News and Community

Summary: Andi Ramer, who came to endurance sport with no athletic background, describes her rise from a 16:30 first Ironman to a sub-12-hour finish (11:55:36) at Ironman Hawaii—her ninth Ironman. She recalls earning her Kona slot at IM Wisconsin by taking the pressure off, battling a flat and stomach trouble in Kona, and the constant support of her husband Don.

Summary: In this first-person race report, TCSD interviewer Craig Zelent recounts his own Ironman Canada, finishing in 10:43:21 and earning a Kona slot by just six seconds in a sprint finish. He describes a strong swim and bike, a brutal, stomach-churning marathon that nearly made him quit, and the hydration and sodium lessons that made the day a hard-won triumph.

Summary: Al Tarkington won the men’s 65–69 age group at Ironman South Africa (13:49:06) to earn a Kona slot—finishing in a wild lightning storm he was sure had left him dead last. A lifelong ocean swimmer and world bicycle tourer who has ridden through more than 40 countries, the retired CPA shares his travel-and-race philosophy and his goal to always finish with a smile.

Summary: Dennis Villavicencio, a new TCSD member and securities-fraud attorney, qualified for Kona with a 9:59:33 at Ironman USA Lake Placid (5th of 366 in the men’s 35–39). An extreme-adventure junkie who has raced Ironmans on four continents, climbed Kilimanjaro, and swum to Alcatraz on a dare, he shares his “Team V” sibling rivalry with brother Alan and his love of brutal mountain and desert challenges.

Summary: Bob Baranek qualified for Kona with a 9:49:06 (4th in the men’s 40–44) at Ironman Coeur d’Alene—his first Ironman in six years. A strong swimmer and cyclist, he describes his comeback as a father of two, an early-morning training overhaul after a back injury, and his wife Kim’s inspiring Breast Cancer 3-Day walk.

Summary: Jim McCann, TCSD’s President since 2000, revisits his journey from college baseball player to Ironman Canada finisher and reflects on leading the club through explosive growth—from 350 to more than 1,300 members. He shares his “buffet” philosophy for club activities, favorite race memories, and the welcoming spirit that makes TCSD special.

Summary: Carla Mason, a middle-school math teacher in San Marcos, qualified for Ironman Hawaii with a 12:14:07 at the windy inaugural Ironman Arizona. She talks about balancing training with teaching, the patience the sport demands, and the young cancer patient who taught her to always race with a purpose.

Summary: Dean Rosenberg, a TCSD Beginner Coach, tells how a workplace bet at the Mission Bay Triathlon hooked him on the sport—despite not being able to swim a lap three months before. He recounts a dramatic Ironman Arizona: a hard crash at mile 70 and a thrilling finish that came down to six seconds against training partner Jay Simpson in what they dubbed “Iron War.”

Summary: Mark Ford, an 11-year Ironman veteran, talks about completing four Ironman races in 2004 and his many trips to Kona. With characteristic humor he recalls tackling his own bike at the mount line, shares hard-won advice about not giving up your hobbies, and reflects on racing the world alongside his wife Tish and his devoted parents.

Summary: Joe Esposito—better known as the “Zippy Pig”—reveals the origin of his handlebar-mascot nickname and his self-described “Competitive O.C.D.” A triathlete since the sport’s early days, he recounts a gloriously grungy first race in the Hudson River, a 10:47:18 debut at Ironman Florida, and his gratitude for the TCSD training crew (the “piglets”) who carried him through.

Summary: John Holman finished his first Hawaiian Ironman at age 65–69 (16:48:12, 22nd in his group) after earning a coveted lottery slot. He shares how a comment from his late wife inspired him to take up the sport, how coach Roch Frey pushed him toward his first Ironman, and how his faith and gratitude shape the way he races and lives.

Summary: Debbie Gallo reflects on a breakthrough year that took her from winning her age group at Ironman France to a podium finish (4th place, women’s 50–54) at the 2004 Ironman World Championships in Kona. She shares the joys of racing in Europe, the lessons of a burnout season, and her philosophy on coaching, motivation, and welcoming newcomers to the sport.

Summary: Interviewer and TCSD stalwart Craig Zelent swaps the usual member spotlight for a travel diary of his own trip with wife Laurie Kearney — spectating at the 2004 Tour de France (including L’Alpe d’Huez and Lance Armstrong’s record 6th win in Paris) before heading to Denmark, where Craig raced the Duathlon Long Course World Championships for Team USA, finishing 16th and 2nd American.

Summary: A collegiate runner and the club’s sports nutritionist, Kim Brown moved into triathlon after a Boston Marathon injury and qualified for Kona in just her second year, running a 4:56 for 3rd in the women’s 25–29 group at the Half Vineman — overcoming a bloody lip, a dropped chain and a blocking trailer. Her run strength and detailed race-day nutrition are her signatures.

Summary: A runner turned triathlete since 1985, Rob Evans qualified for Kona at Ironman Coeur d’Alene with a 10:15:21 for 13th in the men’s 40–44 group — missing an initial rolldown by 9 seconds before a surprise call gave him the 80th slot. A late-race surge over the final five miles made the difference, capping nearly 20 years in the sport.

Summary: An above-knee amputee since age 7, Sarah Reinertsen became a Paralympic sprinter, a seven-time marathoner, and then a triathlete — earning one of six Physically Challenged lottery slots to the Hawaii Ironman. Aiming to become the first woman on an artificial leg to finish Kona, she validated her spot with a 7:49 at Buffalo Springs and works as program manager at the Challenged Athletes Foundation.

Summary: A TCSD member since 1986 and the club’s beloved “Bike Case Bob,” Bob Rosen watched the club grow from fewer than 100 members to over 1,000. A self-described middle-of-the-packer who found his niche going long, he raced Ironman Canada five straight years and treasures the memory of running shoulder-to-shoulder with training partner Bill Gibbs.

Summary: After 12 years practicing internet-music law in San Diego, Julie Gildred left her successful career to see the world by bicycle. Over a year she pedaled roughly 12,000 km through 13 countries — from Vietnam and Tibet to Morocco, Italy and New Zealand — carrying everything in two panniers, and now guides cycling tours abroad while writing a book about the adventure.

Summary: A former competitive gymnast who took up triathlon on Stanford’s new team — borrowing a bike she barely knew how to ride — Katya Meyers rose quickly to the front of the sport. She dominated the amateur women’s field at Ralph’s California Half Ironman (only 8 pros beat her) and podiumed at Kona with an 11:05:20 for 3rd in the women’s 18–24 category, with an eye toward racing pro.

Summary: Longtime TCSD member Ann Leath started triathlon in 1983 to escape running injuries — racing a women-only event on a 10-speed with a handlebar bell — and never stopped. She made Ironman her 50th-birthday challenge, qualified for and finished Kona multiple times, later breaking 14 hours and placing 3rd in the F55–59 group at Ironman Canada, all while giving back to the sport with grace.

Summary: A standout in TCSD’s powerful men’s 40–44 category, Mike Plumb won his first triathlon overall in 1984 to settle a runner-versus-cyclist bet — then won that same race 11 times. A short-course racer at heart with a 9:52 Ironman PR, he coaches through TriPower MultiSports and was targeting a Masters duathlon national title and a sub-10 finish at the original-course “Ironman Revisited.”

Summary: Patrick Baldwin made his Ironman debut on the sport’s biggest stage — the World Championship in Kona — and broke 10 hours his first time out. A Team In Training athlete and coach who races in honor of those battling blood cancers, he drew on Borrego Springs training rides and an outpouring of on-course support to power through the lava fields.