Awards and Triathlete Magazine Party

The Triathlete Magazine Party

Katya Myers & Jessi Stensland.

Magdalena Jackow, David Haym (who did a 54 min swim) & Lil Royale

Iron-legends Greg Welch & Wendy Ingraham

A world record length speech, but no one noticed because the speech was really, really well done!

Ironrockettes.

Noreen Cary, The Normanns & Paul Thomas

San Diego-based writer Don Norcross with the amazing editor of Triathlete Magazine, TJ Murphy, and Tim Mantoani (one of the best photographers in the world - click here for Tim's web site.

Triathlete.tv - Triathlete Magazine's TV Channel Launches

Push play below to check out the the Nautica Malibu Triathlon broadcast of Episode 1 from Triathlete.TV! In this 15 minute mini-series, Triathlete Magazine takes you on a journey to Malibu Beach with host Mitch Thrower, where you will meet many celebrity triathletes including Andy Baldwin & David Duchovny. The Nautica Malibu Triathlon benefits the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles.

Push play in the screen above and then you can just move your mouse over the screen to select a show, or click here to watch more shows from Triathlete Magazine's Triathlete.tv

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A Letter From Dorette L. Sommer, Run and Triathlon Coach

Photo: Dorette L. Sommer

Dear Mitch,

You and your photographers nailed it head on and I am completely moved by your acknowledgement of “The Power of Thought”…I was so moved, it brought me to tears. I am Dorette Sommer, the woman on Page 16 of the August issue of Triathlete Magazine. Your story speaks volumes and brings validity to the values I hold on mindful training/racing, something that can not be measured by a power tap, heart rate monitor or calorimeter. If a random photo of myself could be partnered with any athletic article, this is the exact message I hope that this photo could bring. Here I am at the California ½, bonking and facing my first DNF, a very, very difficult day.

I consider myself one of those Upper-Middle-Class-Age-Group racers: sometimes in the top ten and sometimes in the top twenty. My annual “Annual Training Plan” goal is to be faster and stronger (or more specifically, to have a :34 min ½ mi. swim or sub 1:50 ½ marathon). I have an exceptional coach and training plan, but the question for me on race day is “how well can I hold it together? What will I reach for or fall back on when my body or mental toughness begins to fall apart? How do I keep it together when I’m heading for top 10 or PR?” Mindfulness. I tell my athletes to “Hold their line,” a tool taught to me by my meditation teacher prior to my second Ironman distance race, where I nailed 1st in division and 3rd overall, shaving 1:28 off my previous time. Mindfulness.

Between my boyfriend (Duane Franks) and I, we as coaches teach our athletes the physical and spiritual in training/racing. Duane, an age group winner and Kona Finisher as well, has an exceptional background in with a Master's in Kinesiology, leading such age group greats at Kathy Winker and Jeri Howland, and I, completing my BS in Dietetics, a compelling background in meditation and spirit.

Thank you. THANK YOU, Mitch. Your message reached hundreds of thousands of athletes while hitting home for me and calling true to what I long to share with other endurance athletes. It’s a great honor to be the photo girl in your story.

Namaste,

Dorette L. Sommer

Run and Triathlon Coach

USAT Level 1 & USATF Certified

East Peak Sports

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Wildflower Triathlon - Part I - Arrival Day

Driving in to Wildflower, you see trucks, SUV’s cars, and campers displaying road and mountain bikes, ready to race. Have bike, will travel. Have life, unravel.

I drove up from San Diego to Wildflower last night, stayed in Paso Robles, then made it to the Woodstock of Triathlons this morning – tents were popping up faster than jiffy popcorn - and soon miles and miles of lakeside and hillside grass were filled with triathletes in tents.

There is an miraculous spirit here; at this race – Terry Davis and his crew put on an memorable race – this weekend will be wonderful. If you have not yet ever been to the Triathlon Festival Weekend called Wildflower, then make plans today (and get your credit card out now) because registrations sell out fast for this amazing event.

"The Bachelor" Dr. Andy Baldwin with Denise and Ed Tennison (who is stationed on the USS Ronald Regan). Ed is racing, but Denise is not racing this year, because they are expecting their first child.

No matter what religion you are or are not, there was a beautiful cross made from airline exhaust that floated above the campground just before sunset. My guess is, there are quite a few people praying tonight, and there will be even more praying tomorrow during the run.

This is TJ Murphy, Triathlete Magazine’s in house editor and writer extraordinaire. He is someone who knows this sport and this race very well. TJ is the award-winning editor who is the driving force behind the fantastic quality of the editorial in Triathlete Magazine.

