Whitmore looking to reclaim her title

By the time today’s Saipan Tribune hits newsstands, some of the top triathletes from all around the planet will be pushing their bodies to their limits and relying on hours spent on their multi-sport training regimens during this morning’s 2006 XTERRA Saipan Championships.

While the best of the best hope to cross the finish line at American Memorial Park faster than the competition, for three-time champion Jamie Whitmore, the goal is simple: Start the season off with a win.

After ascending to the throne in the 2004 XTERRA World Championships, Whitmore suffered mechanical difficulties on the bike in 2005, getting the season off on the wrong foot and relinquishing her grasp on the CNMI title.

In her first three of the races on Saipan, Whitmore has endured the hills, rocks, and wildlife better than her peers to take the tape after the beach run. Last year a busted derailer sullied her chances for a fourth honor in the Commonwealth, but even before starting the 2005 race, Whitmore said that she cannot control all of the elements of the race.

“Anything can happen in a race so I try not to think about what my chances are. I like to go into each race hoping to do my best. If my best is second then I am happy with that,” she said.

Despite the setbacks on the course, Whitmore was determined to finish the race and pushed her broken bike into the transition area before refocusing for the XTERRA Global Tour’s signature run course.

“I have this no-quit attitude. I don’t believe that you should quit unless you have dire medical needs. Just because you are losing doesn’t mean you should give up. That was my whole 2005 season,” she said.

This time around Whitmore is gunning to win an unprecedented fourth XTERRA Saipan Championship this morning. While she wants to be the first to reach the finish, Whitmore said that she is just enjoying her return to Saipan.

“It’s like out second home here. I think we raced here more than any other place around the world except the U.S. It’s the coolest place to be. The people, the island—we come here and it’s relaxing and yet there’s lots of things to do,” she said.

After competing in every XTERRA Saipan Championship since her professional debut race in 2002, Whitmore said it was funny how she can remember the course after spending only a week on island year after year.

“We did a two-day camp called XTERRA University and I was taking my group out on the course and it was mind boggling how I could remember where a lot of things were. I knew a lot, and it’s just the little technical sections out there that you want to brush up on because it is the jungle out there and things change,” she said.

Aside from today’s race Whitmore will also be competing in the Tagaman Triathlon next weekend where she hopes to repeat last year’s victory in search of the PIC Double.

In addition to the search for her fourth Saipan title, Whitmore is aiming for another Pacific Islands Club Double crown by sticking around to do Tagaman Triathlon once again this year.