The Malibu Nautica triathlon was this past weekend. A wildly popular event in southern California, in the last decade it has seen serious participation from Hollywood stars. This years event was no exception, though it may have serious repercussions (good and bad) for triathlon, at least in my mind.
Andy Baldwin, ("The Bachelor", active duty Naval doctor, all round good guy) repeated as the winner of the Hollywood Division or whatever it is they call this group. Good for Andy. As a Ironman World Championship finisher at Kona, he is doing all of us Ironman finishers proud by upholding the standard.
Matthew McConaughey, (need I say more) came in second place in the Star Division. Say what you will about his Just Keep Livin' lifestyle, but this guy is doing what most of us guys would love to be doing if we didn't have to work; surf, run, bike, bbq and then travel to South America for all that plus drinking with pals. All those tips from Lance Armstrong, his bike coach, certainly paid off.
Now we come to third place. Jennifer Lopez. J-Lo. Jenny from the block. Diva extrodinare. I will say congratulations to her for finishing third. Looking at her time, it wasn't extra-ordinary, McConaughey beat her by 50 minutes and Baldwin by more than that. The reason I say this will be good and bad for triathlon because of Lopez.
She will most certainly speak highly of the sport which is a good thing while at the same time praising herself for an otherwise mundane if not slow time for the distance
(1500m swim/ 18m bike/ 4m run). It is what Diva's do. I am not such a dolt as to dismiss her entry as having some positive affect on the sport, much like Oprah did for women and marathons in the 1990's. However, while being interveiwed on a Good Morning America last month during the Olympics, in a pure diva moment, she wondered why anyone would be talking about some guy named Michael Phelps when she is training for a traithlon. I guess Phelps was stilling her spotlight that day.
Not that triathlon needed the assistance. The ranks of annual USAT members have tripled the past few years. Events that had less than 500 entrants just a few years ago, now have thousands. Now that WTC has changed their sign up process for Ironmans, people now travel thousands of miles to an event, the year before they race it, so they are guaranteed a spot at the expo sign up. Whatever is left over of the 2,400 slots are then put online for the rest of us to fight over.
No we didn't need J-Lo to put triathlon on the map but like it or not she will give it a lot of attention. Good for her that she can now add 'triathlete' to her lifes resume. Its a milestone that never wears off.
Andy Baldwin, ("The Bachelor", active duty Naval doctor, all round good guy) repeated as the winner of the Hollywood Division or whatever it is they call this group. Good for Andy. As a Ironman World Championship finisher at Kona, he is doing all of us Ironman finishers proud by upholding the standard.
Matthew McConaughey, (need I say more) came in second place in the Star Division. Say what you will about his Just Keep Livin' lifestyle, but this guy is doing what most of us guys would love to be doing if we didn't have to work; surf, run, bike, bbq and then travel to South America for all that plus drinking with pals. All those tips from Lance Armstrong, his bike coach, certainly paid off.
Now we come to third place. Jennifer Lopez. J-Lo. Jenny from the block. Diva extrodinare. I will say congratulations to her for finishing third. Looking at her time, it wasn't extra-ordinary, McConaughey beat her by 50 minutes and Baldwin by more than that. The reason I say this will be good and bad for triathlon because of Lopez.
She will most certainly speak highly of the sport which is a good thing while at the same time praising herself for an otherwise mundane if not slow time for the distance
(1500m swim/ 18m bike/ 4m run). It is what Diva's do. I am not such a dolt as to dismiss her entry as having some positive affect on the sport, much like Oprah did for women and marathons in the 1990's. However, while being interveiwed on a Good Morning America last month during the Olympics, in a pure diva moment, she wondered why anyone would be talking about some guy named Michael Phelps when she is training for a traithlon. I guess Phelps was stilling her spotlight that day.
Not that triathlon needed the assistance. The ranks of annual USAT members have tripled the past few years. Events that had less than 500 entrants just a few years ago, now have thousands. Now that WTC has changed their sign up process for Ironmans, people now travel thousands of miles to an event, the year before they race it, so they are guaranteed a spot at the expo sign up. Whatever is left over of the 2,400 slots are then put online for the rest of us to fight over.
No we didn't need J-Lo to put triathlon on the map but like it or not she will give it a lot of attention. Good for her that she can now add 'triathlete' to her lifes resume. Its a milestone that never wears off.
4 comments:
what was her time?
I'd like to know what the heck J Lo was doing in T1 for 6+ minutes. I've had trouble getting off a wet suit but it doesn't take THAT long.
Also, what was up with that crazy tunic thing she wore for the run?
She did it, though so more power to her.
I think J.Lo doing a triathlon will have more of an impact on all the obese teenagers in our country more so than she will triathlon. That's a good thing. Teenage obesity is a huge problem and hopefully J.Lo's race will inspire a few kids to change their lives.
The story I read on the 6-minute T1 is that she couldn't find her shoes & top. Somehow the bag it was in got lost. Either one of her servants didn't put it in the right place, or more likely someone stole it as a souvenir or intentional sabotage.
So her trainer, a big bodybuilder guy, gave her his XXL t-shirt to wear and an unidentified woman offered her running shoes. Hence the odd look for the bike & run.
The part I don't get is the basket pedals. How hard is it to learn how to clip out??
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