JANE LEE
Sports Editor
One triathlon. 366 competitors. Two roommates.
It’s the final day of spring break, and for Pepperdine juniors Greg Goble and Shuhei Matsuo, that doesn’t mean spending every last minute at the beach or taking advantage of the final hours of freedom in front of the TV. It means four miles of running, 10 miles of biking and 800 meters of swimming at the UCLA IronBruin Triathlon.
Pretty intense for guys who are usually found in their apartment cooking together or singing along to the sounds of Akon.
“We just decided over winter break that we were going to do one,” Matsuo says. “The question is who is going to beat who.”
Years of water polo play make swimming the strength for Goble, but cross country experience gives Matsuo an edge in the run. Therefore, the bike race is what both believe will be the determining factor.
“I’m not a runner like him, so I’m hoping to catch up in the bike part,” Goble says. “We’ll see how it goes.”
Matsuo wants Goble to shave his head if he wins, but Goble’s not giving in.
“He can do whatever he wants, but I’m not doing anything if he wins,” Goble says.
Let the day begin.
5:10 a.m.
It’s early and dark, yet Goble and Matsuo are wide awake as the quiet drive along the ocean to UCLA begins. Cereal was the choice of breakfast for both — Frosted Mini Wheats for Goble and a mix of three cereals with raisins for Matsuo. Sugar Ray joins in from the stereo while the bikes tag along in the back of Goble’s truck. The word “excited” is mentioned at least five times and both talk of how getting to sleep at 9:30 p.m. was almost impossible. Within 25 minutes, the UCLA campus is in sight and both keep an eye on the different bikes situated on the tops of cars driving by.
6:21 a.m.
Goble has been body-marked lucky number 007 while Matsuo sports what’s usually considered unlucky number 013. Their bikes are in place and Matsuo decides to warm up by going for a run to find the pool. The race is set to begin at 7 a.m., but Goble wants to save his energy as his roommate begins on what ends up being a half-mile run.
“The pool’s way farther than I thought,” Matsuo says. “I didn’t even find it.”
7:18 a.m.
The race finally begins 18 minutes after its scheduled start and Matsuo stays with the front of the pack with several school competitors. “During the first mile or two it reminded me of my cross country days,” Matsuo said.
Just 25 minutes and 34 seconds later, he heads for his bike. Meanwhile, Goble paces himself and comes in seven minutes later. The bike race is on, and it’s time for Goble to catch Matsuo, but Matsuo’s mountain bike surprisingly keeps him at a distance — even enough to lap Goble.
“First I see Shuhei pass me, and then this little kid speeds past me, and that’s when I got depressed,” Goble said with a laugh.
8:20 a.m.
While Goble finishes his last lap on the bike, Matsuo takes the Trail of Tears toward the pool. About half way there, he experiences a cramp in his right calf and must stop. Goble finally pulls in his bike at 8:32, but he, too, experiences a delay when he loses time after forgetting his goggles on the way to the pool.
8:30 a.m.
Matsuo, who said he “was dying in the pool,” crosses the finish line. While enjoying a bagel from the stands, Goble does his eight laps in the pool and crosses the finish line 16 minutes later. While talking about the race, he confesses he had never run four miles before the triathlon day had started.
“I’m a swimmer, so I’m not used to running that much,” he said.
Post-race
The results are posted. A slightly disappointed Matsuo sees his name at the 44th spot (1:11:46). “I wanted to make Top 40,” he said.
Goble has finished 179th (1:27:52), but the results don’t matter anymore. They’re just happy they crossed the finish line, an incredible feat on its own.
A nap and a trip to Chipotle highlight the rest of the day, but they’ll be back for more. Both want to continue training for another triathlon.
Until then, Akon will keep their hearts pumping.
03-22-2007