win, in 8:22:14, a very fast time on a reasonably difficult course. His 2:44:22 marathon was run very much under control, and a sub-2:40 looked achievable on this day, had it been required of him.

Tony's 2:48 marathon brought him home in 8:27:13, easily, and by a wide margin, the race of his career.

Craig Walton was, meanwhile, suffering valiently in arrears, and his 3:04 marathon was just enough to hold off hard-charging countryman––and last year's winner–Chris Legh, 8:39:44 to 8:41:59.

If this day belonged to the DeBooms, it was also a fine day for rookies. Tim Luchinske, an age-grouper last year, continued to improve, running a very fine 2:50:20 en route to an 8:52:39 and 7th place. Lance Muzslay rounded out the top 10 with another fine nuovo pro performance and a 9:01:29 time.

Also of note was yet another Olympic-style racer moving up in distance. New Zealand's––or Great Britain's, depending on which country he chooses to represent––Paul Amey made a last-minute decision (four weeks ago) to do this race. Some hurry-up long rides and he declared himself ready. Ready he was, as he came home 8th in 8:54:37.

(RESULTS)

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Badmann avenges Malaysia with perfect race at IM Cal

May 19, 2001, Camp Pendleton, California (www.slowtwitch.com):

Earlier in the year Natascha Badmann and Lothar Leder were the headliners and, of course, favorites at IM Malaysia. But a funny thing happened on the way to the podium. Both lost to lightly-regarded competitors. Leder avenged Malaysia in March at IM South Africa. Badmann exorcised Malaysia today, at Ironman California.

She started things out on a good note by exiting the water in 55:45. Even accounting for the wetsuit advantage, that is still a fast swim and put her on good footing.

It didn't take her long to put her famous hammer down on the bike, pedaling her carbon Swiss-made Cheetah to a 5:07:33. To put that bike split in persptective, it was more than 13 minutes faster than the second fastest split among the women, and equivalent to the split ridden by Japan's Shingo Tani, who finished fifth place overall in the men's division.

After the bike ride, it was simply a question of whether she'd fall victim to an act of God. She didn't, and came home in 9:18:48.

The surprise of the race may've been Paula Newby-Fraser, the 8-time Hawaii champ who's lately looked, during Ironman races, like a much-loved but past-the-prime boxing champ coming out of retirement for an ill-advised payday. That Paula didn't race today. There were flashes of the "old" Paula today, especially on the run.

If Natascha makes it look like it's all a ball of fun with that ever-present smile, Paula doesn't, and never has, made it look like anything but the three hours of suffering it is. Suffering though it may be, she historically suffers faster than the other women. Today she ran a 3:12:12, only :30 slower than Natascha ran, en route to a 9:32:39.

During the run Paula swept past Beth Zinkand, who for much of the race looked like the runner-up. She got off the bike with a 4-minute lead on Paula and held that margin deep into the run. But she finally ran out of gas, and succumbed to Newby's charge, holding on for third in 9:45:02.

(RESULTS)

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Tragedy strikes at IM California

May 19, 2001, Camp Pendleton, California (www.slowtwitch.com):

A competitor died during the IM California bike ride on Saturday. The death occured as the result of an accident, and apparently involved the entrant only. News sources reported that the athlete lost control of his bike while navigating the single steepest descent on the course.

At this time Triathlonlive does not know who the competitor is, and local news organizations are also not saying pending notification of the competitor's family. The only information so far released is that the athlete was a male in his 40s and was not a California resident.

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Women's race not a one-horse affair in IM California

May 16, 2001, Camp Pendleton, California (www.slowtwitch.com):

On paper, this race belongs to Switzerland’s Natascha Badmann. But then, on paper she owned IM Malaysia earlier in the year. Who’d have thought that young Aussie Belinda Cheney would take the win from her?

That’s why they make them do the race––and a race it will be.

For one thing, there’s real talent in this field. It’s not the one-horse race many of the now-seventeen IM races worldwide have come to be in the women’s field. You’ve got hometown favorite Heather Fuhr here––herself a former IM Hawaii winner––and you can’t underestimate the advantage of sleeping in your own the morning of the race. Plus, Heather’s got a vicious run, and as last year’s IM California winner she knows every inch of the course.

