Looking Good!

How bitchin' is the book jacket for the Iron Kahuna's memoir, due out in February? If you want updates on book tour cities, etc., you can sign up to get on the e-mail list here.

Gone fishin'

The Iron Kahuna is not one for long goodbyes. Besides, this isn't farewell. It's more like, until we meet again.

The Kahuna has swamped with family and work responsibilities and his tri-blogging has gotten to be quite mediocre. And the Kahuna is not all about mediocrity. He's got his four boys and wife, his "regular" job, his second job as a visiting faculty member at the University of California, Irvine, his third job as chief advisor to Greer's OC (where anyone can sign up for a FREE Daily Dose of OC), and his fourth job as author of the upcoming book, "Losing My Religion: How I Lost My Faith While Covering Religion in America."

Oh, and he's supposed to be training soon for Ironman Arizona in November (after his footsies heal).

So, the bottom line is this. The Kahuna for the foreseeable future will not be blogging about much of anything, even if he has a kick ass story about a mountain biker's recovery from the jaws of a mountain lion (be sure to click on the audio/photo presentation, which will give you chills).

He'll be still updating the Tri-Blogger Alliance, so sent him your URLs if you want to be a member. He'll be updating them about once a month.

The wonderful fact is, the Tri-Blogger Alliance -- which started with just a handful of triathletes -- has matured enough that it no longer needs its daddy. You folks are bigger than any one personality. And you represent one of the greatest achievements of the Kahuna's life.

In the meantime, you can catch the latest news of the Kahuna here. The website is under development, but if you want to sign-up for the Kahuna's e-mail list, he'll keep you inform on the latest news of his life.

The Kahuna predicts that he'll be back in September, as he starts training official for Ironman Arizona. Between now and then, know this: the Kahuna loves you.

A new gratitude

The Iron Kahuna is now three weeks without a workout. He's dying.

When he gets back on his feet after surgery (he'll be able to start swimming and Pilates next week), he'll never again take a workout from granted. The only danger is that he'll start working out too much, too soon when he's finally able to bike and then run.

The doc said it will a full eight months until his feet are completely back to normal, but it will only be another three weeks before he can start working out in earnest. The journey to Ironman Arizona in November begins with the first workout -- one that the Kahuna will especially cherish.

That's what friends are for

The Iron Kahuna spend a sleepless night last night. He had asked some of his closest tri-blogger friends to go this year to Wildflower with him. Taconite Boy, Greyhound and Curly Su said they were in. Perfect. The trio would fly into the OC from Minnesota, Texas and New Jersey, respectively, and the Kahuna would play host until the quartet would travel to Central California for the world's most difficult triathlon.

But then, in the fall, the Kahuna's foot started to really, really hurt. After seven years of trying to keep his Morton's Neuroma in check, he couldn't even ride his bike anymore. He knew surgery loomed. No problem. Wildflower was still a long way away. But he hadn't figured on his HMO. Primary physician, referral, appointment with podiatrist, approval for surgery, surgery date. The whole process took five effing months.

Still, no worries. He wouldn't be able to compete at Wildflower, but he could be the support crew. The Kahuna had a plan to help the topless coeds at the mile 9 aid station, while cheering on his friends.

But two weeks after surgery, his tootsies are still incredibly tender. The incision on his right foot continues to ooze blood and other fluids. For distances more than 25 yards, he uses a wheelchair.

So last night, he had to face reality -- something he doesn't like to do too often. Wildflower is a lot of things, but handicap-friendly it's not. There are two impossibly steep roads that lead down to the transition area and exhibit booths. There are no elevators. Minus a sherpa or some sort of expedition, the Kahuna would never get close to the race -- plus, spending more than four hours driving in the car each way would help his feet either.

The Kahuna knew he wouldn't be able to make it. But how would his friends react? In the wee hours of last night, he worried that he would be hated for dropping out. That no one would understand. That his friendships would be over.

But guess what? Everyone understood! There was some disappointment, but no anger or recriminations. The Kahuna, once again, realized that friends were friends. They stood by the Kahuna and his ailing feet.

So the Kahuna promised to give the greatest host possible while they are in the OC. It's the least he can do.

A first-person about sharks, etc.

Here's a first-person story the Iron Kahuna produced today for his newspaper.

Any San Diego triathletes out there?

Hey, folks. In my real job as a journalist, I'm looking for any san diego-area triathlete who may have known the triathlete killed by a shark, is a member of the san diego triathlon club or who swims regularly at Solana Beach.

