Poway home to Olympic hopeful
By Michael Bower
The beautiful hills, steep trails and windy roads in and around Poway is exactly the reason Joe Maloy and a few members of The Triathlon Squad moved here from various locations around the country.
It has become their home training ground. They run, bike and swim in and around the city they have dubbed “Powaydise.” Maloy, 28, moved here in 2012 from New Jersey and the 2016 Olympic hopeful is loving it.
“We like running the trails and they are everywhere,” said Maloy, who graduated from Boston College in 2008, took a job as an assistant coach for the swim team there and then decided in 2010 to pursue a future competing in triathlons professionally. “The proximity to good biking roads and everything is great. We can be swimming in the ocean or biking in the mountains in 30 minutes.
“Only one of us in our group grew up in Southern California and I am from New Jersey so it took a while to get used to not checking the weather,” he added. “It is gorgeous everyday and to be outside and be active; this is just an amazing place.”
Maloy rents a home in Poway with two other members of the squad, Eric Lagerstrom and Jason Pederson. All three wanted something more than just a regular profession, so they chose to pursue their dreams of reaching the Olympics in the triathlon.
“I think it definitely was kind of a leap of faith for me,” Maloy said, “but I am really fortunate that I have had great support from my family and friends. The way I looked at it was that it wasn’t so much this really scary thing, it was more of an awesome opportunity where I realized if I want this and if I am willing to work then the opportunity is now.”
Maloy is certainly on the right path toward representing USA in the Olympics in 2016. He claimed the biggest victory of his career on June 29, winning the USA Triathlon Elite National Championship — an event within a bigger event, the International Triathlon Union World Triathlon Chicago.
Maloy was the first American to cross the finish line (1 hour, 49 minutes, 24 seconds) and the 17th overall competitor to finish in the Elite Men’s Division of the race, which consisted of a 1,500-meter swim, 24.8-mile bike leg and a 6.2-mile run. He was up against nine other Americans and some of the best runners in the world.
“It is a big step for me, personally,” he said. “It probably is the most prestigious title I have won in my career. It meant a little more because my whole family was there and it was really cool to celebrate with my mom and dad and brother. It was awesome.”
The overall winner was Javier Gomez of Spain (1:47.21). But being the first American to cross the taper has kept Maloy in front of the pack when it comes to the point system, which is used to help determine the Olympic team.
There really are no breaks during the peak triathlon season, which runs from about March to October.
Maloy and his team put in full days of training. One of those days last week consisted of a 7 a.m. bike ride to the top of Palomar Mountain, about an 80 to 90-mile ride round trip. Then a 5,000-yard swim at the Poway Community Swim Center capped off with an 8-mile run. Maloy said his favorite spot to run is Lake Poway.
“I like the hills,” he said. “We didn’t have anything like that in New Jersey so it was a bit of a culture shock running that loop for the first time. I just remember thinking, ‘wow, I have to do that again.’”
Maloy has run it several times now. He also has his favorite food spots in the community. He mentioned The Company Kitchen and Pub and In the Mix Frozen Yogurt as two of his top spots.
“I kind of like the little guys,” he said.
Even though Maloy and some of his teammates will take trips to train in Europe or Arizona sometimes, he only calls one place home.
“We train in different places every year,” Maloy said. “It just depends on the triathlon schedule. We try to balance our need to be comfortable and do what is best to get us ready to perform. But, if I have a home, Poway is it.”