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TCSD newsletter 0309

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March 19th, Thursday Featuring Joe Friel, author of Triathletes Training Bible, Your First Triathlon and many others. TCSD Contacts 2 Volunteer Members 2 Board Members 2 Event Calendar 2 Weekly Workout Calendar 5 Member Profile 5 New Members 6 Ironman Conversation 7 Race Discounts 8 MARCH CLUB MEETING By Cyrise Sanders MARCH Friends Offering Discounts 9 Product Review 9 A Tale of Fiction 10 2009 Race Series Schedule* 2009 INSIDE THIS ISSUE continued page 3
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Maybe you remember me from my maiden name of Cyrise Calvin. When it comes to ocean swimming, I’m tough. I’m among the most seasoned open water swimmers in San Diego, especially at the La Jolla Cove where I’ve been a Covite for 20+ years. I begin with my cre- dentials because I want you to know that what happened to me was astounding, shocking, and unfathomable. It could happen to anyone. It could happen to you. I swam the Catalina Channel in 1992 and was the first San Diego woman since Florence Chadwick did it 40 years before. She and I went to lunch to commemorate the event. I didn’t have any training part- ners. Bob West was my friend and mentor, but I mostly swam alone, (still do) and thought nothing of it. I can’t count the number of times I swam to the Tower at La Jolla Shores (2 mi.) or the Scripps Pier (3 mi.) by myself. I suc- cessfully swam across the English Channel in 1994 after failing in 1992 (more on that later). My crossing took 10 hours, 50 minutes with a water temperature of 59°F. I still do an open water race now and then, nothing too far, just 3 to 5 miles. I’m married with 3 kids. Priorities change. Loving the ocean doesn't change. I look at the Cove on a calm day and think, “Oh, how peaceful and beautiful.” On a day when it’s windy and wild with whitecaps I think, “FUN!” It’s all good. January 10, 2009 was a Saturday like many others. I set out for the Cove to swim with my friend Rick Knepper. What a gor- geous day! Once I get there, I breathe a deep sigh at the majesty before me. It is a continued page 3 March 19th, Thursday Featuring Joe Friel, author of Triathletes Training Bible, Your First Triathlon and many others. MARCH CLUB MEETING TRIATHLON CLUB OF SAN DIEGO Tri News TCSD Contacts 2 Volunteer Members 2 Board Members 2 Event Calendar 2 Weekly Workout Calendar 5 Member Profile 5 New Members 6 Ironman Conversation 7 Race Discounts 8 Friends Offering Discounts 9 Product Review 9 A Tale of Fiction 10 INSIDE THIS ISSUE 2009 MARCH SUCCUMBING TO LIQUID MEDIUM: The Anatomy of a Near Drowning from Hypothermia This is scary! It’s not the usual fun article about sea life encounters you’re accustomed to reading. I beg you. No, I implore you to READ IT ANYWAY! It may save your life or someone else’s some day. By Cyrise Sanders 2009 Race Series Schedule* March 21 Fiesta Island April 11 Fiesta Island May 9 Glorietta Bay June 13 Glorietta Bay July 11 Glorietta Bay August 15 Glorietta Bay September 12 Glorietta Bay October 17 Fiesta Island November 14 Fiesta Island December 12 Fiesta Island *subject to change without notice, review club’s website for up to date info. Glorietta Bay is on Coronado Island
Transcript
Page 1: TCSD newsletter 0309

Maybe you remember me from my maidenname of Cyrise Calvin. When it comes to oceanswimming, I’m tough. I’m among the mostseasoned open water swimmers in San Diego,especially at the La Jolla Cove where I’ve beena Covite for 20+ years. I begin with my cre-dentials because I want you to know thatwhat happened to me was astounding,shocking, and unfathomable. Itcould happen to anyone.It could happen to you.

I swam the CatalinaChannel in 1992 and wasthe first San Diego woman sinceFlorence Chadwick did it 40 yearsbefore. She and I went to lunchto commemorate the event. Ididn’t have any training part-ners. Bob West was my friendand mentor, but I mostlyswam alone, (still do) andthought nothing of it. I can’tcount the number of times I

swam to the Tower at La Jolla Shores (2 mi.)or the Scripps Pier (3 mi.) by myself. I suc-cessfully swam across the English Channel in1994 after failing in 1992 (more on that

later). My crossing took 10 hours, 50minutes with a water temperatureof 59°F. I still do an open waterrace now and then, nothing toofar, just 3 to 5 miles. I’m marriedwith 3 kids. Priorities change.

Loving the ocean doesn'tchange. I look at the Cove

on a calm day and think,“Oh, how peaceful and

beautiful.” On a daywhen it’s windy and wild

with whitecaps I think, “FUN!” It’s allgood.January 10, 2009 was a Saturday like

many others. I set out for the Cove to swimwith my friend Rick Knepper. What a gor-

geous day! Once I get there, I breathe adeep sigh at the majesty before me. It is a

continued page 3

March 19th, ThursdayFeaturing

Joe Friel, author of Triathletes Training Bible,

Your First Triathlonand many others.

MARCH CLUB MEETING

TRIATHLON CLUB OF SAN DIEGO TriNews

TCSD Contacts 2Volunteer Members 2Board Members 2Event Calendar 2

Weekly Workout Calendar 5Member Profile 5New Members 6Ironman Conversation 7Race Discounts 8

Friends Offering Discounts 9Product Review 9A Tale of Fiction 10

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

2009MARCH

SUCCUMBING TO LIQUID MEDIUM: The Anatomy of a Near Drowning from Hypothermia

This is scary! It’s not the usual fun article about sea life encountersyou’re accustomed to reading. I beg you. No, I implore you to READIT ANYWAY! It may save your life or someone else’s some day.

By Cyrise Sanders

2009 Race Series Schedule*

March 21 Fiesta Island

April 11 Fiesta Island

May 9 Glorietta Bay

June 13 Glorietta Bay

July 11 Glorietta Bay

August 15 Glorietta Bay

September 12 Glorietta Bay

October 17 Fiesta Island

November 14 Fiesta Island

December 12 Fiesta Island

*subject to change without notice,review club’s website for up to date info.

Glorietta Bay is on Coronado Island

Page 2: TCSD newsletter 0309

Newbie/Networking Meeting Monthly, 1st Thursday, 6pmLocation: Hi-Tech Bikes,7638 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.

RUNJunk.com March DuathlonMarch 7th, Saturday, 7amLocation: East LakeMontevalle Park840 Duncan Ranch RoadChula Vista CA 91914

See web site for complete details.

March Club RaceMarch 21th, Saturday, 7amLocation: Fiesta IslandDistance: S 800m/ B 12 mi/ R 4 mi

March Club MeetingMarch 19th, ThursdayFood begins at 5:00pmLocation: Road Runner Sports5553 Copley Ave, San Diego

See web site for updates and complete details.

Triathlon Club of San DiegoP. O. Box 504366 San Diego, CA 92150-4366www.triclubsandiego.orgSend correspondence to the addressabove or contact president BrianLong at [email protected]

Membership & RenewalSend a check made payable to TCSD to the address above. Rates for new memberships &renewals: $60/year, $45 military(w/active ID), $110 family (2 adults). Additional years available at discount, see website.

TCSD e-listsSubscribe to the TCSD e-mailing listsby sending a blank email with yourname in the body to:[email protected]

Newsletter EditorBarbara [email protected] (760) 710-7730

Newsletter Design & ProductionSprague Design, Dean [email protected](858) 270-1605

Newsletter ArticlesPlease send to Barbara Ferrero at [email protected]

Contributing Writers Richard Duquette, Barbara Ferrero,Barbara Javor, Dean Sprague, andCraig Zelent

Newsletter ClassifiedsPlease send to Raja Lahti at [email protected]

Digital Newsletter or Hard CopyChoose approriate box in your on-line TCSD member profile.

Beginner Coaches Steve Koci [email protected]

Farah Hedwig [email protected]

Dean Rosenberg [email protected]

Steve Tally [email protected]

Bike Case Rentals Bob Rosen [email protected] (619) 668-0066

Bike Coach Andy Concors [email protected]

Club Apparel Devin Reily [email protected] (619) 895-0687

Expo Coordinators Sherry Ashbaugh [email protected] (858) 337-8839

Anne Fleming [email protected]

Grand Prix (including Aqua & Duathlon) Kevin Davenport [email protected]

Dean Sprague [email protected] (858) 270-1605

Ironman Coach Craig Zelent [email protected] (760) 214-0055

New Members Michelle Panik [email protected]

Publication Manager Madonna Bentz [email protected] (858) 349-5504

Race Director, Duathlon Tyler & Suzanne Ives [email protected] (858) 688-2997

Race Director, Triathlon Anne Kelley

Brian Wrona

Social Director Buck Williamson [email protected]

Sponsorship Director Raja Lahti [email protected]

Swim, Masters Coach Nikee Pomper [email protected] (970) 390-1645

Swim, Open Water Director Thomas Johnson [email protected] (619) 987-8822

Track Coach Bill Gibbs [email protected]

Track Coach, North County Mike Plumb [email protected]

Web Administrator John Hill [email protected]

Volunteer Committee Members Michele Kuehner [email protected]

President Brian Long [email protected] (760) 415-3329

Vice President John Hill [email protected]

Treasurer Wendy Harp [email protected]

Secretary Farah Hedwig [email protected]

Race Director Cory Osth [email protected]

Club Liaison Raja Lahti [email protected]

BOARD MEMBERS

VOLUNTEER COMMITTEE MEMBERS

CONTACTS

NEWSLETTER STAFF ANDINFORMATION

2

EVENT CALENDAR

Always refer to the Tri Club’s website calendar for latest events and complete details.

