Cali 1/2 should be interesting. I’m betting there’s not 5 minutes separating the top 5 guys. The women’s field is terrific. It will be interesting to see how Michellie Jones does in her long course debut. Michael Lovato Rutger Beke Francois Chabaud Luke Bell Craig Alexander Jonas Colting Jamie Cleveland
Women: Gina Kehr Heather Fuhr Michellie Jones Katja Schumacher Andrea Fisher Melissa Spooner Nicole Deboom Heather Gollnick Lisbeth Kristensen Monica Caplan Amanda Gillam
I’m saying: Bell Lovato Alexander Colting Beke
Women’s race is wide open. My guess: Kehr Jones Kristensen Fuhr Gollnick
I will add this, Craig Alexander is a half Ironman specialist. He doesnt race Ironman and he races short course for training. Last year he won St Croix, where he beat Luke Bell and Lovato. The year before he led Ralphs until the final mile when he was overtaken by a flying Torborn Sindballe.He beat Deboom, Waldo, Larsen and Cam Brown. He just won Australian Long Course champs for like the 100th time. He is never favored and gets very little attention prior to the event.You heard it here first. Dont bet against Crowie.
The mens field is kinda bland, like whitefish without seasoning! Where is DeBooms, Reid, Germans, Leito, Macca, Brown, Walton, Lessing? The womans race will be interesting, a good field, im rooting for fellow midwesterner Heather Gollnick.
Men
Beke and Bell smoke the the rest of the mens field, sprint finish.
I agree with others about Craig Alexander and Rutger Beke. On the women’s side, keep an eye on Nicole DeBoom and Heather Fuhr. Michellie Jones might turn into a good long courser but she is not ready yet.
Agreed. As of right now I don’t plan on racing. I’ll know for sure when I get in the water again tomorrow. At least I dropped money on a new wetsuit and a non-refundable race fee. (My club Grand Prix points are getting shot to hell. I wish John would give points for beer garden participation.)
No, I’d put Gail ahead of me. I’m just back from the month of work travel from hell and trying to dig out, repack and drive down early Friday AM. My main goal for this race will be to finish and have a good time. See ya all at 2PM Friday.
Meet Pooks and Jay and whomever else is there. Spend time with my SoCal friends, cheer on my buddy Fernando in his first tri in over two years, have a solid swim, bike that course faster than I did the first loop in 2000 and have a solid run. Actual time of the race isn’t the most important, but rather, see where I am in terms of the last push of CaliMan training. Stuff like that.
------------------------------------------------------------------------For those of you planning on being at Ralph’s 1/2 Ironman next weekend, there are a handful of us that are going to try to meet up at the Expo/Registration on Friday. So if you’re around and want to put some faces with names and maybe grab a bite or a beer, get your fit triathlete butt on down to Oceanside.
The plan is to meet up at 2:00, and I’m suggesting the west end (and entrance??) of the Expo. This is assuming it’s in the same place it is last year. This is basically the intersection of Harbor Drive S, and N Pacific Street and is about 100 yards from the finish line. Once we meet up, we can get some grub, a beer if you’re willing, a margarita if you’re so inclined, or a stuntman if you’re downright stupid.
So I’m in, I know ironclm is coming, and I hear jaylew is likely to stop by as well. All are welcome to join us.