Then there’s Nicole DeBoom, whose husband is the men’s favorite. DeBoom owned this race for a very long time last year. She just fell a bit short during the run, and if you falter at all in the final leg of an Ironman, a runner of Fuhr’s caliber––and there almost is no one of Fuhr’s caliber––will be there to sweep up the mess your race has become. Still, DeBoom has a very good swim and bike, and she’s just learning long-course (and lives with a pretty good teacher).

There are––count ‘em––11 Hawaiian Ironman women’s pro victories represented in the IM California women’s field. Eight of them are contained in the person of Paula Newby-Fraser. Funny to consider, though, that she’s really not a contender for the win. She races because, like men’s icon Scott Tinley, she likes to. She doesn’t want or––for her purposes––need to train like she used to. Still, if you’re at the starting line and you look over and see her next to you, you just can’t help feeling uneasy.

Finally, there’s a sleeper. Beth Zinkand is another American––there’s a lot of good long-course American women––and she’s just been hovering on the edge of the big time for years. She’s technically––according to the Profile Design Multisport Rankings––the highest-ranked woman in the field (number-three in long course). Okay, that’s only because Badmann hasn’t done enough recent races to rate a rank. But Zinkand is ahead of Fuhr and DeBoom both. Only Canada’s pair of Lori Bowden and Lisa Bentley rank ahead of her. Zinkand was 4th in Hawaii last year––beating Bentley–– and 5th the year before. With a good performance here Zinkand may leapfrog Bentley into the number-two spot. She sometimes loses to those who shouldn’t beat her, in lesser races, but she races huge against big-time competitors. Her times in Hawaii the last two years were 9:34 and 9:35.

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Top men's field showing up for this Saturday's IM Cal

May 16, 2001, Camp Pendleton, California (www.slowtwitch.com):

One thing is for sure: There will be course records in both the men’s and women’s categories at this year’s IM California. Last year’s swim was mistakenly measured in nautical instead of statute miles, causing swimmers to spend an extra ten or so minutes in the water. Combine that with the expected cool temperatures and hot starting fields and times should come down nicely in year-two.

The class of the men’s field is America’s Tim DeBoom. One might’ve expected the squeaky-clean former short courser with post-boy good looks to be a little too pretty for the hard life of an Ironman racer. But every year he’s gotten better, placing third and then second in Kona the past two years. He’s tough. He’s fast. He’s smart.

And he’d better be, because somewhere up the road for a very long time will be Ironvirgin Craig Walton of Australia. He’s done two halves in the past six months and has ripped both of them. The more recent was two weeks ago at Wildflower, when he got out of the water so far in front, spectators had almost visibly aged by the time the rest of the field stepped onto dry land. Walton also rode his bike in a hurry, and only the superior footspeed of fellow countryman Chris McCormack kept Walton from winning the race. As it was he placed second against what was perhaps the best half-Ironman field ever assembled.

Switzerland’s Olivier Bernhard is also a threat to win. His swim is mediocre, but that’s of little import in a race like this, where the field is strong, but not deep enough to allow for a strong front bike pack to form. Bernhard’s skills are such that the race will be more to his liking further along in the day: His bike riding is good, his run is superb. Don’t be surprised to see him run into the lead.

Australia’s Chris Legh will also be tough. He was third at Wildflower two weeks ago, and is visibly leaner than he was a year ago when he won both Wildflower and the inaugural IM California. He knows the course, and has spent a lot of time in front here. In particular, he smoked the bike course––by the time he started running it was all over but the post-race massage.

And there are others. Don’t forget Chuckie V. American multisport’s Dennis Rodman is fit. His 5th at Wildflower attests to that. The Czech Republic’s Jan Strangmüller will provide some early speed on the bike. Last year he was the only one to ride faster than Legh on the bike course. Tim’s brother Tony DeBoom will also be in the thick of it for a good long while, and while his talent is not as regularly exhibited as is his brother’s, a DeBoom one-two finish is not out of the question.

