Santa Maria Sun / Athlete of the Week

Athlete of the Week

Sarah E. Thien

Ryan Newman ran his first triathlon on a whim. That’s right: on a whim. His cousin was in town for the Lompoc Sprint Triathlon in April 2007 and her friend couldn’t race, so they had an extra spot. Newman borrowed a bike and gave the race a shot.

PHOTO COURTESY RYAN NEWMAN

“The first one was brutal,” Newman said. “I had gotten no sleep, no training. I almost died, but I finished it.”

But the 25-year-old Nipomo resident wasn’t put off by the experience. A longtime rugby player, Newman was surprised to find that the after-effects of the triathlon were a lot different from those of a rugby match.

“The next morning, instead of feeling like you were hit by a bus, you feel like going for a run,” he said.

Though he’d never competed in swimming, cycling, or running events, Newman was a natural. He recently completed his third triathlon, and he still doesn’t train for the event. He just goes out and gives it a try. Granted, these are sprint triathlons—shorter than full tri—with a 500-meter swim, 11-mile bike ride, and 5K run, but his lack of preparation still provokes envy in others.

“Yeah, I think my cousin got a little jealous,” Newman said.

He still plays for the SLO Rugby team—he’s a 10-year veteran of the sport—but triathlons have a place now in his busy schedule. He said that he likes the rush he gets from finishing a triathlon. And he’s gotten a lot better since his first race.

“Yeah, because now I know what to expect,” he said. “I know there’s an end.”