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Kris Lavoie,
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
TC: Where were you born and where did you grow up?
Kris: I was born on Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, Ca. but I grew up here in Rancho Cucamonga.
TC: How and why did you want to become a triathlete?
Kris: My sister and her boyfriend (now husband) Daniel were doing the Tinman Sprint Tri at Cal State San Bernardino and asked me to do it. I thought it was lame, but showed up to watch and cheer them on anyway. It actually looked fun, and Dan wanted to do another one, so we signed up for a sprint tri in Lake Arrowhead. I bought a bike, gave it a shot, and when it was over I had the usual feeling of, "that was fun, but I bet I could go faster". It just got more and more ridiculous after that. I'm wearing things I swore I would never wear, and spending more money on bicycle parts than I do on my motorcycle.
TC:
What started you on the tri- kick?
Kris: I had raced motocross for the past 15 years and had recently broken my collarbone and was out of work for a little while. I wanted to stay in shape but not bust up my body so much. Dan and I signed up for the Lake Arrowhead sprint tri after I watched him do the Tinman. That was fun, but I talked him into an Olympic at Bonelli after that. Not too bad, so lets kick it up a notch and try the half in Napa. Heres where we screwed up. While training for the half, I had the bright idea to sign up for IM Arizona. We took the plunge and a couple months later we 'raced' Napa. About halfway through the run I was joking that it was too easy and we should have skipped the half and just done the full to begin with. I barely survived the 2nd half of the run, so the long day will be interesting I'm sure. I think if we had waited to sign up, I might have waited a little longer before jumping into the IM distance. I still dont think I have a complete grasp of what i've gotten myself into.
TC: How many triathlons have you competed in?
Kris: A couple sprints in Lake Arrowhead, a few olympic's at Bonelli and Lake Havasu, a half in Napa and in Tempe, and the big show is coming up with IM Arizona.
TC: What were your feelings going into that first Triathlon?
Kris: The biggest thing I miss about racing motocross is waiting at the gate with 20 or 30 other guys waiting to bang bars going into the 1st turn. It was kind of like that except there were more people to bang into and now at the swim start, I was the one who didnt know what he was doing.
TC: What event is your strongest? Your weakest? And your favorite?
Kris: I think I'm pretty average overall, maybe a little better on the run than the bike, and definitely a little weaker on the swim than the other 2.
TC: What are you goals in the sport of triathlon?
Kris: To survive an Ironman and if I can keep improving, qualify for the real deal in Kona.
TC: How has your health/fitness changed through triathlon
Kris: Anyone whos ridden a bike on a track knows it takes a decent athlete to get the job done, so I used to think I knew how to train. It was easy, I would run as fast as I could doing intervals at the track and up some stairs every once in a while. I'd do a long run of about 45 minutes every other week or so, and a few times a week I would go to the track and beat myself into submission. Now thanks to ironman training I have a better idea as to what a long run and aerobic fitness really is. I like learning about training, and wish I had taken the time earlier.
TC: Before you were a triathlete, you did something else that filled the time that you now put into training. What was it?
Kris: Being a skinny guy I was always hitting the weights trying to gain a little weight. Over 5 years I think I put on about 20 pounds, which I lost in about 5 months while training for my first half ironman. I thought I worked out a lot, but it was maybe a few hours per week. Now its become borderline obsession
TC: What kind of jobs have you held and which was your least favorite?
Kris: I am a police officer for the city of Ontario, but before that I worked at the local Yamaha shop, my uncles Volkswagon shop, and a pizza place. The worst job was probably as a parking attendant at Raging Waters.
TC: What would be your best guilt free dinner?
Kris: Probably some Canadian Bacon and Pineapple Pizza with a beer or 3, I'm a lightweight. I would stay away from the chicken at Monty's in Tempe, AZ. Before the SOMA Half IM, the chicken there did me dirty and I got food poisoning 2 nights before the race, no bueno.
TC: What gets you pumped up on race day?
Kris: I am probably too pumped up on game day to begin with, so I need to settle myself down to keep from smoking myself in the first mile
TC: What is your favorite activity on non-training rest days?
Kris: Usually I get a 'rest day' when I'm working overtime and its just an unplanned event. I still go out to Glamis and ride my dirtbike, but the bike and running shoes come with me.
TC: What is your favorite way to relax and recharge just before the race?
Kris: Sleep, I can never get enough
TC: Favorite Athlete?
Kris: Overall, probably Randy Couture, the UFC fighter... Macca of course in the tri world, gotta love a guy who runs his mouth and has the sack to keep coming back and finally get the job done.
TC: Favorite Food?
Kris: Sushi, Salmon, Tuna, Yellowtail, mmmm, I'm making myself hungry
TC: Favorite Book?
Kris: 'Under and Alone' is the only book Ive read recently and could keep me interested from cover to cover. Its about an undercover ATF agent that infiltrated the Mongols outlaw motorcycle gang, check it out.
TC: Favorite Quote/Philosophy?
Kris: From a band called Pennywise, "Your life goes by before you know, better take time to slow down, take time to veer off the road, enjoy the sights while you are here, theres nothing to fear but fear itself, who knows when the end is near"
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