Page 3: TCSD newsletter 0309

calm day. The sun is just slightly up so the sunlight streams overthe red-tiled roofs at the Marine Room and the palm trees alongLa Jolla Shores, but, because of the angle of the sun this time ofyear, the hills behind La Jolla Shores are still shadowed. Noclouds. No fog. Another epic day.

At the Cove there is the usual gathering of “Saturday – 7:30”swimmers. I hook up with Rick and we get ready - just a bathingsuit, goggles and two caps for me. We set out well after the crowdbecause it takes me soooo long to get in the water! Not unusu-al. I just get wet an inch at a time. Once it’s up to my waist I’min and we go. The water feels cold, but no colder than any otherJanuary day. I figure 55° or 56° F. It’s about 7:45 am when westart.

As we head to the Tower at the Shores, I feel okay. About ¾ ofthe way over I notice my feet are starting to hurt and they aren’tdoing anything. “Kick feet, kick,” I tell myself. I kick a littleharder, but realize that the pain is not going away. I know myselfand in the thousands of swims I’ve done in these waters, my feetdon’t usually hurt until after I’ve left the water. We get to with-in 100 yards of touching down at the Tower and I stop and tellRick, “I need to turn back now! I’m cold!” I’ve been cold before,it’s not unusual. He says “Okay” and mentions that we were slowcoming over and that we did a big “banana arc”. I’m usually thecompass and hold a good line – so I like to think. Not this day.We’ve now swum about a mile and been in the cold water about25 to 30 minutes.

We turn around and head back. I’m pleased with my traininglately. I’m consistent. It’s been a normal week. Monday: 3 milerun. Wednesday: Marine Room swim (1½ miles) – I was by myselfand felt fabulous. Thursday: weight training. Friday: 5:30 am poolswim with my local masters group (4500 yards). So I’m a littleconfused, frustrated actually, as to why I can’t keep up with Ricktoday. Also, I start to think, “Wow, the tide must be really highbecause it feels like a washing machine from the backwash offthe cliffs.” But, it occurs to me that there really isn’t much of aswell, and besides, I love it when it’s bumpy, right? Not today!Something is different. Something is wrong.

No sooner do I have the epiphany that it’s me and not theocean that my body shunts! Vasoconstriction, actually.Vasoconstriction is what occurs when our body shuts off bloodsupply to the extremities to protect the core (heart and internalorgans). One’s blood pressure actually goes up as a result of the“extra” blood flowing in a more restricted area. It’s one of themost primitive self-preservation mechanisms in our bodies. It’snot something you think about. It just happens. So, I shunt.There’s no feeling in my arms and legs. Everything’s fuzzy and mybrain fades quickly. I feel like I’m losing consciousness. I stop.After a few strokes, Rick notices my absence and stops.

I’ve had a comfy feeling

of numbness before. Most of us that swim out here in the cold do.This is different. This is a complete cessation of blood flow andit’s not stopping at my arms and legs. The rest of me is going,too. I recall saying later that I felt my blood pressure drop. Yeah,it was dropping in my brain; my internal blood pressure was like-ly much higher.

I’ve become disoriented. I feel like am going to sink like a rock.I am in trouble!

I never understood the stories of people sinking and drowninguntil just now! I know this is how it happens. I know I'm goingdown and nothing will be able to pull me up.

Although he is 60, Rick is no slouch. An ex-Navy Seal, he swamthe Catalina Channel a few years ago and is currently training fora 36 mile swim. However, he’s had double knee replacements andI know that rescue-pulling me is not an option. I know that if Ipass out I am dead weight and am going down. I’m responsiblefor my own life.

As soon as Rick stops I yell to him, “I’m NOT okay! Stay withme!” Without hesitation he screams at me, “KEEP SWIMMING!”So I put my fuzzy head in the water and keep swimming. I canhear and see Rick beside me yelling for help. It gives me comfort.As I keep swimming face down, my brain gets hazier and I feel asthough I’m being forced to go to sleep. I’ve fainted once before,over 20 years ago, (on land,) and I know I’m about to pass out.This time, I’m in the middle of the ocean! The blood has shunt-ed from my arms and legs and I can feel my head is next. Mypanic (and possibly hyperventilation, as I’ll find out later) onlyseems to hasten the affects. After taking a few strokes I stop tocomplain to Rick, even though I know there isn’t much he can do.He doesn’t even let me begin to protest and screams, “KEEPSWIMMING!!”

I take a few more strokes, but this isn’t working. Everything isdark when I put my head in the water. I’ve spent entire swims toScripps Pier and back (3 mi.) marveling at all the different shadesof green the ocean has to offer. Now the darkness terrifies me. Iflop on my back. I just need a few deep breaths of air and sun-light on my face. If I pass out, maybe I can still get some air. Iknow this is wishful thinking. “KEEP SWIMMING!” Rick is relent-less. I start swimming backstroke and forcing air in and out justto stay awake. It’s not pretty. Who knows what my arms aredoing. I can’t feel them but I’m moving and am able to lift myhead a little out of the water. Less cold. Still fuzzy. Most of all, Ican breathe. (There is something to be said for having gonethrough childbirth three times. Not to mention all the swimmingand training I’ve done over the years.) I try to get my breathinginto a rhythm and keep the haziness that is taking over at bay. I

WWW.TRICLUBSANDIEGO.ORG3

Succumbing to Liquid Medium, continued

continued page 15

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Page 5: TCSD newsletter 0309

Monday6:00 PM Computrainer Cycling and ErgVideo • Location: Coastal Sports and Wellness.

6:00 PM Group Run, 4-6 miles, all paces welcome. • Location: Movin Shoes, Encinitas.

7:30 PM Pool Swim (long course) in La Jolla/UTC • Location: JCC, 4126 Executive Dr.

Tuesday6:00 AM Bike Workout in Solana Beach, 27 miles, all levels. • Location: Front of B&L Bikes.

6:30 AM Bike Workout in Point Loma • Location: Moment Cycle Sports, 1357 Rosecrans.

6:00 PM Run 5+ miles in Mission Bay • Location: Mission Bay Jetty parking lot.

6:00 PM Track Workout in Carlsbad, a coached session • Location: Carlsbad H.S. Track.

Wednesday5:30 PM Advanced MTB Training • Location: Penasquitos Canyon Side Park (east pkg lot).

6:00 PM Bike Workout in Coronado • Location: Starting at Holland’s Bicycles.

7:00 PM Winter Spin Class • Location: Rehab United PT & Sports Performance Center.

7:30 PM Pool Swim (long course) in La Jolla/UTC • Location: JCC, 4126 Executive Dr.

Thursday6:00 AM Bike Workout in Solana Beach, 27 miles, all levels. • Location: Front of B&L Bikes.

6:30 AM Bike Workout in Point Loma • Location: Starting at Moment Cycle Sports.

5:30 PM East County Trail Run, Contact: Florian Hedwig for more information (619) 820-2388,

[email protected] or [email protected].

Friday6:45 AM Ocean Swim in Solana Beach, in the water at 7. • Location: at Fletcher Cove

(I-5, to Lomas Santa Fe west)

Saturday8:00 AM Bike Workout in Del Mar, all levels welcome. • Location: Meet at Starbucks

(Hwy 101 & 15th st.)

Sunday7:30 AM Penasquitos Trail Run • Contact: Mark Kenny for more information (760) 271-2003

7:45 AM Run (starts at 8 sharp) and Ocean Swim (in the water at 9) in Del Mar • Location: Meet at

Powerhouse Park.

8:30 AM REAL Beginners Bike Ride (see following page or calendar on website for complete details)

** Starts after daylight saving time, but check TCSD website for complete details.

TCSD WEEKLY WORKOUT CALENDAR

WWW.TRICLUBSANDIEGO.ORG5

continued page 6

MARIANNE RITMEESTERMember since: 2005

MEMBER PROFILE

Age group: F 50-54

Status: Married

Before I became a triathlete I was: runner and swimmer

Favorite Race/Tri Event:California 70.3 and Boston Marathon

Favorite local restaurant:Vigilucci's Osteria in Oceanside.