Finally, there is yet more early and late speed in the race. When Craig Walton set a new swim course record in Wildflower two weeks ago, it was Texan James Bonney’s record he broke. Look for Bonney––also a very good cyclist––to hang around with Walton for awhile (maybe more than awhile) on the bike if the pace isn’t too outrageous. And, during the run, if you see a small-of-stature Asian taking chunks out of the leaders, that’s Japan’s Shingo Tani. He will certainly run the marathon in 2-something. Best, if you want to win the race, to make sure you’re well-clear of him before the run starts.

There is one more American, who's name is little known, that may just have a breakthrough race here. Peter Kotland ran 2:49 in this race a year ago. That was 7 minutes faster than either Legh or the runner up Petr Vabrousek ran. Kotland finished the race in third, just behind Vabrousek. Later in the year he ran a fine 2:52 at IM Florida to finish 4th. The question is, has he picked up his cycling enough for his run to make him a threat?

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Ironman California 2001 fills up at 1,800

November 22, Camp Pendleton, California (www.slowtwitch.com):

Does Ironman fever ever recede? Not by the pace of registrations for the 2001 Isuzu Ironman California, which have topped out at 1,800 for the May 19 race.

The race had about 1,400 starters last year as a first-year event.

Isuzu Ironman California now joins Isuzu Ironman USA Lake Placid and Subaru Ironman Canada as Ironman North America events which are already full for 2001 for general entries. Only Isuzu Ironman Florida, which opened for registration two weeks ago, still has openings among Ironman North America events.

"The fact that we have three of our events already full for next year points to the huge growth and popularity of Ironman worldwide," said Graham Fraser, Ironman North America's president.

There are ways, however, for you to still get into California, if you have cash to spare. There are a limited number of entries still available, called "Community Slots" and costing $1,000 each. That money is then targarted for charity and non-profit organizations in the Oceanside/Camp Pendleton areas.

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The long and the short of those Ironman swims ...

June 2, Oceanside, California, USA (www.slowtwitch.com):

Seems there has been a spate of poorly-measured triathlons lately, coming from both the ITU end (Perth Worlds on April 30) and the Ironman family (Ironman Malaysia on May 28 and Ironman California on May 20).

In Malaysia, the swim was nowhere near the standard 2.4 miles of the Ironman distance: The fastest swimmer was South Africa's Glen Gore in 38:41. And in California one week earlier, the swim was suspiciously long - New Zealand's Bryan Rhodes had the "fastest" swim time at 57:55.

Turns out that the California swim had been measured at 2.4 nautical miles, rather than the 2.4 statute miles. As a result, the course was 633 yards too long. According to a calculation by Eric Schwartz's duathlon.com, if the course was an accurate 2.4 miles, Rhodes would have finished the swim in 50:21 (assuming the same pace).

Here is the official statement from Buzz Mills, race director of the Isuzu Ironman California:

"All the athletes that participated in the Isuzu Ironman California are aware the swim portion of the race "swam long." I knew the swim course had been laid-in by professionals and was extremely confident it was correct. After talking to several strong swimmers, I was initially convinced the currents and swells within the Basin Inlet were the reasons for the slow times recorded during the swim. Unfortunately, I have now learned that this is not the case.

"The truth is: "Murphy's Law" struck our swim. The course was originally planned using yards and meters as a measuring scale. However, the course was laid-in on the 19th of May using a military GPS systems apparently set on the nautical mile scale; not the statue mile scale. The measuring scale of the GPS should have been yards (4,224), meters (3,862), feet (12,672), or statute miles (2.4); not nautical miles.

"Our mistake was the same made by a NASA engineer that led to the loss of the billion dollar Mars Explorer… unknowingly, we mixed apples and oranges.

"For those who are wondering just how far they swam, the total distance was 633.6 yards farther than the planned 2.4 miles.

"The incorrect measurement was my responsibility and no others. I apologize to all the athletes and I can assure you this mistake will not be repeated next year. A 2.4-mile swim is plenty long for an Ironman event without adding 600 more yards.

"I hope that all enjoyed this inaugural Ironman. Thank you for all the kind words to the race staff, and we look forward to providing you with an even better event next year."

