A trek like no other
| Saturday, Sep 19 2009 10:48 PM
Last Updated Sunday, Sep 20 2009 10:22 PM
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Casey Christie / The Californian Swimmers hustle into the cool waters, Saturday morning in Lake Ming, during the beginning of the Bakersfield Triathlon.
Casey Christie / The Californian A swimmer clears his goggles before the swimming section of the Bakersfield Triathlon, Saturday, in Lake Ming.
Casey Christie / The Californian Bicyclists cruise through Hart Park during the cycling portion of Saturday's Bakersfield Triathlon that started and ended at Lake Ming.
Casey Christie / The Californian Lots of bathing caps seen on Lake Ming at the start of the Bakersfield Triathlon, Saturday.
Casey Christie / The Californian Jillian Fritch-Stump, of Bakersfield heads up a steep hill near Lake Ming, during Saturday's Bakersfield Triathlon.
Casey Christie / The Californian Jenny Ellis, of Bakersfield hangs onto her swimming goggles as she exits Lake Ming during the swimming portion of Saturday's Bakersfield Triathlon, before she hopped onto her bicycle for the next section of the annual event.
Casey Christie / The Californian Spectators view swimmers coming out of Lake Ming during the swimming portion of Saturday's Bakersfield Triathlon, before the cycling section of the event.
Casey Christie / The Californian Barry Hibbard, of Bakersfield was happy with his swimming time, Saturday, during the Bakersfield Triathlon at Lake Ming. His teammates had just called him the night before to ask if he would like to swim in the olympic swimming portion of the triathlon, and he did.
Braving warm temperatures and several tough uphill climbs that would make even a mountain goat cringe, competitors in Saturday's Action Sports Bakersfield Triathlon were pushed to their physical limits.
But most including overall Olympic distance course winners Dane Mathis and Lori O'Lin proved they were up for the challenge of the course that starts in, and then around Lake Ming.
Mathis, a 39-year-old Clovis resident, finished with an overall best time of 2:37:56 despite admitting to walking during part of the running segment.
"Today the run was definitely the most difficult," Mathis who won the Shaver Lake Triathlon two years ago said. "This course is notorious for that just because the run goes up into the hills. During the very steep portions of the run most people just resolve to walk and for the most part that's a good idea. I had to walk some of those tough hills. I was trying to save myself and not overheat."
O'Lin was fastest among all individual women's racers, finishing the 1.5 kilometers of swimming, 40 kilometers of cycling, and 10 kilometers of running in 3:04:10.
Charolette Cholometes was second among women with a time of 3:14:33.
"That was not a run," O'Lin said . "That was a trek. The run was just something else. I've never seen anything like it in the triathlon and I've done Alcatraz. It was pretty intense. It was more like an expedition than a run. I should have brought my backpack."
The 32-year old chemical engineer, originally from Unity, Saskatchewan, moved to Bakersfield in May due to a job transfer.
Because of her work in the oil business O'Lin spent the past week in Wyoming and didn't arrive home until late Friday night. That obviously didn't slow her down much.
"It feels pretty good (to win) since I'm new here to Bakersfield and I really want to get the triathlon community growing," O'Lin, a multi-sport athlete in high school said "I hope these events continue."
53-year-old Mike Toland of Bakersfield won his age group but was second overall to Mathis with a time of 2:45:19 ,despite being the first out of the water.
The 1974 North High graduate held onto the lead through the cycling segment but finally succumbed to his younger challenger a mile into the running portion of the race.
"I've been training all year long," Toland who has been doing triathlons since 1983 said. "There's always something to do. I swim, bike and run, I do something every day, seven days a week almost."
David Bacus was the overall men's Sprint course distance winner. The 25-year old completed the race consisting of a half-mile of swimming, 20 kilometers of cycling, and 5 kilometers of running in 1:03.35.
Carolyn Muirhead, a 1988 West High graduate now living in Houston, was the women's overall Sprint distance course winner. The 39-year old flight attendant and mother of one posted a time of 1:13.13, which was 10 minutes and 24 seconds faster than second-place Nikki Billiard.
We're from Houston so we're used the heat but this is a dry heat and it really does make a difference," Muirhead said.
Muirhead's husband Stuart was fifth overall (2:57:17) in the Olympic distance course race. He hit the mat not long after Richard Meyer (2:48:47) and Michael Rubio (2:54:27), who finished third and fourth respectively.
But no one in the Olympic distance course field could stay with Mathis, a former volleyball player at Clovis High.
"I'm very happy and excited, because winning doesn't happen very often," Mathis said. "It feels good especially at my age."