Best Leg/Event: Hard to say, I likeevery part of it. After the swim,always looking forward to the ride and after the ride,looking forward to the run.

PR: Camp Pendleton International2008 in 2:45:24 (winning myage group). Too bad it is notavailable in 2009.

Most Embarrassing or DisastrousMoment: Crashing one weekbefore San Diego Internationaland breaking my shoulder blade.That ended the 2005 tri seasonfor me but managed to do runsclutching my arm to my waist.

Equipment wish list: I have all I need.

My Equipment:Wetsuit: XterraBike: SpecializedRunning Shoe: Asics

Page 6: TCSD newsletter 0309

Sunday, March 22nd, 8:30 am

6

REAL BEGINNERS BIKE RIDE

The TCSD Real Beginner’s Bike Ride takesplace on the 56 bike path and is a club ridewhere NOBODY gets left behind. If you canride comfortably for at least 60 minutes without stopping (total ride time 90-minutes)then this ride is for you. Please have at leastminimal cycling ability (can ride, shift, andcorner your bike adequately). Be ready for acouple moderate climbs on the first half ofthe ride, but beginners need hills too!

We will have a brief bike talk at 8:30am,and be rolling by 9am. Helmets are MANDATORY. We will help you change yourflats along the way, but please be equippedwith your own tubes to carry on the ride.

Questions? Contact Dean and ’the Steve’s’at [email protected]

Schedule of Events:8:30–8:50: Bike Q&A 9:00 - ??: Bike Ride

Directions:I-5 to Carmel Valley Road.East on Carmel Valley Road to El Camino Real.South (RIGHT) on El Camino Real.In about 1/2 mile, RIGHT into the parking lotfor California Bank and Trust.

Monday, March 10th, 6:00 pm

BEGINNER’S MEETING & TRIATHLON 101

The monthly talk is specifically designed toget you started in the sport of triathlon, andour goal is to de-mystify triathlon, andremove the ‘intimidation factor.’ We will covertriathlon basics from A to Z. All questionsfair game! NON-MEMBERS WELCOME!

Contact:Questions or comments can be sent to yourbeginner coaches Steve T, Dean R, and/or Steve K at [email protected]

Where:B&L Bike & Sport - San Diego Store3603 Camino Del Rio West San Diego, CA 92110 (619) 294-9300

Directions:It’s right off Interstate 5 at Rosecrans acrossfrom Hampton Inn.

To order, go to www.mdotcoffee.com

Use code TCSD to receive 25% off your order. (This discount does not apply to the KONA coffee.)

We’ve chosen what we believe are the highest quality and most flavorful coffee beans in the world – single origin Guatemalan coffee and single-origin

100% Kona, Single origin means consistency, which is the first step in producing a superior, “non-blended” coffee - harvested form the same farmseach and every time. The high-altitude and volcanic soil in Guatemala andKona make for some of the best coffee growing conditions in the world.

continued page 7

MEMBER PROFILE,continued

Can’t Race Without: A little pre-race caffeine boost.

Best advice: Relax and enjoy. I've done my best races whenundertrained (which was not by choice).

NEW MEMBERSLeigh Adams

Hitomi Aihara

Paul Anderson

Shannon Baker

Amy Baldwin

Jennifer Bennie

Nat Blaesser

Frank Borik

William Broms

Michael Brown

Desa Burton

Sinead Clancy

Michael Clinch

Lucy Coburn

Heather Davies

Joseph Dierdorf

Dan Egoroff

Karri Egoroff

Bob Esch

Alana Evans

Donna Evans

Maren Fitzgibbons

Theresa Fuentes

Jeff Fuller

Rhett Gilman

James Harden

Aaron Harding

Kyle Hayslip

Ross Hillesheim

Richard Holloway

Vanessa Homyak

Page 7: TCSD newsletter 0309

Michelle Hysell

Martin Katz

Jodi Kennedy

Patrici Kormanik

Joe Kubicki

Amy Larson

Andy Larson

Suzanne Lawson

Linda Machado

Rosalyn Malihan

Bernard Malihan

Sandra McCormack

Joseph Miller

Michaela Miller

Brandon Morales

Jamie Nalley

tam nguyen

Dana Olson

Anna Pew

Eric Pilmore

Teresa Ramirez-Montagut

Michelle Rios

Ruben Rios

Matthias Rossmanith

Vanessa Scott

Naomi Shibata

Carrie Smith

Valerie Stakes

Margaret Sweeny

Amy Thomas

Lewis Van Bibber

Aran Wong

Michelle Wright

WWW.TRICLUBSANDIEGO.ORG7

NEW MEMBERS, cont.

Craig: What was your athletic back-ground prior to triathlon?

Osamu: I’ve been active my whole life,and I particularly loved soccer, karate,and motocross as I was growing up.

Craig: What was it like for you to movefrom Japan to the US?

Osamu: I was almost 19 years oldwhen I left Japan, and that was onDecember 4, 1991. I finished highschool and was going to PalomarCollege from Spring Semester in thefollowing year. I didn’t know anyone inthe U.S., but I thought I would juststay in a motel for a few days until Iwould find a permanent place near thecollege. While I was trying to figureout how to go to San Marcos in the SDairport, an old Japanese ladyapproached to me. Once I explained mysituation, she helped me out to startmy life in the U.S. Needless to say, I can neverthank her enough. At that time, I could under-stand what people were saying (well, notalways), but my speaking definitely needed tobe improved.

Craig: How did you get started withtriathlons?

Osamu: I wrecked my car back in December1992 while I was driving in L.A. So I had tosell my dirt bike to get a replacement car.That’s how I quit motocross. Soon, a friend ofmine told me about triathlons, and I decidedto give it a shot since I didn’t like being inac-tive. I went back to Japan in the summer of1993 to make money. I came back to the U.S.for the fall semester and bought a tri-bike atFleet Feet in Solana Beach.

Craig: What are some of your favorite memo-ries about the early days of the Tri Club?

Osamu: I joined the club back in September1993. Before transferring to Humboldt StateUniversity in 1995, some members took me to

a restaurant for lunch. They even gave me apresent. It was sad to move out of San Diego,for sure.

Craig: What Ironman races have you done?

Osamu: Vineman in 1998 and Ironman Floridain 1999. In each race, I walked or limped atleast 10 miles and I finished 12:15 at V-manand 12 and a half hours at IM Florida. Not funto walk when you are supposed to run.

Craig: You have done a lot of races over theyears from sprint triathlons to Ironmans toXterras to mountain bike races. What is yourfavorite multisport race and why?

Osamu: Xterra. Because of my motocross back-ground, the mountain bike part of off-roadtriathlons came naturally to me, and I was abetter rider than many. Usually I don't passmuch in road triathlons because courses aregenerally flat and nothing is technical. In mysecond Xterra, San Dimas in 2000, I passed a

IRONMAN CONVERSATION WITH CRAIG ZELENTI had the chance recently to sit down and talk triathlon with mylong time good friend and former roommate, Osamu Chiba. Pleasejoin me as we get to know this TCSD legend.

Osamu and family, wife Jessica and daughter daughterMaya and their best friend Tahoe.

continued page 8

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continued page 9

TCSD RACEDISCOUNTSTo get your club discount, someevents require club members touse mail-in application and includea photocopy of TCSD membershipcard. No refunds of the discountedamount will be given if you havealready sent in your name andapplication.

Subtract the discounted amountfrom the total and be sure to alsowrite Triathlon Club of San Diegosomewhere on the application.

Additionally, visit the clubs discount section on the web foradditional details about discounts.

Auburn International Half-Ironman(World’s Toughest Half, Olympic andLong Course Duathlon NationallChampionships). TCSD members enjoy $10 off entry.

Big Kahuna Triathlon$15 off.

Elite Racing$10 off Rock & Roll Marathon. See website for additional racediscounts. www.EliteRacing.com

Kathy Loper Eventswww.kathyloperevents.com$3 off all events. At least a dozenlocal 5Ks, 10Ks and halfmarathons. For a complete list goto the website.

Klein and Clark SportsProductions10% off on both the April andNovember Desert Triathlon in Palm Springs.

Koz Enterprises$5 off all events. Spring SprintTriathlon, San Diego InternationalTriathlon, Solana Beach Triathlon,Imperial Beach Triathlon, MissionBay Triathlon, Silver Strand HalfMarathon.

Pacific Sports LLC$10 off all events. Los AngelesTriathlon, Newport BeachTriathlon, Long Beach Triathlon,Catalina Island Triathlon, CatalinaMarathon.

lot of people on the bike. I actually didn'tknow how much I made up on the bike, but mylong-time friend Dave Krosch DNF’d in therace, so he saw me arrive back in the transi-tion area when there weren't too many bikes.When Dave told me that after the race, I real-ized Xterra would be for me.