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The Marines got a few tough Ironmen

May 22, Camp Pendleton, California, USA (www.slowtwitch.com):

The Marines promised a tough race, and delivered exactly that. The 1,364 official finishers in the Isuzu Ironman California from Oceanside through to Camp Pendleton last Saturday, didn't find it as breezy as they thought they might.

The first-year race had a first-time Ironman winner in Australia's Chris Legh -- and another winner in Canada's Heather Fuhr, who was picking up her ninth Ironman title. That moved her to a second-place tie with Erin Baker (also nine Ironman wins worldwide) on the all-time list behind Paula Newby-Fraser's astounding 22 Ironman wins.

In an event for which pre-race favorite's tags don't always pan out, Chris Legh pulled it off. The on-form Australian is making quite an American impression this month. First he set a course record in winning the Wildflower Half-Ironman on May 6. Now, at Camp Pendleton, he took the lead on the first lap of the bike and continued with his runaway win.

He won in 8:56:10, quite a slow winning time - but one that reflected both the heat of the day and the relative difficulty of the untested, and deceptively hilly, course. He was 17 minutes ahead of runner-up Petr Vabrousek, the Ironman South Africa winner from the Czech Republic. Vabrousek had been troubled by both mechanical problems and cramps on the bike, but ran from ninth place to second in the end.

Fuhr (9:59:24) had the run of her life as well. She started the marathon a good 18 minutes down on Nicole DeBoom, who was enjoying her Ironman debut. Leading after the swim and the bike, DeBoom forced Fuhr to come up with an incredible 3:04:51 marathon to catch and pass her around 16 miles. Aussie vet Jan Wanklyn also passed DeBoom, but not by much. Wanklyn, 42, took second in 10:09:30, and DeBoom was just 12 seconds back.

(RESULTS)

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Today's the day for Ironman California hopefuls

May 20, Oceanside, California (www.slowtwitch.com):

It's race morning here in North San Diego County, and it's going to be a hot one -- and we're not just talking about the competition.

To visitors it might just seem like another ubiquitous San Diego morning, but locals know better. This is likely to be the hottest day of an already hot week, with temperatures in the 80s, and worse yet, fairly high humidity.

What might seem like a bad omen for marathoners, though, is just another Ironman-type-day for the eighteen-hundred or so athletes looking forward to their chance to test their mettle.

The bike course is still largely a mystery to most of them. You're persona-non-grata if you try to pass through to the inner part of the bike course without wearing military fatigues. The course will be a little hillier, and a lot hotter, than many of the athletes are prepared for.

Fortunately, though, a badly-run race is highly unlikely today. The event is put on almost entirely by the Camp Pendleton Marines, and efficiency is not only expected, but mandatory, at a place that -- solely with materiel and personnel on hand -- could topple foreign governments in two-thirds of the world's sovereign countries.

Australian Chris Legh, bolstered by his performance two weeks ago at Wildflower, is the heavy favorite. Heather Fuhr hopes to prove her 1997 win at Hawaii wasn't a fluke, as she hopes to demonstrate some new-found bike speed she's been acquiring over the winter. She faces competition from, among others, Canadian Melissa Spooner.

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Peter Reid out, Chris Legh in, at Ironman California

May 12, Oceanside, California (www.slowtwitch.com):

Australia's Chris Legh, winner of the Wildflower Half-Ironman last weekend, has now signed up for another major California race -- this one, the Isuzu Ironman California for next Saturday (May 20).

Legh became known to American triathlon fans for his gutsy DNF in the 1997 Hawaii Ironman, when he faltered in the finish chute and ended up having emergency surgery. His Ironman results since then have been more promising, including a pair of runner-up finishers (1998, 1999) in the Ironman Australia.

The announcement of his appearance offset the news that Canada's Peter Reid, the very first pro to sign up for the race, has withdrawn because of injury.

Reid has an "impact fracture" in his heel. It is similar to a stress fracture, but was sustained during a run workout in Mexico. Reid DNF'd in the Huatulco half after his bicycle chain broke, and his jammed his ankle during a run shortly thereafter.

He was running in the water, and had scheduled a return to competition at Ironman CA, but did what age-group and pro athletes both often do, test an injury. "I tried to do a 1 hour, 30 minute run. Stupid mistake. I made the inuury worse."