That’s me, Mitch Thrower, pictured with great friend Paul Charbonnier from France in the Triathlete Magazine booth – his company puts on some of the greatest races in France, including Triathlon de Gerardmer – www.triathlondegerardmer.com

Triathlete Magazine’s sales executive, Sean Watkins “Watty,” pictured here with Suzette from Fizik.

Wandering around here at 10:30 at night, looking for a signal for my verizon wireless card to send these images out, I found the only campground within range of verizon wireless service, and it's the MetroSport's Camp with Andrea, Ryan, Verdine and Morgen - and they are making s'mores - and telling jokes - as I type. It's really chilly - the laughter is keeing us warm. My fingers are moving slowly. If this posts, I'm heading back to the Triathlete Magazine camp.

Sunset above the campground showers.

'Twas the night before Wildflower, and all through the house, every triathlete was stirring, and eating a house.

The tents were all full with blankets and cheer, and the campers were all huddled around fires with marshmellows and beer.

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Hawaii Business Trip Thoughts

Honolulu, Hawaii for a few days of magazine meetings and, of course -- a few bike rides. One of my meetings here was with a someone who works for this magnificent state of Hawaii and is a triathlete, busy working on putting some things in place to make Hawaii even more of a triathlon and multisport destination.

Climbed a hill called Tantalus yesterday, that's where these photos are from. I have been working late at night in coffee shops on some new books and programs for Triathlete Magazine - they have not been announced yet - so stay tuned.

My biking legs are back - love the summer shave down - and also the get-in-shape-fast push of the warm weather. Arms feel strong, so do my legs - but note the fact that I cropped out my winter's belly, (I'm working daily on cropping it out of my life). Also note the fact that I'm flexing my quad for the triathlete effect - stay true to the form - always flex in photos because you're a triathlete! : )

Heading back to San Diego now - the summer is almost upon the entire nation - the triathlon season is here. It's time to get out on your bike. Triathlon training strengthens you.

-Mitch

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The Triathlete: Bill Bell

(photo: Bill Bell with Triathlete Magazine CEO, John Duke in Kona, Hawaii)

At 84, Bell is a man with an iron will.


"IN 1975, at age 53, Palos Verdes explosives manufacturer Bill Bell heard the 14 words that changed his life: "I want you to jog 40 minutes a day for three days a week."

A stress test had detected an irregular heartbeat, and the doctor felt that sustained aerobic activity such as running — not Bell's old love, golf — would fix the problem. So the man who hadn't worked out for 35 years ran. "And it felt so good that I came back and asked him if I could run every day," he says.

With the doc's nod, Bell immersed himself in.... To read the rest of this article in today's Los Angeles Times (click here)

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Run Along the Coast in La Jolla, CA - Motivational Thoughts

Photo: my dear friend and amazing athlete, Pumehana before a run in La Jolla

There is a saying, "What more could you want?" and it is often said when people get to a beautiful place, or have a great dinner, or find someone they are in love with -yet the human condition is successful because there are a whole bunch of us that are never satisfied, that always will want to seek, discover, build and learn more - a bit like a triathlete in a bike store.

I do my best to join daily the dreamers, the visionaries and the people who see things as they can be and places we can go. It it is beyond spectacular that we (mankind) looked up at the sky, saw the moon, and then said, "Let's go there." And with the materials we found here on this giant spinning rock that orbits a flaming sun, and the genius we found in our own minds, we forged the stuff that hurled humans into the sky, landed on the moon, let them take a stroll, a few pictures, some samples, make sure that there was no cheese, and verify that thee are not little people running around up there (if there were, it would have been imperative that we licensed an Ironman Race there before we came home - The Lunar Ironman, one giant leap beyond Xterra). It is likely that far more than half a billion of mankind's ideas ultimately let us fly to the moon.

There is something wonderful that happens when you start to do triathlons - you think more clearly. Clear thought comes partially from increased blood flow and partially from the clearing out of the dust from our mental and physical attic. What ideas are you considering, what Tri-spirtations do you have in your life, and for the lives of others. What is your dream, where would you land your lunar lander?

Today, I brought my video camera on my run along the La Jolla coastline so you could see what it is like here. Make the trip out here sometime for a triathlon or just a training week - it is part fantasy, and part reality.

It's amazing how, when you take time off, then start again - you can feel the difference. Today's short run along the coast felt as challenging as my mid-summer 10 and 20 mile training runs. It's time to get ready for some races. On my calender this year, pending work schedule... Honu, Canada and hopefully Hawaii, with some shorter races sprinkled in for the t-shirts.

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