Ironman Triathlon Competition

"Everybody thinks I'm crazy," says triathlete Mike Cowdrey, who is attempting his first Ironman event Saturday in Oceanside. That's a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run--triathlon's toughest test and 10 or so hours of pain--but that's not the only reason friends often question his sanity. Consider: * Cowdrey doesn't own a car--he commutes up to 35 miles on his bicycle to work, college and just about anywhere else he needs to go.

"Everybody thinks I'm crazy," says triathlete Mike Cowdrey, who is attempting his first Ironman event Saturday in Oceanside. That's a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run--triathlon's toughest test and 10 or so hours of pain--but that's not the only reason friends often question his sanity. Consider: * Cowdrey doesn't own a car--he commutes up to 35 miles on his bicycle to work, college and just about anywhere else he needs to go.

Flipping through the TV channels at his Moorpark home last summer, Jared Tavasalian came across a screening of an Ironman triathlon competition in Hawaii. He was intrigued by the determination of the athletes involved. "It was so emotional to watch," Tavasalian recalled. "You see all these people struggling throughout and then crossing the finish line, some with one arm or in wheelchairs, going through all that distance. I was crying by the end of it."

Stationary bikes have been a gym mainstay for nearly 50 years, outlasting many trendier rivals. These bikes are also the third-most popular choice for people buying aerobic equipment for home use. The equipment ranges in sophistication from economical training stands that let you use your own road or mountain bike to high-tech versions that may make you feel like a human lab rat. Here are some choices.

POP/ROCK Denver Remembered: John Denver was remembered at a memorial service Friday as a caring father and good friend, with boundless energy and creativity, who loved nature and poured his passions into his songwriting. Family friend Hal Thau called Denver "the folk poet of our time," noting: "His music sprang from his feelings of love and the world we live in. Most importantly, his songs resonated with the people."