Iron Couple: Barbers share common passion

By JEFF CASPERSEN/The Daily Journal

Just hearing the course figures is enough to fatigue even the most gifted athletes — 2.4 miles of swimming, a 112-mile bike and a marathon 26.2-mile run. That’s precisely the grueling jaunt Ukiah resident Jonathan Barber will tackle at the Oct. 18 Ironman Triathlon World Championship race in Kona, Hawaii.

The 36-year-old Barber earned a berth in the big race, considered the world championship of Ironman-distance triathlons, by virtue of a seventh-place overall finish in the May 25 Keauhou-Kona Triathlon, also held in Kona. Barber completed the half-triathlon course (1.2 mile swim, 56-mile bike and 13.1-mile run) in 4 hours, 32 minutes and 19 seconds, good for first place in the 35-39 age category.

All told, 661 of the 713 athletes who signed in for the race finished the course. The winner, Monterey, Calif., resident Chad Hawker, logged a time of 4:15:59.

Barber, proprietor of Jonathan’s Bike Shop at 101 S. School Street in Ukiah, is certainly no stranger to qualifying for the big race. A 19-year triathlete, he has accomplished the feat nine times. However, because of schedule conflicts, Barber has made the trip to Kona just once — back in 1997. This year, the South African immigrant, who journeyed to the United States nine years ago, vows to make the trip.

“This time I’m definitely going,” he proclaimed.

Barber hopes to have a familiar face attacking the Kona course with him. His wife, Stephanie, is also a talented triathlete. A four-time ITWC qualifier, she missed out on earning an ITWC berth at the Keauhou-Kona race, finishing 182nd overall, timing in at 5:28:14, third in her age division (40-44). The 41-year-old will have another shot at qualifying June 29 at the Coeur d'Alene Ironman Triathlon in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, a full Ironman race.

The couple met, as Jonathan recalls, about seven or eight years ago while the two were biking up in Santa Rosa.

“We met in Santa Rosa. We were both training, riding our bikes in a place known for hill repeats. I was there with a friend and he showed up with a group of guys,” Stephanie recalled.

“We were out riding and I pulled up next to her,” Jonathan noted. “I gave her my best opening line, which didn’t work. I don’t think she really understood because I still had a heavy accent back then. I met up with her again at a health club in the area and we hit it off from there.”

The two remained in Santa Rosa for awhile, running a bike shop from the Airport Business Center for seven years before packing up and heading to Ukiah, Stephanie’s childhood home, 18 months ago.

Sharing the same passion for athletics has worked to enhance the couple’s relationship.

“So much of our time is spent working out and training, it really helps for us to have that common ground,” Stephanie explained. “We can train together or we can train independently. It’s just nice to have the other one there with the same goal.”

Knowing full well that qualifying for the ITWC is an enviable task in its own right, Jonathan tries to avoid harboring a competitive attitude as the race date approaches, applying a relaxed approach and attitude to an excruciatingly brutal event.

“It’s a very long and hard race. If you go and try and be competitive, you run the risk of having a terrible day. You have to go into it with the idea of having a good race and just finishing. Then you might just surprise yourself.”