Craig: How did you meet your wife, Jessica?

Osamu: I kind of knew her through the TCSDe-mail since she was a social director. Oneweekend I met her in a bike ride (which endedup cancelled due to bad weather). And weekslater my buddy Rob and I rode up to Palomarwhen the weather was pretty ugly. Comingdown from the top, I was really shiveringbecause I was not prepared for the cold. Robdidn't think I would be in any trouble so henever looked back. Somewhere in the middleof (slooooooooow) descending I saw Jessicariding up and told her not to go. We bothstopped and she realized that I couldn’t speakwell because my mouth was frozen. So I bor-rowed her arm warmers, and she rode with medown to the store. Later that night we endedup having a 1 on 1 dinner at Todai to celebrateher birthday because all of her friends can-celled. That's how we started.

Craig: TCSD President, Jim McCann who passedaway much too soon at the age of 46 in 2007was your best friend. What would you like

TCSD members to know about your friendshipwith Jim?

Osamu: He treated me like a little brother, andhelped me out even when I didn't ask. Now Iknow he did similar things for other people,but I don't know if anyone else stopped by tosee him as much as I did. Maybe JonathanToker did as well since he was living so close.As adults, we are all busy and don’t have muchtime to hang out with friends to just do noth-ing. But Jim was one of very few people Ihung out with quite often on the weekends.And Jim always welcomed me.

Craig: Besides your former roommate, who isyour favorite triathlete of all time?

Osamu: Mike Pigg because he always pushedreally really really hard at races (and of coursein training!). Plus, he didn’t surrender to ITUwhen he was threatened to be banned fromITU races. A triathlon in Australia had beenusing the phrase “World Cup” as part of itsname even before ITU existed. But ITU didn'tlike it and wanted them to drop that. ITU alsowarned that any athletes who would competein the Australian race would be banned fromITU races. That was around 1992 or 1993, Ithink. It was a big deal for Pigg because he

Ironman Conversation, continued

Osomu’s favorite picture, retouched to bringout the subject matter; his wife Jessica.

1998 24hrs of Adrenalin, clockwise fromtop left include Mark Schoffstall, TerryHedgecock, Dave Krosch, Osamu, and thelate Jim McCann.

Page 9: TCSD newsletter 0309

WWW.TRICLUBSANDIEGO.ORG9

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FRIENDS OF TCSDOFFERING DISCOUNTS

COACHING SERVICES

Breakaway Training(858) 361-0761Contact: Felipe [email protected]

EnduranceZone.com www.fitstop-lab.comContact: Barry Kelly, Fit StopDiscount: 15% off for all TCSDmembers. Use ”TCSD” as thecoupon code, $50 off of the normalprice for VO2 testing.

ironguides(858) 558-1337Contact: Sergio [email protected]

Training Bible Coaching (619) 886-3227Contact: Jim [email protected]

Tri Power Multisport(760) 420-8032Contact: Mike [email protected]

Pelican Coast EventsMission Hills InternationalDuathlon, Pacific Coast Triathlonand Orange County Triathlon. Get $10 off each race or sign upfor all three and get $40 off ($10 less). Use code SDTC09.

SilverMan TriathlonHalf and Full ironman events. Lake Mead/Henderson, NV. Must indicate USAT membershipnumber and club affiliation.Discount codes ($10.00 discount): Full: silverclub09Half: silverhalf09

Ventura Breath of Life Triathlon$10 off. www.triforlife.com

TCSD RACEDISCOUNTS

There are basic principles to purchasing agood set of swim goggles: Fit/Comfort, anti-Leakage and anti-Fog. That is what I havealways followed.

Last November at a race, I realized Ihad forgotten to bring my race gog-gles and needed a mirrored pair forthe expected sunny conditions onrace day.

Then I discoveredSable WaterOptics.I had neverheard of thembefore and wasgetting ready topurchase my regu-lar brand of goggles,Aqua Sphere Kamins.

The sales rep was talking to some other ath-letes, so I listened in as I checked out thesample goggles on the table. I heard him saythe price, and was kind of turned off. Ithought all gogles were the same...fit/com-fort, anti-leak and anti-fog, why would anyonepay that much? About $45.

Well, it’s in the name, these are not goggles,they are water optics. This should give a littleclue. The sales rep was saying the lenses arecomparable to “Oakley”. Fortunatley, I had myregular Kamins (not mirrored) with me toinstantly compare and see what he was talk-ing about. I held up my goggles and then

quickly switched to the Sable WaterOptics. Icould not believe the difference. The opticalclarity was amaxing. The Sable WaterOptics

were about 30 to 40% clearerthan the brand of gog-

gles I have beenusing for years. Itwas an instant

sale! This isachieved by their

Aspherical & Flat LensTechnology that eliminates the dis-

tortion typical of swim goggles.

Since then, I’ve had the opportuni-ty to thoroughly compare them to a few

other brands and styles of goggles. Every timeI switched back to the Sables the difference

was amazing. Pool and ocean swimming are awhole new experience. I can see so much fur-ther and everything is much clearer.

Sable WaterOptics offer 2 styles,Competition and Recreation. Within that, theyoffer tinted and mirrored lenses. Prescriptonlenses are also available. The anti-fog is pret-ty amazing and their warranty is second tonone. Retail price $45, well worth the invest-ment. www.sablewateroptics.com

Reviewed by: Dean Sprague, PedPowerPerform Lab.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Sable WaterOptics

was a short distance guy and ITU races werewhere he made a living. Mark Allen and ScottTinley were also banned, but they wereIronman guys so they didn't care about ITU. Iam not sure if there's any other professionaltriathlete who could do like Mike did.

Craig: You are an awesome professional pho-tographer and most TCSD members are familiarwith your company, Opix. This may be reallytough because you’ve only taken millions ofphotos, but is there 1 photo or type of photothat you are the most proud of?

Osamu: I took the photo (previous page)around May 2006 at Balboa Park, about 2months before our Maya was born. It was

foggy when we got there, but the sunlight justcame through leaves and branches when westarted shooting. It was a beautiful moment.

Honestly, nothing really stands out in myaction pictures. I seem to make better onesevery year.

Craig: What would you like people to knowabout Opix that they might not be aware of?

Osamu: Opix is way better than Brightroomand Action Sports International because...

a) At Opix, you do not see totally-out-of-focusphotos because they are weeded out in thesorting process. Professional photographersshould never show their bad pics. Those com-

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10

FRIENDS OF TCSDOFFERING DISCOUNTS

MASSAGE & PHYSICAL

Active Release TechniquesUniversity City Physical Therapy (858) 452-0282www.ucpt.comDiscount: 30% off ART sessionswith Gino Cinco, PT, certified ARTprovider and instructor.

Bart Gale, HHP and TCSD member.1356 Garnet Ave., Pacific Beach(858) 531-8189Email: [email protected] in Sports, Thai, NMT &Deep Tissue Sculpting.

Sabine Grossmann234 N. Acacia Ave., Solana Beach,(619) 347-9535Licensed Massage Therapist andTCSD member.

Catherine Parker, C.M.T.Pacific Beach, CA (619) 757-0062Licensed massage therapist,Discount: $10 off each session.

NUTRITION

@health www.athealth.biz(858) 864-9333Contact: Tamara Renee forTestimonials and referrals.NUTRITIONAL COUNSELING basedon YOUR body’s unique nutritionaltype, a Nutritious & Delicious MEALSERVICE, CATERING for 10–150guests for private/work functions. Discount: 10% off all services.

Bradventures.comHealthy nutrition and performancesupplements. Enjoy elite team pricing (wholesale or even better)on Bradventures and CytoSportproducts. Discount: 10% off your already low wholesale pricing for a limitedtime! Refer a friend to bradventures.com and get a $10 gift certificate.

continued page 11

Iwasn’t thinking about Susie’s dog Frizzywhen she called and dropped the bomb-shell. Susie was my former college room-

mate, and she phoned to announce she hadaccepted a teaching position overseas for ayear. We had both weathered failed relation-ships recently, and it sounded like going awaywould do her a world of good. To help getthrough the loneliness several months ago,she had adopted a scruffy little dog she namedFrizzy.

“Will you keep Frizzyfor me while I’m gone?”

Silence.“I’ve asked everyone

I know. You have ahouse and a yard, andbesides he would makea good training partnerfor your runs. Please? Idon’t know who else toask.”

I couldn’t turn Susiedown, and at thebeginning of summer,Frizzy became myhousemate. I had neverowned a dog and didn’tknow what to expect.For an animal thatstood no higher than my knees, he had quitean imperious and rather Napoleonic nature. Ithought of renaming him Napoleon, butinstead picked Wolfgang. It had a strong andregal ring to it, and was certainly a more seri-ous name than Frizzy. I needed a serious run-ning partner.

