Chris Foster’s Rad Ride to Professional Tri

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If optimism could generate energy, professional triathlete Chris Foster would light up the entire city of Los Angeles, which the blue-eyed, blonde-haired 25 year old has called home since August 2005.

After three years in a city that notoriously attracts dreamers, chews them up and then spits them out, Chris Foster remains unfazed. He's a renegade working at a triathlon store while chasing his dream of being a professional triathlete. He's etching his way into a sport that demands 100 percent, mentally and physically - with very little monetary reward. And he wouldn't have it any other way. 

In fact, when asked about the financial hardships that wear on young pro triathletes these days, Foster seems surprised they exist. To him, the pro life is the adventure of a lifetime, and one he'll definitely be living for the next four years. He doesn't feel he's sacrificed to get where he is; he's simply gaining new experiences. 

Not that Foster hasn't run into his share of disappointment since making the trek from Maryland to California. Case in point: after securing a job at a large California bike shop, he packed up and rushed across the country. When he got to L.A., the owner never called him back. That guy must be kicking himself in the chamois now.

Did he freak out? At that point in his life, he was jobless, without his pro card, and 3,000 miles away from home. That's enough hardship to vex even the most easygoing adventurer. But not Chris Foster. He's mastered the art of toeing the line between optimism and recklessness. 

Foster stayed focused on getting his pro card, found work at a rival bike shop, and figured it was all a part of the pro experience, which made it a fun adventure rather than a disappointing hindrance.

But more trouble was on the horizon. Race directors at the few select events Foster joined in an effort to secure his pro card misled him, telling him there would be more participants than there actually were. Still, within five races, he realized his dream of going pro - a dream rooted in his sincere desire for a "rad experience" traveling, meeting people and seeing new places. 

Chris Foster's optimism showed long before that rough first year in Los Angeles. He ran the mile in fifth grade so fast that his teachers thought he'd cheated, and they instituted the "one popsicle stick per lap" rule. So he ran again, crossing the finish line with four sticks, proving he was legit.

The hurdles to Foster's athletic stardom didn't stop after fifth grade. As a high school track and cross-country star, he received only one college recruitment letter; it was accidentally addressed to him, and was meant for his high school rival. After Michigan's coach blew him off, Foster walked on to Penn State's team despite the old coach's ominous warning, "You can try, but you may get killed." 

By his junior year, Foster was Penn State's top runner, dabbling in triathlon during the summers and consistently mounting the podium. 

With an okay swim and bike, it was his run that had everyone talking last year when he inched out Chris McCormack for the win at the star-studded Malibu Triathlon. You'd think an accomplishment like that would give a guy a big head. But not Chris Foster. In fact, if you don't look up his results yourself, all you'll get out of the guy when you ask about his last race is, "It was rad!" 

His humility can be frustrating. He cautioned me not to "mistake poor memory for humility," but as someone with a degree in statistics, Foster must know his times down to the millisecond. Just when you want him to open up and say something like, "Hell yeah! I kicked Macca's ass!" he'll just smile and spout admiration for the Aussie.

Foster's unwavering excitement for the sport and his ability to stay grounded must have struck a chord with Chris McCormack, who asked Foster to email him after the Malibu race. Unshaken by McCormack's celebrity, Foster professes that he "honestly never got around to it." 

Then, out of the blue, McCormack called Foster to tell him he'd be in Los Angeles for a couple of weeks and would like to train with him. Thousands of triathletes would hawk their cars for such an opportunity. Foster just played hard to get (a skill learned, perhaps, in the college dating scene), and wound up with the hottest training partner in class.

A typical date for Chris and Chris included ridiculously long swims reaching up to 40,000 yards per week. His newfound dedication to swimming proves that Foster has come a long way since his high school swimming days, when he'd stand up during the 500-yard event to disqualify himself because, he says, 500 was way too long. 

These days Foster is shooting for the 2012 Olympics; and if that's his goal, he will give his all to make it happen. His roll-with-the-punches attitude, kindness, intelligence and quiet determination have earned him some good karma. He epitomizes the carefree 25 year old, with an infectious laugh and ebullient personality that make you want to root for him. Plus, he can kick it into the finish line like nobody's business.

To learn more about Chris Foster, check out his Web site at www.chrisfosterracing.com.

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