TCSD TriNews December 2014 12 2014

INSIDE THIS ISSUE DECEMBER 2014 Tour de Fronds TCSD Events TCSD Contacts TRIATHLON CLUB OF SAN DIEGO UPCOMING CLUB EVENTS Check the club’s website, facebook page or yahoo group forum for the latest information. 1 3 3 Board Members Weekly Workout Calendar New Members Youth Tri Series Update 4 5 5 6 TCSD Conversation Race Report: IM AZ Member Profile 7 12 21 TriNews amie couldn’t imagine ever having a more perfect swim at a California beach. It was early September, and the ocean was warm, calm, and clear. Swimming out beyond the surf, she had continued parallel to shore for a quarter-mile before rounding a rocky point that was the gateway to a protected cove and a mile of kelp beds along a rocky stretch of shoreline. The seaweed forest was home to scores of species of creatures including flittering schools of smelt, roiling bait balls of sardine, bright orange garibaldi, patrolling perch, and crabs and halibut camouflaged on the bottom. She called it her Tour de Fronds. Jamie had parked her sports bag with a towel and sandals on the sand by a lifeguard tower. As she approached it after her swim she noticed a young man sitting on the sand nearby, struggling to stand while he used a cane for support. He couldn’t have been more than twenty years old. His arm bore the tattoo of an eagle with ‘Semper Fi’ written below it. “Can I help you?” she asked, still dripping wet. She extended her hand. “I’m okay,” he said as he continued to struggle. A blond man with a boogie board was a few steps behind Jamie emerging from the water. “Let me give you a hand, soldier.” The surfer grabbed his hand and pulled him to a standing position where he balanced on one foot. A second boogie boarder with dark hair emerged from the surf and stopped to pick up his towel a few feet away. “Do you need my help?” he asked. “I was going to hop into the water,” the soldier said. Without another word, the two boogie boarders each grabbed an arm and helped the young man hop towards the water. Jamie tagged along, curious about how he would fare in the waves with a bum leg. She was ready to pull him out if the surf dragged him under. Once they were in waist-deep water, the two boogie boarders let go of the soldier. Jamie detected a frown of apprehension on his face. continued on page 20