Susie hadn’t trained him to walk obediently,so I bought a second collar and leash that Ihoped he’d associate with steady trottingwhile I jogged. Wolfgang wasn’t the bestlearner, and I wasn’t the best teacher, but Ithought things would improve as the summerwore on. My favorite trails ran through thegreenway parks that bordered the river intown. They were popular with pedestrians andrunners, both with and without dogs. Any timewe came near a dog, I had to stop, rein in

Wolfgang, and admonish him to curb hisaggressiveness.

One afternoon early in the summer beforethe heat came to stay for the season and whilethe river was still running high with springrun-off, a flock of geese had gathered on thegrass near the water. A resident population ofducks usually foraged near the river, andWolfgang always took great delight in barkingand scaring them away. When he caught sight

of the geese, I imaginehe thought they were bigducks with long necks.Before I had a chance toreact, he lunged anddarted after them, yank-ing the leash from myhand. Unlike the duckswho usually took to theair, the geese formed anoisy gang, circled thedog, and started peckingat him while herding himtowards the water.

“No!” I ran across thegrass and pathways,through the bushes, andover an old river gravelbar. It was too late. Theyhad forced Wolfgang into

the water where the edge was steep enoughfor him to lose his footing. When I reached thewater’s edge, Wolfgang was frantically tryingto swim back to the bank as the current swepthim downstream. Nobody was nearby to grabhim.

“Wolfgang!” I ran a few paces downstream,but the current was forcing him further andfurther from the shore into rougher water. Hewas desperately dogpaddling in the churningwater, heading towards the boulders a fewhundred yards downstream. I jumped into thecold water, the chill gripping my chest andmaking me feel breathless the first momentsas I windmilled my arms while keeping myhead above water.

By mid-summer, the water is warmer andlower, and kids and adults run the river in

By Barbara JavorA Tale of Fiction

TRAINING PARTNERS

Page 11: TCSD newsletter 0309

WWW.TRICLUBSANDIEGO.ORG11

continued page 14

FRIENDS OF TCSD OFFERING DISCOUNTS

Clif/AviaContact: Anna Gerber

Fuel Factor NutritionKim Mueller, MS, RD, owner FuelFactor Nutrition.(858) 337-3612www.Fuel-Factor.com [email protected] Discount: 10% on nutrition services with TCSD card.

Jay Robb Protein JayRobb.comOrder through Craig Zelent at (888) 838-3878 x105 or email [email protected]: 20% off the suggestedretail price.

NanoGreens 10 and PeltierElectrolyte Concentratewww.biopharmasci.comContact: Melinda Bender (858) 535-0462 or E-mail: back2basics.san.rr.comDiscount: 20% off suggested retailprice on each nutritional product.

SaltStick.com Electrolyte capsules and dispensers.Innovative electrolyte formulationand nifty inside handlebar capsuledispenser designed for training andrace-day nutrition.Discount: 15% off your order withcode “TCSD15” at www.saltstick.com

Sportquestdirect(800) 776-4363www.sportquestdirect.com Contact: GR KrishnaGreat products like CarboPro andVantage.Discount: 10% off all products.Write “TCSD” after your name whenordering online. Discount subtractedafter they receive your order.

We are a Sports Physical Therapy facility dedicatedto finding and treating the underlying biomechanicalproblems that lead to common sports injuries.

n Active Release Techniques®

n Functional Sports Medicine& Rehab

n Orthopedic Rehab

n Kinesiotaping & McConnellTaping Techniques

n Sports Specific Strength & Conditioning

n Functional Flexibility Programs

n Biomechanical Video Analysis

n Injury Preventions Programs

n Neuromuscular Re-educationTraining

Our Clinic Specializes in:

Ask for the special TCSD rate for ourActive Release Techniques® Services

University City Physical Therapy & FunctionSMART Fitness

(858) 452-0282 www.ucpt.com

inner tubes through and past the smoothboulders downstream where the currents setup standing waves and easy class-one rapids.With the water running about two feet highernow, the boulders forced the water to roil inclass-two rapids with the potential peril of asucking hole behind them. Wolfgang wasabout fifteen feet in front of me, and we wereheading straight for the boulders. “I’m com-ing! I’m coming!” I gasped as I slowly closedthe gap between us. He appeared to be float-ing faster than I was, and even with my hardstrokes and kicks, it seemed to take forever toreach him.

When I finally grabbed Wolfgang, I saw pureterror in his eyes. I clutched the little dogtightly to my chest with one arm and awk-wardly tried to maneuver us towards the bank.We were just about in the middle of the river.The sounds of the water running over rocksgrew louder, but I thought I heard someoneshouting. I quickly looked around for someonein a raft or kayak, but saw no one. I kept try-ing to move us towards shore as the river con-

tinued to sweep us towards the boulders.Again I thought I heard shouts. When I turnedto my left, I saw a big, black, furry head justinches from mine.

“Eeeee!” “Seek puppy!” I distinctly heard a man’s

voice shout.The furry head belonged to a Labrador

retriever, and when the man shouted thewords again, the retriever tried to grabWolfgang by the scruff of the neck.

“He can rescue your dog!” the man shouted.“Let him carry the puppy! Can you swim toshore?”

“Yes!” I didn’t know whether to believe theman and the lab’s ability, but I did know we’dwipe out and possibly drown if we hit theboulders. We were now less than a hundredyards away from the frothing water. I had nochoice but to relinquish Wolfgang to the burly,black dog that grasped Wolfgang by the necklike a stuffed toy. I grabbed the lab by theback of his neck so the three of us stayed

continued page 16

Page 12: TCSD newsletter 0309

B&L Bike and SportsContact: Elliot Doyle(858) 481-4148www.blbikes.comDiscount: 10% on soft goods excluding labor,Zipp, Hed or Oakley products.

Hi-Tech Bikes Contact: Hank Montrose7638 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. San Diego, CA 92111(858) 715-1517www.hi-techbikes.comDiscount: 15% off soft goods, 10% off hardgoods.

Moment Cycle SportContact: JT Lyons or Cory Osth1357 Rosecrans St. Suite A, San Diego, CA92107 in Pt. Loma(619) 523-BIKEwww.momentcyclesport.comDiscount: 10% off everything besides labor, 15% off clothing.

940 S. Coast Hwy 101 Encinitas, CA (800) 697-8007www.Nytro.comDiscount: 10% off retail for all products excluding labor, Zipp and Hed products.

Active Wellness (formerly Cassdiy’s Massage)Contact: Chris Cassidy(858) 450-4456www.cassidysclinic.comDiscount: 10% off services.

Coastal Sports & Wellness Medical CenterContact: Dr. John Martinez(858) 678-0300www.coastalsportsmedicine.comDiscount: 10% on cash paying customers.

Rehab United Sports Medicine and Physical Therapy, Inc. (Rehab United or RU)3959 Ruffin Road, Suite FSan Diego , CA 92123 (858) 279-5570www.rehabunited.comDiscount: 10% off services.

University City Physical TherapyContact: Gino Cinco(858) [email protected]: 10% off cash payments.

Art of TriContact: [email protected]

Beaker Concepts, Inc.Contact: Andrew [email protected]: 35% off all products, use code TCSD.

Road Runner Sports www.roadrunnersports.com

Rudy Projectwww.e-rudy.comDiscount: 40% helmets and sunglasses. See TCSD website for code.

San Diego Running InstituteContact: David Wilcox4760-B Mission Gorge PlaceSan Diego, CA 92120(619) 265-SDRI (7374)www.sdri.net

SPONSORS OF TRIATHLON CLUB OF SAN DIEGO

MULTISPORT SHOPS MASSAGE & PHYSICAL THERAPY APPAREL, EQUIPMENT & RUNNING SHOES

12

Page 13: TCSD newsletter 0309

Xterra Wetsuits Contact: Victoria du Roure(858) 565-9500Discount: 25% for TCSD members. See TCSD website for code.

Zoot Sportswww.zootsports.com

IRONMAN Organic Coffeewww.mdotcoffee.com/Discount: 25% off for TCSD members. Go to TCSD website for code.

Kashiwww.kashi.com

RunJunk.comContact: Robert Mitchell4901 Morena Blvd., Suite 323San Diego, CA 92117(619) [email protected]: 5% off all products, use code TCSD.

A&E Construction ServicesContact: Joe Esposito(619) 588-4113www.a-ecs.com

Blue Summit Financial GroupContact: Judy Seid(619) 698-4330www.bluesummitinvest.com

Competitor Magazinewww.competitor.com

Oak Hill SoftwareContact: John [email protected]

Law Firm Richard L. Duquette (Bicycle Injury Lawyer since 1983)Contact: Richard L. Duquette(760) 730-0500 or (800) 464-4123www.911law.comDiscount: Attorney fee discounted $500.00 toTCSD members with another $250.00 donated(from my Attorney’s fee) to TCSD and $250.00to Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) on behalf/in the name of any injured TCSDmember.

