Ryan Stevens M18-24

flagstaff, arizona

What is your favorite product available at TriSports.com? EcoLips TriSports.com Lip Balm… Oh, and carbon wheels!

How did you get your start in Triathlons? Glad you asked. I was losing my way in running and looking for something to reinvigorate me, but I didn’t know what. Then it all happened on one day. My mom, a talented marathoner, was at home when I found a “dirt triathlon” flyer on the internet. I yelled downstairs: “If I sign myself up, will you do it too?” “What is it?” “Dirt triathlon.” “Okay, Honey, sounds good.” Neither one of us knew anything about triathlon, mountain biking, or even how to swim in any competitive sense. So we drove up to Connecticut one summer, hopped in the Connecticut River, and reinvigorated our athletic lives. I’ve since done Hawaii Ironman, and my mom, who ran her mountain bike straight into a tree on our very first ride together, is doing Ironman Lake Placid this July.  GOOD LUCK MOM!

What is your favorite workout? Any workout with Team Blitz—the greatest ever southeastern-Virginia midsize amateur road-racing running team. Second favorite: climbing Snowbowl Road in Flagstaff.

“When I’m not training/racing, I enjoy…” Drinking wheat beer with my friends.

If you could train for a week with one other triathlete who would it be and why? Normann Stadler so at the end of that week, I will remember how great my life is when I don’t spend time with Normann Stadler.

If you could have one superhero power what would it be? To be frozen when I die. And if they have to freeze me in pieces, so be it. I will wake up stronger than ever, because I will have used that time to figure out exactly why I died, and what moves I could have used to defend myself better now that I know what hold he had me in.

Describe your biggest race disaster. Since I don’t have anything worthy of a “disaster,” I’ll share my most embarrassing race moment. First ever race. Totally unprepared. I’m “warming up” in the Connecticut River pre-race. Trying to act like I knew how to swim, like anybody would be intimidated? (“Oh watch out, this guy knows how to bidirectional breathe.”) So, I take about 25 strokes (right around my maximum before being too tired to continue), and I pop my head up out of the water. The race director was not joking: there was a strong current. I had to quick swim to shore, about 200 meters south of the start line, and run way back up to the start. The gun went off as I tried to catch my breath.

Do you have a non-negotiable pre-race ritual? Reflect, and make the race mean something.

What culinary indulgence do you allow yourself after a big race (that you don’t normally partake of)? Broccoli.

Have you ever accidentally destroyed a very expensive piece of gear? No, I’m overprotective and will probably get night sweats just for thinking about it. Thanks for the night sweats, TriSports.com.  Also, I don’t let my roommate Marshal touch my bikes.

What is the worst job you’ve ever had? Cleaning up poo at a recreational pool locker room when, for some reason, children decided the middle of the floor was better than the toilet.

What adjective describes you best? Fidgety.

Finally, do you have any advice for athletes new to multi-sport competition? Yes, I do. 

Recent Results: Deuces Wild Olympic Distance, 1st AG, 6th OA