Reid can still cycle, though, and will be bike racing until his next scheduled race, Ironman Austria.

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Vabrousek, Rhodes fill out Ironman California field

April 29, Camp Pendleton, California, USA (www.slowtwitch.com):

Czech Republic’s Petr Vabrousek, winner of Ironman South Africa in February, and New Zealand’s Bryan Rhodes, third in the 1999 Ironman Canada, are the latest entrants in the men’s pro field for the Isuzu Ironman California on May 20.

They join headliner Peter Reid of Canada, who was the first big name to commit to California.

Vabrousek scored his first-ever Ironman win in South Africa (8:54:35) when he passed South Africa’s own Jan van Rooyen in the final 200 meters. His other Ironman credentials include a sixth-place finish in Ironman Australia in 1999.

Until he raced Hawaii last October (where he DNFed) and ventured to South Africa, Vabrousek used to race exclusively in Europe. His California appearance will be his first mainland US race ever.

Rhodes, a prolific racer who can race sprint to Ironman, was sixth in March in the Air New Zealand Ironman. Now a four-time top-10 finisher in the New Zealand race, he international stock rose quickly last August in the Ironman Canada. There, he finished third -- within 40 seconds -- of winner Chuck Veylupek and Japan’s Shingo Tani, in what was the closest Ironman finish ever. Rhodes had led all competitors off the bike in Canada.

Other pros in the field:

- From Canada: Shane Besler, Dave Dawson, Joe Rizzi, Eric Roy,
- From Germany: Thomas Weber
- From Slovenia: Erih Pecnik
- From the USA: Erik Burgan (Carlsbad, California), Jared Berg (Boulder, Colorado); Tim Key (Lubbock, Texas), Kristof Larsen (Austin, Texas); Tim Monaco (Oakland, California), Rip Oldmeadow (Charleston, South Carolina), Rick Rosenkranz (Manhattan, Kansas); Todd Wiley (Doylestown, Pennsylvania), Jamey Yon (Charlotte, North Carolina)

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Spooner opts for Ironman California, too

April 6, Camp Pendleton, California, USA (www.slowtwitch.com):

Canada’s Melissa Spooner, winner of the 1999 Ironman New Zealand, two weeks ago announced that she is racing Ironman USA on July 30. Now, she has announced that she will also race Ironman California -- on May 20.

Given that she is already expected back at the Hawaii Ironman on October 14, by virtue of her 14th-place finish there last year, she didn’t have to commit to another Ironman this year, much less two. But three in one season suits her just fine, she says.

“I have raced three Ironmans before -- in 1998,” she said. “And that year, to date, has been my best year (1st in Lanzarote, 3rd in Germany, 4th in Hawaii). “As long as I can learn something from these races that will help in the long run, they will have served their purpose.”

In California, Spooner will face Heather Fuhr in an all-Canadian showdown for the first-year event. Spooner views the competition this way: “It is no mystery that my strength is not the run. Or, at least, I haven’t yet demonstrated that it is one of my strengths. I know Heather (the 1997 Hawaii champion) will be at California. Therefore it will be beneficial for me, in that she is one of the best runners in the sport.”

Spooner, 29, had no problem putting together a demanding schedule of Ironmans. “I had decided that I would race Lake Placid already in January -- actually, after the race last year. I heard such neat things from people I know who were there, and I think it is a good course for my style of racing. I also believe that it allows for enough recovery to get ready for Hawaii.

“Regarding California, once I heard about it and once the date was set, I was curious about it. I chose not to race New Zealand this year, which was a tough decision, because it is so well run and the people there are so great.

“But I couldn’t do New Zealand mainly due to some nagging injuries that I had been dealing with since last May. I took a lot of time off this winter, and was in no hurry to do my first race; I just wanted to be healthy.

“Well, after six months of no racing, I started to get a little squirrely. After a lot of physio, core strength work and stretching, my injury (sciatica-related) seems to be under control. Once again I can enjoy the training process.

“Ironman California seemed to be the right time. I couldn't imagine having to wait until July 30 to race my first Ironman, and I believe California will be great training for me. I am looking forward to the race ... after all, we are pretty lucky to be doing this. And now I feel like I can enjoy it again.”

