LEGENDS OF THE SPORT
Ron Saetermoe
I consider myself to be extremely lucky to have been coached by some of the legends of triathlon. And, my coaching goes on still. Yes, even coaches need coaching!
Among my coaches are Dave Scott, Mark Allen, Paul Huddle, Paul Newby Fraser, Michael Lovato, Jimmy Ricitello, Michael McCormack, Mike Collins, Kevin Koskella and John Howard. John who?
If you haven’t seen 50 candles on your birthday cake it’s quite conceivable that you don’t know the name John Howard. Let me fill you in on some of his accomplishments:
Competed in the 1968, 1972 and 1976 Olympic games
1971 won the gold medal at the Pan American Games
7.20.85 set the motor pacing speed record of 152 MPH on the Bonneville Salt Flats on a bicycle
1981 won the Ironman World Championship
Two years ago after I bought my new Cervelo P3C from Edge Cyclesports I went down to John’s house in San Diego to tweak the already great bike fit I got from Hank. John spent two hours with me, meticulously measuring and testing to make sure I could get as much power as possible. He’s a real pro.
So yesterday (Sunday, February 28th), I’m riding through downtown San Clemente on my way home from a 90-mile ride, and I see a white haired guy up ahead weaving all over the road trying to talk on his cell phone. (Not a good idea but something I have done myself.)
So I pass him and get stuck at the next light. He pulls up behind me but I don’t see his face. Same thing happens for another couple lights. Then all of a sudden this guy takes off downhill BETWEEN the moving cars and weaves in and out of traffic. I’m thinking that I’m about to see a guy get squashed!
Fortunately he gets stopped at another traffic light after his little stunt and I look over at him . . . it’s John Howard, and I say “There’s only one maniac out there that could have made that move!” We chatted for a minute and rode for a couple miles. He checked out my bike fit and as soon as he appeared, he was gone. He must have been motoring along at 35 MPH the last I saw of him.
This sport is great for so many reasons, not least of which are the really great, and approachable people we’ve got in it.
Cheers!
CHILLY SWIM ANYONE?
Ron Saetermoe
Well, the day is nearing . . . the day of the season’s first ocean swim (for me). It had to happen sometime and that day is getting closer.
Many of you reading this are competing in the California Ironman 70.3 on Saturday, March 27th. Chances are, most of you aren’t looking forward to the swim (myself included).
So, since misery loves company, I’d like to invite everyone (whether you’re doing the race or not) to join me in doing my first open water swim.
Date: Wednesday, March 17th
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Location: Big Corona
See you there!
Ron
RACE REPORT: TOUR DE PLAM SPRINGS, LY LY TA
This “race” report is coming to you later than I had planned. I had no clue that recovery would take as long as it did.
A little over a week ago, my husband and I found ourselves at the start line for the Tour de Palm Springs. We have never been to Palm Springs, and we have never participated in a ride of this sort. So, of course, we knew we had to give it a try despite the fact that his longest ride had been 30 miles recently and my longest was 55. But that didn’t matter. We had convinced ourselves this was not a race. We were going to have a good time!
The weather was absolutely perfect that day. There was some wind but it wasn’t bad at all. The sight of all the people and bikes at the start line was amazing. It was a first for me so I wanted to absorb all the energy to help me get through my first 100-mile ride.
I felt the first leg of the ride dragged on. I couldn’t believe how much time it took to get to the first SAG stop. There were a lot of people to navigate around before we settled at our pace. It took some time for me to warm up as well.
The climb was gradual but I could feel myself working hard. My goal was to go hard for the first half of the ride. I had not planned on stopping until after 50 miles. Unfortunately, it was nearly impossible to get through the first SAG stop without dismounting. The crowd was huge and there was no room to ride through.