Opix Sports PhotographyContact: Osamu Chiba(858) 232-8806www.opix.net

Prudential RealtyContact: Brian Long(760) 415-3329www.thisisbrian.com

Robert’s Auto Service 4630 Mission Bay Drive, San Diego, CA 92109(619) 275-1132www.robertsautoservice.com Contact: Keith [email protected]: Discount: 10% off all services/repairs(except already discounted services), maximum$100.

Wetsuitrental.comContact: Patty McCann-Stokes (360) 297-1818email: [email protected]

BRIAN

LONGwww.thisisbrian.com

NUTRITION

OTHER SPONSORS

SPONSORS OF TRIATHLON CLUB OF SAN DIEGO

13

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14

APPAREL & EQUIPMENT

Paradowski Swim Sport7962 Convoy Ct, San Diego, CA(858) 569-6946Contact: Tom and ReginaParadowskiDiscount: 10% off everything.

Swim West120 Encinitas Blvd., Encinitas, CA(760) 635-8556 Contact: Julie BradleyDiscount: 15% of swimwear and tri clothing, 10% off all swim accessories.

OTHER SPONSORS

Acqua al 2 (’ah-qwa-all-doo-eh’)322 5th Ave. Gaslamp, San Diego(619) 230-0382, (619) 230-0647, faxContact: Cassie PierceyDiscount: $17 special on therestaurant’s signature pasta sampler, plus a glass of red wine.

Bernardo’s Restaurant12457 Rancho Bernardo Rd. San Diego, CA(858) 487-7171 Contact: Bernard MougelDiscount: 20% off all meals.

Hike, Bike, KayakDiscount: Buy Two La Jolla SeaCave Kayak Tours, bring anotherperson for free! This is a two-hourguided kayak tour of the gorgeoussea caves area. (Includes equipment and plenty of free instruction on proper paddling technique.)

John Howard Performance Sports1705 Old Mill RdEncintias, CA 92024(760) 944-3787, (203) [email protected] www.johnhowardsports.comDiscount: 10% on Bike PositionAnalysis.

FRIENDS OF TCSDOFFERING DISCOUNTS

continued page 15

Let’s explore several different options to recov-er from damage to your carbon fiber bike. It’sheart breaking to see these works of art dam-aged.

First, a little background onCarbon Fiber (CF). The industrialfiber is called polyacrylanitrile orPAN for short. Most CF has a tensilestrength/stiffness of 33 millionpounds per square inch.Alternatively, there is CF preimpreg-nated and reinforced with epoxy(PrePreg). You probably know anengineer or two, ask them to calcu-late the degree and mechanism offorce to see if your bike accidentwas scientifically sufficient to crackthe carbon fiber. Or was it a preex-isting manufacture defect that gaveout.

I’d also take a quick look at thewarranty on your bike. See what’sdescribed and disclaimed. Ordinarywear and tear is often expected,whereas misuse of the produce isnot covered. Warranty coverage willordinarily depend on the disclaimerlanguage. Further, in light of the fact that car-bon fiber is touted as superior in strength, itmight be foreseen that a mere tipping over ofthe bike (as opposed to an accident) should becovered because you are not intentionally mis-using it and this accidental contact might notbe expected to shatter a 33 million per squareinch strength carbon frame.

Another factor to consider is the productadvertising. Business and Professions CodeSection 1700 et sec might afford you somerelief from sharp business advertising practicesif the product literature can reasonably be saidto cover your accident. Don’t push it unless it’sclear from the literature your bike is coveredfor minor mishaps.

Advertising representations must be fair.Now days, class actions are commonplace andprovide deterrence and a consumer remedy forfalse or misleading representations.

If your bike was damaged out of the use andmaintenance of your car, submit a claim to

your auto carrier. If no luck, try reviewing yourhomeowners policy for accidental damage cov-erage. Your agent might help you. This mightget you a new bike frame set.

As a practical matter, analyze the testingmethod used to diagnose your damaged frame.Some non destructive testing includes, ultra-sound, xray, electrical current/voltage,infrared, black light – paint analysis and thegood old human eyeball inspection.

You might shop a second repair opinion bycalling Craig Calfee at 800.965.2171. Herepairs carbon as well. View his website atwww.calfeedesign.com (photograph your bikebefore you send it out for repairs.)

In any event, make sure you trash the bike,if it gives you a high speed wobble.

I hope the above information will help youin the event your carbon bike is damaged in anaccident.

Richard Duquette is a local Carlsbad,California Personal Injury who, since 1983, hasmixed law with his love of bicycling and surf-ing from Baja to Bali. He can be reached viaemail at [email protected].

CARBON FIBER BIKES: Repair and RecoveryBy Richard Duquette

Carbon Fiber; know your warranty policy.

Page 15: TCSD newsletter 0309

15

MHS-WorksThe Bicycle Doctor and Qualitybuilding Maintenance & RepairContact: Matt Sparkswww.MHS-WORKS.com(619) 756-3756Discount: 10% Discount off labor

San Diego Humane SocietyContact: Sarah WhorleyDiscount: 1 year extension to your membership if you adopt ananimal from the San DiegoHumane Society.

FRIENDS OF TCSDOFFERING DISCOUNTS

WWW.TRICLUBSANDIEGO.ORG

continued page 19

Looking for a

workout partner,

companion or buddy?

Use the TCSD web site’s forum to post a listing.

Make sure to include location

and intensity level.

Having a training partner

can bring new energy

to your workouts.

just need to stay conscious.I’ve got tunnel vision. Tunnel vision is loss

of peripheral vision with retention of centralvision. In my case it’s caused by blood loss ora drop in blood pressure in the brain. I canonly focus on what’s immediately in front ofme. I don’t really see Rick, but I hear him andknow he’s beside me. He’s yelling for help inbetween strokes. It’s comforting, but I beginto wonder if anyone has heard him.

We were in the middle when my crisis came.We were about ½ mile from shore in eitherdirection. The middle. It doesn’t matter howmany thousands of miles I’ve swum in my life,in these very waters, there is no way I’m goingto make that last half mile.

I pray for strength. I think of my family andhold each of my children in my heart and praythat God will do the same with me. Mostly, Ijust pray for strength. I’m not expecting Godto lift me out of the water, but I pray He givesme the strength and the will to keep swimmingeven though everything in my body is saying,“STOP, and let go.”

My judgment is impaired. It seems asthough I’ve been swimming for 15 minutessince the trouble began. It was probably onlyhalf that. I’m still doing backstroke and I fig-ure we must be getting close to the Cove.Maybe I’ll actually make it to shore before thelifeguards get to us. I’m in the washingmachine, but decide to roll over and try togauge where we are. I’m hoping for Razor Reef,which would mean only a few hundred yards togo. I turn over and see the ¼ mile buoy in thedistance which means we have well over ¼mile to go. My heart sinks. I try to ask howmuch further with a twist on the classic,“Aren’t we there yet?” I’m not sure the wordsever come out or if they are only in my mind.“KEEP SWIMMING!” Rick doesn’t let me stop tocomplain.

I return to backstroke. It’s working for me.I’m incredibly cold and in pain. More praying.My neck is getting stiff from trying to keep myhead out of the water while swimming. (I’vesince learned that the Coast Guard specificallyrecommends that you NOT swim backstroke asit is the stroke that causes the most heat loss.)

In my case though, it works. There is no way Ican put my face back in the water. I’m losingblood flow to my head. The cold on my facejust makes me want to clench my jaw and eyesshut and sleep. This will lead to a phenome-non called spontaneous inspiration or gaspreflex. It is another primitive response to coldwater due to not getting enough air because ofshallow breathing. These involuntary breathswill ultimately lead you deep into the drown-ing episode by aspirating water into yourlungs.

I think I’ve been swimming for awhile andcan tell we have company. There are a fewswimmers with wetsuits, (a novel concept) andI recognize Bruce Beech. I can hear Rick issu-ing some sort of orders for them to get me toswim more towards the Cove. Like I said, itisn’t pretty. (Who knows, maybe I was headedout to sea or swimming in circles.) The sun isin my eyes, but one of the guys offers me hisneoprene cap. “No,” I say. I just have to keepswimming. Bruce, a pleasant and familiar face,gets next to me and offers to give me his wet-suit. If only he knew what was going throughmy mind. It's ludicrous. I tell him I can’t stop.It would take too long….at least, I think Isaid that. My flotilla of wetsuiters stays withme. I don’t hear Rick anymore. I figure he’ssprinted to get closer to the Cove to try to getsomeone to call 911. The lifeguards aren’t dueto come on duty until 9:00. City budget.Looking back and doing the math, it was prob-ably between 8:30 and 8:45 at that point. Ididn’t have 5 more minutes in me, let alone 30minutes. I look over, maybe I’ve stopped, I’mnot sure, and I see Rick is at the ¼ mile buoyand he’s trying to climb on it and yell for help.He seems really far away. In my delirium Ithink, “Why don’t I climb onto the buoy andhold on?”, but it seems too far away and I’mnot sure I could hold on anyway. I keep swim-ming.

