TT....Hi Barry, you were seen volunteering a lot early this season….did you have an injury or were you just ramping up for racing later in the year?

BF.....I exacerbated my Achilles tendon at the Quad and had to cease running for about 3 months. I had fun at the Defined Fitness Duathlon and the Las Vegas Tri., but I did miss not being able to compete. 

 

Your club (Triclub NM) is the biggest in the state……what is the secret of the clubs longevity?

 Don’t know if there is a secret, everyone has their own reason for being a club member. I am very appreciative of the support the club gets from its members since it covers our self storage costs (bike racks, cones, barrels, signs, etc.). 

 

At one point early in the season rumor had it that the Jay Benson Triathlon was cancelled. You were able to pull it all together…………how close did we actually come to not having the race?

I initially didn’t want to risk having the base close down for security reasons prior to the race since a bunch of $ is spent on insurance, shirts, awards, etc. Fellow club members thought we had an obligation to attempt to stage Jay Benson this year regardless of the consequences. I finally concurred and submitted the 2002 race packet to Base Services for approval. We did get the green light with a number of additional security measures this year so we proceeded and hoped that there wouldn’t be any incidents which would cause the cancellation of Jay Benson. As things worked out, this was the smoothest running of the event for me since I have been involved with its production (5 years). 

 

Given that Kirtland AFB had added security measures for athletes, do you feel it affected the race at all?

Our numbers were slightly down this year, 10%, and this could have been due to the increased security measures. We were just so lucky to have the event this year that the reduction in participants didn’t bother us. 

 

You may have heard about the mayor’s plan for a new swimming lake at Tingley Beach….any ideas on an open water event in Albuquerque?

Let’s wait and see if this ever becomes a reality. It would be great to have another sprint triathlon in ABQ. 

 

Many local athletes have expressed strong feelings against having to complete 10 races in the SW Challenge Series in order to compete for an age group title……..what’s your opinion on this issue?

I prefer to race 5-7 times a year, but I know that some of my buddies would race every weekend if possible. It’s Flip’s series so it is obviously his call and we have the option to race or not to race. We are very fortunate to have such fun series in our region. 

 

In a recent Transition Times poll, having an IM distance race in NM (or west Texas) was a big vote getter. Have you ever thought about organizing this type of event? Would you support (or race in it) if it were to be held?

Staging an IM event is far beyond my ability as a race director. Marti and Mike Greer have the knowledge and resources to stage such an event and they would get my vote if there is ever a bid put out in our region. My old body is not up to going that distance, Buffalo Springs pushes me to the max and I have no desire to go any further. 

 

The lifeblood of our sport seems to be the influx of juniors. What can race directors and athletes do to encourage more junior participation?

We have a non competitive kids event(5-10 years) at Jay Benson (Mary Uhl’s suggestion about 4 years ago). We also allow youngsters who have proven themselves to compete in the adult event (obviously with parental consent). We offer smaller age group ranges (12-14, 15-17, 18-19) for fairness and maximum awards for the kids. 

 

What will next season hold for you?

If healthy I would like to get back to my regular schedule which includes: Defined Fitness Du., MVTC Tri., Milkman, BSLT, Las Vegas, Cibola Du., and the Stealth Tri. 

 

You seem to be a big fan of the Winter Quad. What’s the appeal of this mid-winter endurance test for you?

The community of Grants does a spectacular job in staging this event. It is a huge task to support the athletes going up to the top of Mt. Taylor and they do a great job. For the participants (ask any of us) it takes a supreme effort to get to the top and then to negotiate that downhill ski. What a great feeling of accomplishment just to get through the event. I may give my body (Achilles tendon) a rest next year and be a volunteer.