Please give me a call. Thanks.

William Lobdell
949.645.9763 or
949.887.2541

Triathlete killed by shark

This breaking news is sobering:

SOLANA BEACH – A shark attacked and killed a swimmer who was training in the ocean off San Diego County with a group of local triathletes, authorities said.

A man between 55 and 60 years old was swimming with others at Tide Beach around 7 a.m. when he was attacked, according to a statement on the Solana Beach city Web site.

The man, whose identity was not immediately released, was taken to the Fletcher Cove Park lifeguard station for emergency treatment but was pronounced dead at the scene, the statement said.

Swimmers were ordered out of the water for a 17-mile stretch around the attack site and the county Sheriff's Department sent up helicopters to scan the waters for the shark.

It was unknown what kind of shark was involved.

Another finish line

Two of the Iron Kahuna's top goals as an adult:

1. Become an Ironman.

2. Become an author.

He became an Ironman on his first try, crossing the finish line at Ironman Florida in 2006 with most of his closest triathlon friends watching.

The published author goal has been more difficult to achieve. The Kahuna has written two novels (one good, one horrible), three screenplays (all horrible), and several nonfiction proposal (all good, but unappreciated by agents).

Finally, when he wasn't expecting it, he found an enthusiastic agent and publisher after writing this first-person essay for the Los Angeles Times. In a very short time, he signed a contract with HarperCollins and had a July 1, 2008 deadline to deliver the manuscript.

With his advance, it took a leave of absence from his day job to write the memoir. This is where the triathlon training kicked in. The Kahuna knew he had one shot at his dream, and he wasn't going to let it slip away. So he attacked the writing like it was a regular job (or Ironman training).

He started writing by 9 a.m. each morning, took 30 minutes for lunch, and worked until 4 p.m. The result: the first draft of his memoir was finished by March and the final draft was turned in last week -- two-plus months ahead of schedule. And the publisher LOVES the manuscript.

The book is titled, "Losing My Religion: How I Lost My Faith While Reporting on Religion in America." It's not a polemic against faith, though there are some tough questions asked. It's simply one man's spiritual journey -- from agnostic to born-again Christian to reluctant atheist -- during his eight years of reporting on religion for the Los Angeles Times. In many ways, it's a tragic love story.

The memoir is scheduled to be published in February 2008. The Kahuna will be doing a nationwide publicity tour, including appearances on many national TV and radio shows. If you want to keep informed (and attend a book signing or tape his appearance on "The Colbert Report), you can sign-up for his e-mail list here (the site isn't completed, so bare with the Kahuna).

In February, the Kahuna will feel the same thrill has he felt crossing the tape in Panama City Beach -- knowing that he achieved two of his life's biggest goals.

Boo-yah!

Swept Off My Feet

The Kahuna's bare feet, before the bleeding and new bandages. The lighting doesn't show it will, but the toes are black-and-blue and the incision on each for starts at the base of the third and fourth toes.

The Iron Kahuna has never realized how much he used his feet before now. Just puttering around the house, he must log a quarter-mile throughout the day. A week after his surgery, his feet are still remarkably sore and the most the Kahuna had manage is a very slow shuffle.

His wheelchair has been a disaster. First, it's a crappy rental that veers constantly to the left. Second, the Kahuna had no idea how tough wheelchair locomotion would be. Every trip has to be well planned to make sure there's wheelchair access. His ungloved hands quickly became sore and raw. Doors are hard to open. Everything in stores seems too high. People either ignore the wheelchair-bound Kahuna or stare at him with a mixture of curiosity and pity.

The Kahuna has an all new empathy and admiration for his brothers and sisters in wheelchairs. It's a challenge on several different levels.

The doctor told the Kahuna to make an appointment if his bandaged feet got too funky and needed a change. But why go on the way to the doctor when the Kahuna's tootsies just needed to be cleaned and freshly wrapped?

So last night, the Kahuna decided to do it himself. Super big mistake. It didn't seem complicated, but somehow the Kahuna really screwed it up. At one point, his right foot started bleeding nicely, and when he picked off what looked to be a stray piece of dried blood, he only realized it was the knot to his stitches AFTER he had pulled it about an inch away from his skin, causing the stitches to tighten up on the incision and more bleeding.

His bleeding foot led to the Kahuna canceling his planned Pilates class and weight-lifting session -- probably not a great idea a week after surgery, but the Kahuna has been going effing crazy just sitting around.

Something tells the Kahuna that triathletes, with their obssessive-complusive gene, don't make great patients.