Eventually, I hear, “They’re coming.” Hugerelief! But I still won’t let myself stop swim-ming. I wait until the last possible moment asthe lifeguard Jet Ski pulls up next to me,stops, and I reach for the rescue board that’sbehind it. I can’t see anything. I don’t even

Succumbing to Liquid Medium, continued

Page 16: TCSD newsletter 0309

16

panies aren’t really pros, in my opinion, sothey don't care.

b) Opi’s search engine is the best, especiallyfor swim pics. I don’t know if any other com-panies can let you search by the combinationof swim cap color and wetsuit brand. That nar-rows it down to a reasonable number of pics tolook through.

c) I know at least Brightroom simply prints outwith no retouching. I crop, lighten up, and/orcorrect color balance as needed to make pho-tos look the best.

I could go on and on, but just one more: Iam proud of my work especially because Opixis really my one-man show. Those bigger com-panies have more resources, but I produce bet-ter quality.

Craig: What is the best part of membership inthe TCSD?

Osamu: Camaraderie. I’ve made a lot of friendsin the club since I joined back in 1993. It'sinteresting to go to races, camping, etc.. Andmany members helped me out when I was introuble. I will never forget that.

Craig: What are your future athletic goals?

Osamu: I can't spend as much money or timetowards triathlons anymore - my family comesfirst. So I just want to do a few mountain bikeraces a year. My real fantasy is to go back tomotocross...only if I have tons of money. Andit will not likely happen, at least any timesoon...

Craig: Osamu, I hope you win the lottery soyou can do whatever you want. But keep work-ing because Opix really is the best. Thanks forsharing your story!

Ironman Conversation, continued

Training Partners, continued

Barbara F. Kase - BS, CCN, LMT

Determine Your Goals and Develop

a Plan.

(760) [email protected]

North County-San Diego

NutritionalConsultation

Feel energetic and healthy, all the time!

Achieve your athletic goals.

Reach your ideal weight andmaintain it with ease.

Beat craving and bonking.Balance your hormone levels.

Get healthy cholesterol andblood pressure readings.

All this and more with the helpful tips and

advice from a dedicated and knowledgeable

holistic health professional and

athlete.

together, rolled onto my back, and kicked andsculled towards shore while watching ourapproach to the standing waves and the boul-ders. We’re not going to make it. We’re going toget sucked in a hole.

Having run the river many times in innertubes, I knew where the outermost boulder layin wait. As we neared it, I floated feet first,flexed my legs, and gave a mighty shove theinstant my feet made contact with the under-water block of granite. It propelled the lab,Wolfgang, and me several feet sideways andaway from the vortex that loomed behind theboulder. Then I started sculling and kickingfrantically as the big dog swam and the threeof us made slow progress towards the bank. Icould now hear the man’s words distinctly ashe ran down the river bank parallel to us.

“That’s it! C’mon, Pedro! C’mon, boy! You’realmost here!”

We floated over a bar of sharp rocks andcobbles in water about two feet deep. Thelab’s legs gained purchase on the bottom andhe hurtled across the bar. I released him butstumbled as I tried to run and paddle my way

across. Then the lab plunged into deeper wateragain close to shore where the weakened cur-rent slowed his downstream drift. Shortlyafter, I plunged in behind him, stroking andkicking hard so we both emerged from thewater at the same time.

“Good boy! Good boy!” the man said as hegrabbed Wolfgang. “Are you all right?” heasked me.

For a moment I couldn’t speak as I gaspedfor air. Fear, cold, adrenalin, and the effects ofthe effort in the water had sapped even theenergy of my vocal chords. “Thank you for res-cuing us,” I managed to say in a raspy voice.“Thank you and your dog.”

The retriever and Wolfgang repeatedly shookthe water from their coats, and then the largedog sat and began to lick the water offWolfgang. I was dumbfounded—Wolfgangnever let other dogs near him without a growl,let alone lick him.

“You did a good job, Pedro,” the man toldthe lab as he rubbed his head. The man lookedat me and saw I was beginning to shiver. “Itlooks like we need to get both of you dry.” He

continued page 18

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removed his windbreaker and wrapped it around my shoulders.“Did you drive to the park or walk?”

“I was jogging. My car’s at home.”“May I give you a ride?”With my teeth chattering uncontrollably, I simply nodded. We

walked quickly, with the two dogs walking close together andleading the way.

“I’m Ethan, and this is Pedro,” the man said, “but you alreadymet him.”

I introduced myself and Wolfgang. As we walked, I learnedEthan was training Pedro to be a water rescue dog. I was prettysure I had seen them in the park before, but we had never spo-ken. I told Ethan how I came to be Wolfgang’s pet-sitter, and thegeese that had led him astray. I was still chilled to the bonewhen we arrived at his car and when he parked in front of myhouse. Wolfgang was also wet and shivering. “Thank you foreverything,” I said as I opened the car door.

“Wolfgang needs to be toweled dry and you need a hot show-er to stave off hypothermia,” Ethan said. “If you’d like, I coulddry him outside while you shower.”

As he spoke, the two dogs piled out of the car and began chas-ing each other like puppies. I had never seen Wolfgang likeanother dog, let alone play with one. I didn’t want to ruin themoment, so I agreed. The shower and dried dogs led to an invi-

tation for a cup of coffee, followed by a dinner of heated left-overs and sandwiches, and finally glasses of wine. The two tireddogs were sprawled near each other on the dining room floorwhen Ethan finally stood to leave my house at nine o’clock.

After that day, we started meeting regularly at the park as Icontinued the routine of encouraging Wolfgang to trot next to meobediently while logging my running miles. After a few meetings,we switched—Pedro with his longer legs and lumbering gait wasmore suited for jogging with me, and Ethan spent the time train-ing Wolfgang to heel and obey properly. As the summer wore on,sometimes we’d leave the dogs home and go on bike rides. Othertimes we’d take the dogs to a lake where I did my long swims.

“If you tell Pedro to abide, he’ll swim close by without tryingto rescue you,” Ethan said.

On those hot summer days, Pedro was my swim training part-ner while Ethan and Wolfgang stayed on shore. Wolfgang neverwent more than knee-deep in the water since that fateful day inJune, and he’d yip and bark as Pedro and I approached the shore.The moment we stepped out of the water, he’d run to me briefly,and then try to grab Pedro by the neck as they ran across thesand. Since Pedro had rescued Wolfgang, the two dogs hadbecome inseparable. As for Ethan and me—well, it looks likewe’re becoming partners too, and not just training partners.

Training Partners, continued

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know who’s rescuing me. There are handles on the rescueboard. I grab on and surprise myself that I can hold somethingeven though I can’t feel my arms, or see. The lifeguard on theback pins me down so I don’t roll off. I’m not going anywhere.I hear the lifeguard say we’re going to the Cove since it’s theclosest. It occurs to me that I probably hadn’t swum that farafter all. I was in the 56°F water for about one hour.

They plop me down in the Cove. Despite my previous impres-sion that it was a washing machine, there’s no surf. The wateris calm. Good. I can’t stand up, but someone grabs me frombehind. Somehow they get me going, taking a few steps. I’mwobbly, but I think I am walking on my own. The Cove life-guard is there to greet us. Thank God he came on duty early.They do the hand off and he guides me up the stairs. It issomeone I know, Jim Birdsell, an old friend of my husband’s.He asks me my name. I comply, but am wondering why he does-n’t recognize me. Then it occurs to me that I must look likecrap. It isn’t until later that I realize he was gauging my con-dition.

He gets me into the warm shower at the lifeguard station.I’m a noodle and slink to the floor. Ahhhh, it feels good! Iknow I’m in trouble and not out of danger yet. Who knows whatmy internal core temperature is. Jim stays with me, talking tome and asking questions. I receive a few visitors. Rick looks inon me. I realize he didn’t get the Jet Ski ride back and still hada ¼ mile swim after they plucked me out. I tell him to pleaseuse the gallon jug of hot water I brought to pour over my head,

Succumbing to Liquid Medium, continued

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20

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as I won’t need it. (A custom among us winter swimmers, it's justenough to take the edge off.) Bob West, no stranger to crisis inthe ocean, comes in to see me. He asks me if his wife Marvashould call my husband. I tell him not to bother.

What was I thinking? I don’t know, I guess I didn’t want himto have to shuffle the kids. My perception was way off. Eventhough I knew I was in trouble – still, part of me thought I’d beall set up after this nice shower. I had no idea how long it wouldtake to recover. In hindsight, I would’ve done a few things differ-ently.

