by Allison Johnston

photos by Chris Burnham and Mac Brown

As part of the base building workouts leading up to the racing season, 19 UCSD triathletes drove out to Borrego Springs to set up base camp for a weekend of long, hilly bike rides and team bonding. Each athlete was forced to take notice of the behemoth, 10-mile Montezuma climb that snaked upwards for 3500 feet above their group campsite on the valley floor.

The Saturday “A” ride did not delay the inevitable climb up Montezuma and began their ascent within the first mile of the ride. Each Triton that set out to climb Montezuma was successful in making it to the top. A special thanks to Assistant Coach Chris Burnham and Sarah Kavaler for stashing extra water at the top for all the successful climbers. This was especially important because the summit of the climb was only mile 15 out of 55 miles on the route for the day. The rest of the ride went smoothly, with Peter Borak and Chris Burnham forming a break off the front of the pack that lasted the entire ride. The final challenge of the day was the short, but steep, climb up Yucta pass followed by a FAST, straight descent back down to the desert.

The “B” ride consisted of an out and back through the windy desert. Assisted by Head Coach Mac Brown driving the SAG (support and gear) wagon, the newer riders rode 25 hot, windy miles from the campsite at the foot of Montezuma toward the Salton Sea.

 Upon returning to the campsite, the Tritons demonstrated their amazing triathlon dedication by immediately changing into running shoes and going for a 15-30 minute run. With the day’s workout finally over, it was time to relax. Many Tritons set out on a hike to find a “palm tree lined oasis,” but it turned out that the highlight of the hike was a large tarantula they encountered along the way.

 The next morning, the riders all packed up camp before heading out for the final ride. The A and B groups started out together and climbed out of the valley up the backside of Yucta Pass. The B ride turned around after descending to the west side of the pass, while the A ride continued West to the Banner Grade climb up to Julian. Assistant Coach Chris Burnham took over the SAG wagon responsibilities as Head Coach Mac Brown had joined the A ride for the day. Coach Brown challenged his athletes to a race up Banner Grade and promised to buy apple pie for all the riders if anyone beat him. Unfortunately, for the team, no one could match their coach’s cycling prowess, though team captain, Sante Kotturi, stayed with him for most of the climb.

Predictably, the ride back down to the desert went much quicker than the uphill trek to Julian, and the Tritons were forced to return to school and the real world all too quickly. Overall the weekend was a great success with everyone able to push their limits, not even a single flat tire on the bike, and a great time for the new team members to get to know their teammates a little bit better.