Just a short stop and off we went. The second leg went by quickly. The downhill was great. We did see a rider taken away by ambulance so that was a reality check to stay alert. At this point, we had settled in with a larger group. I have never ridden in a pack so this was a little nerve wracking for me. I have been spoiled with all the trail rides in Orange County and the closed bike routes during the triathlon races. But, with 100 miles to practice, I eventually became comfortable!
Before I knew it, we passed the third SAG stop. I was doing well until about mile 35. I was feeling pretty tired at this point and decided to draft behind my husband. I still had more than half the ride to complete so I had to play it safe. After about 5 miles, I felt better and took the lead. Before I knew it, we were at the half way point. It couldn’t have come sooner. The road was getting rough right before the stop. Lunch was a nice spread of different sandwiches, Chex Mix, M&Ms. We ate very little despite the vast array of choices we had. I just didn’t know how my body would react to real food during a ride. I stuck with my Clif Bloks and Perpetuem, which worked out fine.
The last 50 miles flew by. I was enjoying the scenery and getter bolder on the road while my husband looked for excuses to get off the bike and rest. We stopped once so he could offer his bike pump to someone in need (there were a lot of flat tires on this course). After that little rest and a lot of chit chat, he got his second wind, and we were off. We got lost briefly following a group. We had just mentioned how lucky we were to be following people who knew where they were going. Once we were back on track, we decided we should glance at the map so we had a clue where to go. Up to that point, we weren’t really worried about the directions.
At last, we found ourselves heading for the finish line. We had exchange leads the entire way with many groups. In the end, a huge crowd of us seem to cross the finish together. It was very thrilling to accomplish a century for the first time! The energy of the crowd was amazing throughout the whole ride. I did not feel exhausted at all after the ride. In fact, I felt motivated to attempt another long ride in the near future. My body, however, told me I needed to give it some time to rest. And so I did for about a week!
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL MERCHANTS
Ron Saetermoe
A few weeks back I lamented about four local merchants that went under in this rough economy. This week I’m happy to report that a genuine institution in the triathlon world is actually expanding . . . our good friends at Edge Cyclesports.
Hank and Mary Ann at Edge are more than store proprietors, they’re merchants of speed! I bought my first Trek bike from Hank when I first moved to California. That bike is now in Jarrett’s garage and still has a few good miles left in it.
Since then I’ve bought two more bikes from Edge. A Kestrel and my Cervelo P3C (I no longer can blame my bike for my slow times).
I’m a huge believer in buying local. I can’t stand to see our local businesses going under and I often wonder if perhaps I’d just spent a little more money there (along with my friends) could we have saved them? I’m not sure, but I strongly encourage you to go to the new Edge Cyclesports opening Monday, March 1st.
Sure, you can probably buy most of the same stuff Edge sells online but whom are you supporting? The things the online merchants can’t do for you is give you the information and advice you need that may make your entire training and racing experience better.
When I walk into Edge I simply ask Hank to make me faster. Sometimes the response is just to “pedal harder” but sometimes it’s to change my set-up, replace my chain or to do nothing at all. I put all of my trust into Hank and the gang at Edge and I know lots of others that do too.
Go see Hank and Mary Ann at their new store (not far from the old one), and tell them Triathica sent you.
Edge Cyclesports
23561 Ridge Route, Suite J/K (new address)
Laguna Hills
949.472.9497
HAVE YOU READ THE TRIATHICA TRIATHLON ROADMAP?
Ron Saetermoe
Were you aware that I wrote a book for beginner triathletes called the “Triathica Triathlon Roadmap” and that you can download it for free? That’s right; people that already subscribe to our weekly newsletter can download it for free!
We’re trying to increase our readership so please pass this link along to anyone else you know who is interested in triathlon. Triathica Triathlon Roadmap
Now, for those of you that have read the book I would appreciate it if you could take two minutes (literally) to drop me a line with what you thought about it. The reason is the more positive buzz we can create the more people will download it.
I will consider this a personal favor and will forever say good things about YOU!!!
Thanks!
Ron
