IronTeam Bio Information  - Ted Klaassen

Location: San Francisco, California
School Attended: University of Missouri, University of Southern California
Profession: Attorney

Race: Ironman Canada ‘07
Why: Because Ironman Canada ’06 was amazing, inspiring and difficult.  Because I made so many good friends in training for Ironman.  Because I’ve become a total tri geek.
Motivation: I love to be inspired, whether it is by a person, music, art or a movie.  I have never been as inspired as I have been by the cancer survivors, loved-ones of cancer victims, and Ironteammates that I have encountered on my Ironteam journey.
Goal: To finish in less than 14 hours with lunch on board.
Other races: Ironman Canada ’06, UVAS South Bay, Escape From The Rock, Treasure Island, Ironman Arizona ‘07

Favorite tri gadget/gear items: Guru Trilite, Mack’s earplugs, Chamois Butt’r
Favorite Books: Full Catastrophe Living, Oh The Places You’ll Go, Freakonomics
Favorite Movies: Cinderella Man, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Emmanuel’s Gift, Rent
Favorite Songs/Artists: Bon Jovi, Wynton Marsalis, Nickleback, Me First And The Gimme Gimmes
Favorite Workout Songs: Whatever I heard just before my workout.
Morning or Evening: Evening
Favorite Web Sites: hybridcars.com, ultrnr.com, Google
Favorite Eatery/Restaurant: Breakfast: JoAnn’s Café, Bette’s Oceanview Diner, Lunch: Naan’N’Curry, The Cheesesteak Shop, Dinner: Q, Thanh Long, Dessert: Mitchell’s Ice Cream, Krispy Kreme (I love food.)

When you have downtime, how do you spend it?  Hanging out with Mai, traveling, cooking, messing around in my garage, shopping at Sports Basement, kitesurfing

Tell us two lies and a truth about yourself… keep them guessing!

1. I saw Casablanca with Roger Ebert
2. I swam around the Farallon Islands
3. I ate a plate full of live earthworms for a dollar (I paid)

(Left, Kevin).

Location: Pleasant Hill
School Attended: Santa Teresa High School, San Jose, CA
Profession: Document Specialiat II

Race: Human
Why: I just can’t just not do anything about cancer
Motivation: being a cancer survivor for 30 years
Goal: To raise awareness that cancer is still taking lives and releish the day you when you can get a shot to prevent it, or take an over the counter drug like you can with a cold.
Other races: Portland Marathon 1998, Maui Marathon 2002, Mardi Gras 1/2 Marathon 2002, Rock N’ Roll Arizona 1/2 Marathon 2006

Favorite tri gadget/gear items: Anything with TNT on it
Favorite Books: Anything by Dean Koontz and John Saul
Favorite Movies: The Breakfast Club, What Dreams May Come,
Favorite Songs/Artists: Elton John, Bette Midler, Dave Koz
Favorite Workout Songs: Gonna make you sweat
Morning or Evening: Evening
Favorite Web Sites: livestrong.org, ironteam.net, yahoo.com
Favorite Eatery/Restaurant: Bella Mia, La Fondue, Melting Pot

When you have downtime, how do you spend it? crafts, community festivals,
listening to music, watch tv, hanging out with friends, traveling, shopping,
volunteering

Tell us two lies and a truth about yourself…keep them guessing!
I placed first in my age group in the Portland Marathon in 1998
I studied abroad for a year in France in high school
I still keep in touch with my first grade teacher

Location:  San Francisco
School Attended:  Miami University (Oxford,OH) & University of Michigan – go blue! (Ann Arbor, MI)
Profession: graphic designer

Race: Lake Placid
Why: less distance to drag my adoring fans/family
Motivation: it was on my list of things to do… between skydiving and having a baby…??? Probably should’ve just had the baby.
Goal: it was to just finish… but now I really want to do sub 13 hours…
Just kidding… it’s still to finish, but within the cutoff.
Other races: Treasure Island (’01, ’06), Alcatraz (’02, ’06), Wildflower (’02), San Jose Intnl (’02)

Favorite tri gadget/gear items: I’m a big fan of those little covers for your shoes when it’s chilly and wet out.
Favorite Books: I Know This Much is True – by Wally Lamb, Middlesex - by Jeffrey Eugenides
Favorite tv show(s): Sopranos, Huff, Big Love
Morning or Evening: well… for what exactly?
Favorite Web Sites: that’s easy… www.cuteoverload.com
Favorite Eatery/Restaurant:  a lot of em’ – Sodini’s, Bell Tower, Nara Sushi, oh geez, the list goes on and on…

When you have downtime, how do you spend it: hanging out – which involves laughing, watching tv, lying around, driving out of the city, outside activites, going out to eat, etc.
Tell us two truths and one lie about yourself…keep them guessing!
:
• I have a black belt in American Jujitsu
• I used to work on an ambulance
• I have an identical twin

Time to pull out the Jedi mind tricks because you’ll need them more now during race phase than at Ironman.

- Recall “anchor” moments or times during the season that you’ve felt really great - going up a tough hill, riding through a muscle cramp, recovering from a bonk experience, a rainy bike ride experience, getting a flat. Keep all those in your mental toolbox so you’ll be able to say, “yeah I’ve done this” or “this is like x and that was way harder” or “s#it a flat, I know how to do this.”

- Use every trick you can to get yourself to the workouts. Make an appointment with a friend. Start waking up earlier. Give yourself your “ooh la la” for the day after a workout and only then. Whatever it takes.

- I will gladly pay you after Ironman if you do my laundry today. In other words, ask for help from friends and family to take the workload off. You can always repay them back after Ironman.

- “You’re going to give me time off.” “You’re going to give me less work to do.” You say that to your boss at work and wave your hand while you’re doing it. Who knows, it may work.

- Finally, remember to use the force which for us means core muscles. But that also means knowing that everyone wants you to cross that finish line - so use that energy!

Bio Information

Location:  Oakland
School Attended:  UCSB and San Francisco State University
Profession:  Lecturer at SF State in Department of Radio and Television
Race:  Lake Placid
Why:  I like loops!
Motivation:  I have wanted to complete an Ironman since I was 17 and I want to do what I can to help find a cure for cancer
Goal:  To finish (and still be coherent)
Other races:  most recently – Royal Victoria Marathon (TNT 2001), Portland Marathon (TNT 2002), Honolulu Marathon (2003), San Diego Rock n’Roll Marathon (June 2005), Nike Women’s Marathon (Oct. 2005)

Favorite tri gadget/gear items:  I love my Specialized bike
Favorite Books:  I Know This Much Is True, The Da Vinci Code and all books by Michael Crichton
Favorite Movies:  Kill Bill, Vol. 1 and 2
Favorite Songs/Artists:  Green Day, The Killers, My Chemical Romance, Simple Plan, Black Eyed Peas, All-American Rejects
Favorite Workout Songs:  Hysteria (311), Sugar We’re Going Down (Fall Out Boy), Scars (Papa Roach), Shut Up (Simple Plan)
Morning or Evening:  Morning - not early, mind you.  I’d say around 8:00-9:00 a.m. is optimal.
Favorite Web Sites:  Ironteam.net (of course)
Favorite Eatery/Restaurant:  On the most basic level, I love bean and cheese burritos with extra hot sauce from The Taqueria by Alameda High School, and a Dimitra’s sub (hold the mayo) from Dimitra’s.

When you have downtime, how do you spend it?
Reading – if I have a good book

Tell us two lies and a truth about yourself…keep them guessing!
I used to perform in waterski shows in alligator infested waters.
I have flown in trapeze shows without a safety harness.
I used to lead expeditions down the Nile River.