Recreation
An enduring relationship
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
Hey, nice bike.
Rich Cruse photo
It's not exactly from the pick-up line hall of fame, but it certainly worked for Michael and Jenny Tobin.
Jenny Tobin is a top contender in the women's portion of the race.
For the past four years, the Tobins have been two of the top competitors in the Nissan Xterra World Championship, regarded as the ultimate "off-road" triathlon.
This year's event — which features a 1.5-kilometer ocean swim, followed by a 30-kilometer mountain bike, and then an 11-kilometer trail run — is scheduled for Sunday at Wailea, Maui.
Michael Tobin is the defending men's champion. His wife, Jenny, placed fifth last year and is considered a top contender again for this race.
"I guess you could say our relationship has been built around Xterras," Michael said.
Xterra triathlons have been held around the United States since the mid 1990s. Wailea has served as the site for the championship since 1996.
What: An “off-road” triathlon featuring a 1.5-kilometer ocean swim, 30-kilometer mountain bike, and 11-kilometer trail run. Where: Wailea, Maui. When: Sunday, 9 a.m. start; first finishers expected around 11:30 a.m. Who: 400 male and female competitors from around the world. Course: 1.5-kilometer swim around a triangular course at Wailea Beach; 30-kilometer mountain bike up and down the slopes of Haleakala; 11-kilometer trail run from Makena Beach to the Outrigger Wailea Resort.
The Tobins have been competing in it since 1997, thanks to a chance meeting a few years earlier. At a cycling race in their hometown of Boise, Idaho, Jenny noticed she had the same bike as Michael, and said simply: "Hey, nice bike."
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NISSAN XTERRA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Soon after, they became friends. A few years later, they became training partners. Last year, they became husband and wife.
"We trained together a lot when we were first going out," said Jenny, 32. "But once he knew he had me hooked, he started going back to his own training."
Michael credits Jenny for the Xterra jones they now share. Prior to competing in triathlons, he was a novice swimmer.
"She's the reason I got into it," said Michael, 37. "She dragged me into swimming, made me work real hard at it since that was my weakness."
Michael is now a professional triathlete, and spends about six hours a day training. This year, he missed most of the Xterra series because he started competing in grueling "adventure races," which can last for several days and require competitors to bike, swim, run and paddle in the wilderness.
Later this year, he will compete in the Eco-Challenge, which is considered the most arduous adventure competition in the world. Because most of his training was focused on those events, Michael said he does not expect to cross the finish line first again on Sunday.
"I'll give it my all," he said. "But I think I mis-gauged what these adventure races take out of you. I don't think I'm as prepared for (Xterra) as I was last year."
Jenny is a high school physical education teacher, and does not train quite as much as Michael. She, too, does not expect to win on Sunday.
"There are so many good athletes who do this now," said Jenny, who placed third at the Xterra USA Championship last month at Tahoe, Nev. "Not that I wish any harm on anybody, but it would take some major breakdowns by some of the other women for me to win it."
Twain Newhart photo
They both have experience in ironman triathlons, although they are "fazing it out" in favor of the shorter, off-road versions.
Michael Tobin won the men's title at last year's Xterra race.
"In ironman, you have to dedicate at least six months to training for it," Michael said. "And after you do it, you're beat up for a month."
They should know. In 1997, the Tobins competed in the Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Kona, and then the Xterra World Championship eight days later.
"It's like two different things," Jenny said. "The ironman is obviously longer, but it's also more steady. You're pretty much biking and running on flats. In (Xterra), you have to go up hills and down hills."
For comparative purposes, a top competitor can finish the ironman triathlon in about 8 1/2 hours, to 2 1/2 for the Xterra. However, the off-road triathlons make up for it with obstacles.
The Maui course, for example, features a mountain bike trail that travels up and down the slopes of Haleakala, along a path loaded with loose volcanic rock and thorny kiawe brush.
"One of the keys is not to get a flat (tire)," Michael said. "It actually happens a lot."
The trail-run is similarly treacherous, with a closing stretch in the thick sand at Wailea Beach.
"You have to be completely aware of what you're putting your feet on," Jenny said. "It truly is a challenging course."
Regardless of their outcomes on Sunday, the Tobins are hoping to make Maui an annual stop for years to come.
"We come from Idaho, so it's a treat to come here every year," Michael said. "We come to race, but it's more like an excuse to spend the week on Maui."
NOTES: Several competitors from last week's Ironman Triathlon World Championship will compete in Sunday's race. The male and female competitors with the fastest combined time from the two triathlons will receive a $2,500 bonus as "The Double" winners. ... The first-place finishers of the Xterra World Championship will receive $20,000 each. The runners-up get $10,000. ... CBS will televise the Xterra World Championship on Jan. 13. Live updates of Sunday's race will be posted at www.xterraplanet.com.
