The 5th Annual KP Santa Barbara Training Weekend was a huge success! Read below to here more about the best SB weekend yet! Congratulations to everyone who made the trek down the coast to participate in some fun training in the sun of So.Cal! A huge congrats to all of the New Santa Barbarians! To be a Barbarian you needed to complete ALL eight training sessions in the 3 day weekend! We had our biggest group ever at 42 KPer’s ready to “Bring it” down in SB! Coach Randy gets huge props for making it to all workouts and even “taking the plunge” and doing both ocean swims! Congrats Randy! Maybe a Triathlon is in the near future???

 

 

 

 

 

 

The encyclopedia defines the word “Barbarian” as:

A “noble savage”, often represented as “lone warriors”. Several characteristics commonly shared:

* Extreme physical prowess
* Unmatched fighting skill
* An appetite for, and the ability to attract women (or men in the case of female barbarians)
* Meat eating
* An appetite for large amounts of alcohol
* A blending of British, Germanic, Slavic, and nomadic Turco-Mongol cultures
* A strong sorcery element that is almost never used by the barbarian character
* A violent temper
* A robust tolerance for pain

The Kain Performance Santa Barbara Training Weekend would have its own version of “Barbarian” and it was not far off the fantasy version. 8 Workouts in 3 days. Coach Kain had set up the challenge to all heading down to SB. Finish all workouts and be crowned “Santa Barbarian”!

The folks who completed all the workouts showed extreme physical prowess, a very robust tolerance for pain, at times a violent temper when confronted with extreme cold water, meat eating while socializing with attractive men and women at an incredible BBQ with large quantities of alcohol. They weren’t confronted, so did not need to show off their fighting skill, but were ready if given a chance. These Santa Barbarians were tough, were not fazed by the hours of brutality they would endure while swimming in frigid water, cycling for hours on end and being forced to run on tired legs! These Barbarians went about their business with smiles and laughter and had an absolute BLAST!

Read below for more on the SB Training Weekend.

List of Santa Barbarians is at the end of this recap!

After Coach Kain’s challenge of becoming a “Santa Barbarian” for completing all 8 workouts during the 3 day training weekend, the first workout of the weekend, on Friday had its best attendance ever, with 20+ “eager and ready” triathletes! We started with a nice 40+ minute endurance paced run along the coast. It was a great start to the weekend. We then went right over to the Los Banos pool and jumped in with the Santa Barbara Masters Swim workout. It’s a great 50 meter pool right on the beach. We swam for just over an hour and got in some good “quality” with some middle distance sets! We swam between 1,500-3500 meters. Then most of the group went over to El Torito and had dinner and some drinks! It was an early evening with an ocean swim planned for 8:00am the next morning.

We woke up to a beautiful day, with sunny skies! It made getting in the 58 degree water a bit more bearable. The “Barbarian” group had grown overnight to about 42 strong! I guess a few people had to work on Friday! ALMOST everyone took the plunge into the Pacific and swam out to a buoy and up the coast for 20-30 minutes. A great way to start any day, but it was COLD! We thawed out and had a great breakfast, then it was on the bikes for our annual 70 mile ride around Lake Casitas. The KainIron Arizona group would add an additional 30 miles to get in a solid 100! The weather was spectacular and the paceline heading down the coast was a solid 40 strong. We hit the 101 South and things got a bit frantic with every man for himself. A group with Coach Randy, Coach Pete, Aussie Steven and about 6 very strong ladies (Kim, Tami, Sarah, Melody, Nicky and Linda S.) got away until the Seacliff Exit. We stopped in Ventura for a quick drink break, then headed out toward the Lake. This ride is tough, as most of the climbing is during the final 30 miles, not the first 30. The group stayed together until the climbs, then spread out and regrouped before the final descent. Everyone was riding very strong for such an early season ride! The group came in after the 70 mile loop, then the KainIron group went out for their bonus miles! Once off the bike it was onto a flat and as fast as you wanted to run 3 miles to Stearns Wharf and back.

After a short break and a shower we all headed down to Wes’s parents place on the water in Carpinteria. To say this place is unbelievable would be an understatement. Wes and his parents welcomed all of the KP Team into their home for an incredible BBQ of Tri Tip Fajita’s, as well as “large amounts of alcohol”. Being steps from the beach, we would have a nice bon fire after dinner.

The next morning we woke up to yet another frigid ocean swim at 8:00am. Not quite as big a group for this swim, but still over 20 strong taking the plunge! After the swim it was onto the flat and scenic longer run along the coast. We did about 11 miles, with Coach Kain and Suzanne “Boston Bound” Slivkoff leading the charge along the coast. It was another beautiful day on the beach. Everyone had a great run, then after a quick soak in the ice cold ocean, it was onto the final workout of the weekend. The final workout of the weekend was a good spin up the coast and through Hope Ranch. The “Santa Barbarian” group looking a bit tired by now, but still charging ahead! We made it back in time to get a hot shower before hitting the road.

Thanks to all who made the KP Santa Barbara Training Weekend a success! We got in some great training, met some new people and had a blast! A BIG THANK YOU to Wes Meyer and his parents for opening their house to us for a memorable evening. Thank you to Jody Gold for being the best event coordinator around and taking some great photo’s!

Here is the list of those who completed every workout, our Santa Barbarians!!!

Workouts completed:

Friday, 3/7/08 – Run – 45 minutes – (4-6 miles)
Swim – SB Masters Swim - up to 3,500 meters

Saturday, 3/8/08 – Swim – 20-30 minutes – Ocean swim (a bit chilly!)
Bike - 65 - 100 miles – Lake Casitas loop. IM Arizona folks did 100 miles! Nice work you all!
Run – 20-30 minutes (3 miles)

Sunday, 3/9/08 – Swim – 20 minute – Ocean swim (Chilly willy!)
Run – 1 hour-1.5 hours (up to 11 miles)
Bike – 23 miles

Totals (roughly) – Swim – 2 – 3 miles
Bike – 90 - 120 miles
Run – up to 20 miles

KP Santa Barbarians: They did it all!!! This group is tough!
(Sorry if we missed anyone! Let us know if you did it all and we missed you, thanks!)

 

Female

• Lori “is that all” Bradford ***Barbarian in 2007 + 2008
• Suzanne “going to Boston” Slivkoff ***Barbarian in 2007 + 2008
• Linda “bring it on” Stewart – 1st time Barbarian
• Carol “I’m still in” Fredrickson – 1st time Barbarian – after almost getting it in 2007
• Nicky “First Time to SB” Barber – 1st time Barbarian
• Jana “Arizona here I come” Crane – 1st time Barbarian
• Veronica “I loved the swim” Marzorini – 1st time Barbarian

 

 

 

 

Male

• Nelson “Arizona will be easy compared to this” Hom – 1st time Barbarian
• Steven “The Space Shuttle” Aurouseau – 1st time Barbarian
• Coach “I love the ocean” Randy (actually trained specifically to be a Barbarian in 2008!) – 1st time Barbarian – just missed it last year! Great job on the swims!Jason “my back is back” Balough – 1st time Barbarian
• John “Original Barbarian” Magee – Two-time Barbarian
• Greg “First Timer” Roussal – 1st time Barbarian
• Fred “KP is tough”Servais – 1st Time Barbarian
• Coach “Who’s idea was this anyway” Kain – 4-Time Barbarian
  

Honorable mention:
Ted and Tina Ornduff – only missed final ride due to kid duty!

Great job to all who made it to SB! Can’t wait for next year! Put it on your schedule now!