The 30-34 smackdown

Rodrigo Baltazar AKA fininho and some times teh flying sardine

The closest thing along with Pedro Gomes to the training partner concept. like i said, all of the group except the Compression Family are part of my training group.



Kinda new to the sport, he caught the IM desease in a visit to watch hawaii in 2008, my dreadfull year of crashes and flats...

ever since he has been doing Halfs and won his AG in the european Long distance Champs in vitoria, spain.

Swim Instructor for the kids and of course another portuguese in the 30-34 AG. 

Good swimer, decent biker and runner, he has no goal other than finishing the First Ironman but i think there a lot more to be added ;)

SEDI

Sergio Dias AKA SEDI has 2 IM hawaii in the pocket and wants more next year.

Works for Ericson but after 5-6 years i know him i still not sure what he does there, honestely ;)

good times in Kona 2005, my first time there and where Sedi god the Ironman Desease

Sedi looks big on the bike photos but thats because the bike looks like a tricicle

3 IM finisher witch includes the 2 IM hawaii and will race in the very (portuguese) competitive 30-34 AG

Besides having a shot at the Kona Slot he wants to run the marathon without stoping in the portapotty (sp?) and get close to the 3h mark, we will see about that at least the stoping thing as i believe he is pretty capable of doing it time wise

Serginho

There are 3 sergios competing, Me, Sergio Dias (sedi) and Sergio Costa (serginho),

Serginho started doing ironman this year in Roth, with an impressive 9:45, before that, just a Half, he obviously started with the big ones, no sprints or olimpics for the AMG guy.

He is known in the weekend rides to hammer hard when he smells home and feels the workout is already done ;)

Working in the renewables energy buziness, he rides the most impressive bike of the bunch. when we exclude my own bike of course

He is in contention for the 30-34 crown among the portuguese, i love to put pressure on them ;) besides the 30-34 AG he is also competing for the faster midget in the group against SEDI

Mrs Quintela

Sonia Quintela, AG 40-44...

Former National champion in swimming, i would say she will be the first out of the water at least in the AG if not the whole AG Women field, from there she will need to hang on ;)

Im pretty sure she wants the Slot for hawaii like her husband. Will be the first Ironman also although she has already quite a few middle distance races in spain and portugal.

She is competitive!!!

the Compression family ;)

Starting off with Pedro Quintela, He lives with the family around 100km from me and him and his wife are the compression family for reasons that i think are obvious ;)

He is doing his first ironman, and had quite a few problems early in the year in his coxis (sp?),  this from lets say...too much internet reading and a very poor bike fit. He almost gave up of racing and actually got a quote from a doctor that he would never be able to workout again without pain but fortunately i made his way out and seems to be well prepared for the race.

The quintela's dont train with my group like the rest of the gang but we are very good friends.

Not sure what's his goal though, he is racing in the 40-44 AG so i would say, watch out for this skinny tall guy...bib number 1108

9

no updates lately and actually will race Ironman Florida in a few days.

There is a planed invasion to what portuguese athletes is concerned. nine in total, all with diferent stories, i find it fun to present them in my blog since they are all my friends and in a single case more than that ;)

as for me, ever since i came back to portugal after wisconsin i have severall low and highs. my general feeling is that i cant wait to have some time off without being forced to it.

story coming soon ;)