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Ironman California: Julie Moss joins 'em

February 11, Camp Pendleton, California, USA (www.slowtwitch.com):

Southern California's Julie Moss, known worldwide for crawling home in the '82 Ironman in Kona, now hopes to feature in a local Ironman: the first-year Isuzu Ironman California on May 20 at Camp Pendleton.

Moss' inclusion in the pro field is not merely a public relations stunt: At 42, she's sincere about racing the distance. "My goal for this is to enter as a pro and not be the last one," she said. "In 1997, out of respect to the women pros, I entered both Ironman Australia and Hawaii as an amateur.

"But now I say, 'the hell with that attitude'. I'm looking for a good race in front of a hometown crowd. And a few of those pro ladies better take a look over their shoulders late in the marathon!"

Moss's one and only triathlon since her 1997 Hawaii race was the XTerra Championships at Maui last October. She had a different kind of endurance experience last April -- the Boston Marathon. There, she did 3:19, but came away with another ironic finish to her race: She was shown in the Boston Herald's race photos the next day when she stopped to encourage another competitor who had fallen and was crawling to the finish.

"My Boston was a classic experience of what can go wrong on a course like Boston, but I sucked it up and actually enjoyed the last two miles," she said. Her marathon PR, 2:47, came on the Boston course in 1991.

Since Boston in April, she has continued to run, and more recently has discovered yoga. Her family -- husband Mark Allen and young Mats -- also incurred a change in scenery last September, when they made a temporary move to do with her renewing her interest in the Ironman distance.

"I was intrigued by this Ironman from the minute it was announced. I even attended their big press bash on the beach in Camp Pendleton late last summer," she said. "But it wasn't until we moved to Santa Cruz that my interest in the race shifted from intrigue to a desire to race.

"Maybe it was being totally uprooted from all that was familiar, coupled with all the free time, and a desire to discover all the redwood-lined back roads by bike that pushed me over the edge. At any rate, I committed to the ICI over the Christmas holidays and started training Jan. 1.

"I should mention that what initially sparked my imagination was the fact that I was weaned on those roads through Pendleton. (May 20) could seem like a training day instead of an Ironman. And rather than hammering all those miles with one or two friends, we'll get to race in front of a huge hometown crowd. That's definitely a first for me in an Ironman."

But don't look for Julie Moss to race in Kona next October 14, even if she qualifies in California. She raced the 1997 Australia race just to see where her training was, and was shocked to finish seventh and qualify. And that Hawaii went just as she expected: "It took all I had to get to the finish, and I was pleased to be second in the 35-39 age group."

However, she adds: "I am done with Hawaii for a long, long time. Before 1997, my last Hawaii was 1990 with a DNF. Never say never, but Kona feels very completed for me on all levels.

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Peter Reid, Heather Fuhr commit to Isuzu Ironman California

December 22: Camp Pendleton, California, USA (www.slowtwitch.com):

A pair of Canadian champions, both former Hawaii Ironman winners -- Peter Reid (1998 and 1997) and Heather Fuhr (1997) -- have announced they will race the first Isuzu Ironman California on May 20.

Reid, who has raced in Ironman Australia the last four years each spring, finished second in his last Ironman outingin October. Trying to defend his Ironman Triathlon World Championship title in Kona, Hawaii, coming off an injury, he was pleased with his runner-up performance to Belgium's Luc Van Lierde.

His last major Ironman win came in the Ironman Austria last July, when he posted the third-fastest Ironman time ever, 7:51:46.

Fuhr is trying to capture yet another Ironman title. She has also won Ironman titles at Ironman Brazil, Ironman Switzerland and Ironman Japan. She also won the Ironman USA title at Lake Placid, New York, in August.

Both Fuhr, who lives in San Diego, and Reid have spent extensive time training in Southern California. Both have already gone over the Camp Pendleton bike courses recently.

Said Graham Fraser, president of the Ironman North America group that will produce Ironman California: "The addition of Peter and Heather shows that all triathletes, from age-groupers to the pros, are excited about Isuzu Ironman California. Having a pair of world champions compete in the inaugural event helps make it that much more special."

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