After 5 or 10 minutes in the shower, paramedics arrive. (Again,my perception of time could be way off.) They just look at me forawhile and talk about me as I remain a noodle on the showerfloor. Finally I ask someone to take my temperature. Someone pro-duces an ear thermometer, but he assures me that this is not mycore temp. I don’t want to leave the warmth of the shower, butjust crane my neck and give him an ear. He tells me it is 94° F,but that it is not my core temp and if it were I’d be dead.

I’ve since learned this isn’t necessarily true; you don’t go intocardiac arrest until about 86°F, but you will lose consciousness at89.6°. Not that I’m encouraging anyone to push it further, butthat’s what the medical texts say. I also know that even though Ihad a few more degrees to go before cardiac arrest, a loss of con-sciousness due to hypothermia or even due to hyperventilationfrom the panic that ensued, may well have lead to my demise.

There is a Jacuzzi across the street from the Cove at the La JollaAthletic Club. I seem to be coming around so they escort me upthere to continue the thawing process. Up in the Jacuzzi there areabout ten or so swimmers that have heard of or seen some por-tion of the event unfold. More familiar faces. I can tell by the waythey are looking at me that I still look like crap. The paramedicscontinue to attend to me while I get neck-deep in bubbles. They

Succumbing to Liquid Medium, continued

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ask me if I want transport to an ER. This iscrazy! Why would I want to leave this warmwater? And besides, fellow swimmers BarbaraHeld, a former fireman, and Cindy Walsh, anICU nurse, are with me in the Jacuzzi. I’mthawing nicely so I sign the release. I’m ingood hands. The girls don’t take their eyes offme. I ask for a piece of fruit, someone fetch-es me a piece of pizza. Other folks offer updrinks, warm of course, and a cell phone so Ican call my husband. Rick comes in to makesure I’m okay.

After over an hour, I dry off and get dressed.Cindy and Barbara walk me down to the Cove.I visit briefly with the lifeguards trying to geta grasp on what just happened. I’m tired butfeel okay so I drive myself home, a much dif-ferent person than when I awoke that morn-ing.

EpilogueIt has been three weeks since the event and

I am still recovering. I spent almost three daysin bed, exhausted. I did go to the ER for fol-low up the next morning (Sunday). The doctorcomplied with all sorts of tests, since I hadthe burning question, “Why now? Why did thishappen to me now?” Not to mention my chestwas sore. So, after blood tests, chest x-ray,EKG, (standing and resting,) and a stressechocardiogram, (Tuesday) the doctor deter-mines that I’m in “perfect health”.

While in the ER, the doctor, who I liked, lec-tured me on hyperventilation. At the time Iwas thinking, “What is he talking about? I hadhypothermia, not hyperventilation.” I’ve sincerealized that it could be a factor and is there-fore worth mentioning. I was definitelyhypothermic, but hyperventilation could has-ten the symptoms and cause one to pass out,giving the same end result if in the middle ofthe ocean.

God put Rick in my life for a reason. I findout later that not only is Rick an ex-NavySEAL, but he is an ex-Navy SEAL trainer andstill works with them. His background with theSEALs, training with both military and civilianswimmers in cold water, has provided manyexperiences with rescuing or assistinghypothermic swimmers. His observation is thatno two instances of hypothermia are the same.

I know this to be true. Remember my failed

English Channel attempt in 1992? It was dueto hypothermia. This felt different. Then I wascold and in pain, burning pain, like being onfire but from the cold. Five hours into mycrossing I was cruising and on-track to do afast swim, 8½ to 9 hours. The water temp was63°F, balmy for the Channel. I would whineand complain every 20 minutes at my feed-ings. My friends, Bob West and JanettePiankoff, and my sister, Tara, took turns get-ting into the water with me. They plead withme to keep swimming because I had worked sohard and was doing so well. I responded withtears, complaints and even heaved my waterbottle at Bob in anger. But I wasn’t disorient-ed, didn’t have tunnel vision and didn’t shuntuntil two hours later. It wasn’t until I hadbeen in the water for over 7 hours that I gotout. By that time I was definitely losing motorcontrol, my stroke count dropped way down,but I didn’t have to be rescued. I got outusing my own strength.

There is no ordinary day in the cold ocean.What we do is dangerous and should not betaken for granted. Here are some guidelines forPREVENTION:n Depth of experience is valuable but doesn’t

guarantee safety.n Always swim with a partner, especially when

the water gets “cold”.n Layer up – wear extra caps, neoprene caps,

or even a wetsuit. Most heat is lost throughthe top of the head.

n Know yourself. Know what is normal for you.Alert your partners when things are notright.

n Know your partner. Know what is normal forhim or her.

n If you don’t feel right when you get to theshore on the far side, (the Tower, Pier orMarine Room,) GET OUT and ask for help.Even if the lifeguards aren’t on duty at theTower, a call to 911 will get you the patrollifeguards or the help you need. The guardsare on the beach at the Shores setting up at8:00am, but aren’t watching the water until9:00am in the winter.

n YELL if there’s trouble. Rick was heard beforehe was seen. It was his voice that promptedthe 911 call from a bystander at the Clam,(the cliffs across from Goldfish Point Café.)

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Succumbing to Liquid Medium, continued

I’m told the lifeguards never spotted mein distress.

n WAVE your ARMS – the universal sign fordistress. Keep doing this until the life-guards get to you, otherwise they maynot be able to spot you. If there is morethan one of you helping a distressedswimmer, take turns waving and yelling.Conversely, don’t wave to your friendsunless you really need help or you mayget rescued.

n Know your quickest and safest exit fromthe water. Rick later told me that hecould have gone either direction, Shoresor Cove. He chose the Cove because heknew the chance of having other swim-mers come upon us was greater. Yourbest chances of being heard is the Clamarea, but beware of the surf.

n The fact that I kept swimming saved mylife because I would have drowned oth-erwise.

n EAT and hydrate. You will survive longerin the cold water. Oh yeah, I hadn’teaten that morning. Not unusual for me,but notable.

Signs and Symptoms of Hypothermia Hypothermia happens when the body

loses heat faster than it can replenish it.The medical definition of hypothermia is adangerously low body temperature, below95°F. Symptoms include:n Uncontrollable shivering. n Confusion, irritation, clumsiness, slurred

speech. n Swimming erratically – often swimmers

are found going in circles. n Euphoria – an exaggerated feeling of

physical and mental well-being, espe-cially when not justified by externalreality.

n Blurred vision. n Lack of coordination. Muscle stiffness.

n Ashen white face and hands. n Cold blue skin. n Slow heartbeat. n Slow respiration. n Cardiopulmonary arrest. n Unconsciousness.

Care and Treatment of Hypothermian Remove the victim from the water. Call

911. n Check ABC’s: Airway, Breathing and

Circulation. n Check D, (degrees,) if possible. n If no breathing or heartbeat, start CPR. n Prevent further heat loss. n Prevent Afterdrop - warm them slowly,

handling gently. Afterdrop happenswhen the cold blood from the skin andextremities is introduced into thewarmer core. Basically, as you re-warm,and blood-flow from the extremities re-starts too fast, then all the cold bloodfrom the extremities now goes back intothe core and shocks the heart. The samecould happen with rough handling whichcan “jolt” the cold, shunted blood toflow to the heart.The heart may exhibittachycardia or fibrillation, (loss of arhythmic, coordinated heart beat.) Warmthem in a shower, wrap them in blanketsor towels and give them warm, NOT hot,liquids.

What Would I Have Done Differently?This is all 20/20 hindsight, but here’s

what I would do given my new perspec-tive:n Eat breakfast before I swim. Oatmeal

with ginger and cinnamon is great forpromoting internal warmth.

n Heed the signals my body is giving me.(Hey, like just getting out of the waterat the Shores).

n Take the ambulance ride! It all workedout, but who knows what my core tempwas or if I had some sort of heartarrhythmia. It’s best if they check youimmediately after an episode.

Many ThanksThank you to the stranger who made the

911 call and to the lifeguards whoresponded quickly even though theyweren’t even supposed to be on duty yet.Also, thanks to the lifeguards that helpedme fill in so many of the details after theevent and those that helped in the editingof this document, including Joe Barnett.Thanks to all those deputized as myguardians along the way – my wetsuitedfriends: Bruce, Tony and Mark, and ofcourse Barbara and Cindy who wouldn’tleave my side once I was delivered tothem.

Most importantly, thank you to RickKnepper. There just aren’t words to expressit adequately. Plain and simple, Rick savedmy life. There is nothing he could havedone any differently for a better outcome.He is a humble and modest man, and willargue that anyone would have done thesame. Perhaps - but it happened on hiswatch and he made all the right decisions.

The original article is posted on La JollaCove Swim Club’s web site.

Page 23: TCSD newsletter 0309

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