Dispatch: Pat Evoe’s Top Picks

“Dispatch” is an online column from Triathlete Editor-at-Large Holly Bennett that will feature pro updates, industry news, happenings afield and otherwise random reports related to multi-sport. Look for “Dispatch” every Thursday on Triathlete.com.

I always dread when people ask me to pick favorites – my favorite movie, my favorite musician, my favorite breakfast food. There are far too many options to choose just one! But conversely, I love putting the pressure of naming favorites on my interview subjects. No hemming and hawing allowed, just a straight-up top choice. Since newly-crowned Ironman champion Pat Evoe is fresh off of his first Ironman victory at the 2012 Ironman Louisville, I figured the number one is front and center in his mind right now. So I invited the Austin-based triathlete, in town for a stint of high altitude training, to meet me at Boulder’s Boom Yogurt Bar for a rapid-fire round of “name your number one picks.” You’ll enjoy getting to know Evoe through his favorites below:

Triathlete.com: Favorite race experience?
PE: Winning my first Ironman.

Triathlete.com: Least favorite race experience?
PE: In 2009 I walked 16 miles of Ironman Cozumel, and I threw up three times. It was the last race of the year and I just wanted to finish.

Triathlete.com: Favorite thing someone said to you post-win in Louisville?
PE: My uncle sent me a text. It said: Kind of like being President, the Ironman Champion title never goes away.

Triathlete.com:Favorite moment during the race – besides the finish?
PE: When I pulled away on the bike and realized that I had the legs to do it. When I realized it wasn’t just a momentary breakaway – that it was lasting. That was really fun.

Triathlete.com: Favorite way to celebrate a win?
PE: Time with my family.

Triathlete.com: Favorite destination race?
PE: Ironman Malaysia.

Triathlete.com: Number one reason why?
PE: It was just so different than any other race experience.

Triathlete.com: Number one reason to love Austin?
PE: The city’s so alive! It has so much to offer – something for everyone.

Triathlete.com: Number one reason to leave Austin?
PE: Traffic. On the bike, especially, it’s very dangerous. And the heat in the summer is unbearable. Those tie for number one!

Triathlete.com:Favorite training partner?
PE: Richie Cunningham.

Triathlete.com: Number one reason why?
PE: He’s a friend, a mentor and a big brother all in one.

Triathlete.com: On a side note, what was your first thought when you learned Richie had named one of his pet chickens after you?
PE: I wanted to know the names of the other chickens to see who I was on par with!

Triathlete.com: Training session you love the most?
PE: Hill repeats on the bike.

Triathlete.com: Training session you loathe the most?
PE: Distance sets swimming. 5 x 1000, that sort of thing.

Triathlete.com: Favorite way to procrastinate training?
PE: TV or Internet.

PHOTOS: 2012 Ironman Louisville

Triathlete.com: Your number one Kona picks. The men?
PE: Crowie, without a doubt.

Triathlete.com: The women?
PE: Mirinda. Never bet against a champion.

Triathlete.com: Number one reason you love triathlon?
PE: The life experiences and the people it’s brought into my life.

Triathlete.com: Favorite sport outside of triathlon?
PE: Hockey. I like watching football the best, but I grew up as a hockey player.

Triathlete.com: Favorite non-triathlete sports star?
PE: Steve Yzerman. He was the captain for the Detroit Red Wings when I was growing up [outside of Detroit]. To me, he epitomizes the ultimate sports star. He was involved in the community, a great family guy and a Hall of Famer. He was loyal and stayed with one team his entire career – he wasn’t swayed by offers of more money. He never got into trouble – he wasn’t one of those guys arrested for domestic violence or something. He was the quintessential sports role model.

Triathlete.com: Favorite moment of London Olympic Games?
PE: My buddy from Austin, Leo Manzano won the silver in the men’s 1500-meter final. He threw down an amazing kick in the last 100-meters to take the silver. All the Austinites who know him went crazy!

Triathlete.com: Favorite time of day?
PE: I’m a morning person.

Triathlete.com: Favorite reality TV show?
PE: Any of the pawn shop shows. There’s one called Hardcore Pawn on truTV. It takes place in inner city Detroit, and it’s like The Jerry Springer Show meets the pawn shows. A lady will come in with a ring that she says is a diamond ring from her husband. The experts will tell her it’s a fake, worth only maybe $5.00, and she’ll go crazy. They’ll have to bring in security.

Triathlete.com: Favorite thing to smell?
PE: I like the smell when you’ve just cleaned your apartment, you leave and then you come back. You open the door and it’s kind of this combination of Murphy’s Oil Soap and Pledge and Windex. It’s this fresh smell – it is so nice!

Triathlete.com: Favorite thing to see when you wake up?
PE: My girlfriend.

Triathlete.com: Your second favorite food – because I know your number one is pizza [Evoe is sponsored by Little Caesars Pizza]!
PE: When it’s treat time, ice cream. I like Blue Bell brand Happy Tracks.

Triathlete.com: Favorite combination of pizza toppings?
PE: I’m a traditional cheese and pepperoni guy.

Triathlete.com: Since we’re here at Boom Yogurt Bar, what’s your favorite frozen yogurt flavor at Boom?
PE: The way I look at it, it’s not a matter of the flavor of the yogurt, but rather the toppings. I like anything with chocolate – chocolate chips, chocolate sprinkles, chocolate cookies.

Triathlete.com: Leave us with a bit of inspiration – what is your favorite quote?
PE: At one race, I think in 2007, an age-grouper said something to me when I was running the other direction and it has always stayed with me. I was hurting bad but I was in the top five, and some random guy yelled at me, “Don’t wake up tomorrow and wish you had done it today!”

You can learn more about Pat Evoe’s favorite things and follow his increasingly successful career at Patrickevoe.com or on Twitter @patrickevoe.