They’re Not in It for Money

Tina Pauley of Tustin Ranch was thrilled to learn she won the lottery Monday.

Her big payoff? Not one cent, but something priceless for some triathletes: an entry into the Ironman Triathlon World Championship next October in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

It’s safe to say that everyone knows how grueling the Ironman Triathlon is. The distances--2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run--speak for themselves. But getting into the Hawaii Ironman is a challenge in itself.

Most of the 1,500 starting spots go to the tough athletes who succeed at one of the 21 qualifying events, but another 200 make the field through a lottery, drawn from a pool of nearly 4,000 applicants.

Jerry Brooks of Newport Beach, Mike Dannelley and Ron Baxter of Irvine, David Bartis of Huntington Beach and Pauley were the five lucky ones from Orange County.

“You should have seen us we were so happy,” said Bartis, a 36-year-old podiatrist who trains, competes and works with his 31-year-old podiatrist wife, Becky Rogoff-Bartis. “It was like we won the regular lottery.”

The news wasn’t all good for the Bartises. Becky also entered the lottery--and paid the $35 fee plus $50 extra for two more chances to win--but wasn’t picked. However, the couple is entered in two more Ironman events before October and Becky will attempt to qualify in her age group.

Pauley, 31 and a veteran of three Ironman Hawaiis, is happy to be returning to Kona. She qualified and finished in 1995 and ’97. She was a lottery pick in 1999 but was forced to quit after spending “90-some-odd miles on the bike throwing up.”

“It means a lot to me personally to go back because I had never quit anything before,” Pauley said. “Even though in this case it was definitely the sane thing to do.”

With only two sprint events under his belt, Baxter, a 30-year-old communications engineer, is a triathlon neophyte. His Ironman entry is contingent on finishing at least a half-Ironman distance event, which he plans to do in May.

Baxter is putting his triathlon ambitions on fast forward because he and his wife of 1 1/2 years are planning to start a family soon.

“I will chose not to spend as much time training once we have children,” Baxter said. He planned to enter nine triathlons this year but will back off competition and concentrate on Ironman training after his luck in the lottery.

He is well aware of his beginner’s luck.

“Jerry [Brooks] said people would hate me if they knew,” Baxter said. “He said he knows people who have tried to get in 10 times and have come up empty.”

POISON OAK WARNING

The Warrior’s Society of the Santa Ana Mountains will be clearing poison oak from a stretch of the Holy Jim Trail in the Cleveland National Forest Saturday and warns riders and hikers susceptible to the plant to avoid the area.

The group will be using gas-powered weed and brush cutters and the work will raise dust that contains oil from the poison oak plant that causes the rash and boils when it comes in contact with skin.

NOTEWORTHY

Quiksilver team rider Kelly Slater is scheduled to be among the surfers at the Quiksilver Pro at Trestles next week. The competition, a one-star Assn. of Surfing Professionals World Qualifying Series event, starts Monday with preliminaries. The quarterfinals, semifinals and finals are Saturday, April 28. . . . Organizers are expecting 1,000 bike riders for the Bike the Back Bay Earth Day event Saturday in Newport Beach. The event--which starts at 8 a.m. and offers rides of two to 14 miles--is raising money to promote efforts to clean up and protect the Newport Watershed. The ride ends at Shellmaker Island where the annual Earth Day Fair runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Details: (949) 645-5163. . . . The Irvine Novaquatics are hosting the Southern Pacific Masters Assn. Regional Championships at 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday at Heritage Park.

If you have an item or idea for On the Go, you can fax us at (714) 966-5663 or e-mail us at martin.beck@latimes.com

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Saturdays

* Orange Coast Velo cycling club meets at Worthy Park, 17th and Main in Huntington Beach. Rides vary from 25 to 50-plus miles and begin at 7:30 a.m. with periodic regrouping and rest stops. After-ride socializing at Noah’s Bagels on Main Street. For further information call Jerry, (714) 960-4214, or Peter (714) 848-7618.

* Orange County Wheelmen training, 7 a.m., Food Park, MacArthur and Main, Irvine. Beginner and intermediate training group will ride and stay as a group. Informal lectures will cover stretching, nutrition and hill climbing. Led by Fred and Peg Bauer, (714) 997-0892.

* Bicycle Club of Irvine rides, 9 a.m., meet at Deerfield Park, Irvine. Three routes, 10-15, 15-25 and 25-35 miles, each with a stop midway for breakfast. Rides finish at about 11:30 a.m. Ride leaders Scott and Sandy Angle, (714) 960-4068.

* Velo Allegro Cycling Club meets at 8 a.m. at Long Beach Marina off Second Street for 24-mile ride at 14- to 18-mph pace. Those with paceline experience meet at 7:30 a.m. for warmup and speed training of up to 50 miles. Details: Julio, (562) 988-8117.

Saturday

* Earth Week Run in Placentia has 8K and 5K courses and kids’ 1K fun run. Details: (714) 993-8232.

April 29

* Silky Sullivan’s Run for the Roses 5K starts and finishes in Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley. Details: (714) 847-8171

* Around the Bay for World No Tobacco Day 5K, 10-mile runs. Courses are around Upper Newport Bay. Start/finish at Newport Dunes. Details: (714) 541-1444.