Mark Mason
Ironman/Triathlete
Welcome to my website and my world of Triathlon and Ironman!
My name is Mark Mason. Some of you know me as the lead singer and bassist for the pop rock band Ampage, (www.ampage.com) or maybe as the ceo of Mason Yachts International inc. Yacht and ship brokerage (www.masonyachts.com) or in my little town of Point Arena Calif. Im also known as Coach Mason (www.coachmason.com) the Cross Country, Triathlon and Track n Field coach for Point Arena High School. and Director and founder of The Southwest High School Triathlon Conference (www.highschooltri.com ) But my real passion is competing myself in Triathlon and Ironman. I train 2-4 hours a day and race all over the world. I'm not a pro but just as dedicated in my ever changing age group division. These are my adventures!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012 races and results-
Stanford Triathlon - 7th Place (1:14:38)
UC Davis Sprint - 3rd Place (1:48:16)
Cal Poly Triathlon - 3rd Place (2:56:08)
UCSB Triathlon - 6th Place (1:34:59)
New Orleans Ironman 70.3 - 41st Place (5:41:31)
ITU Championship San Diego - 40th place (3:07:37)
Ironman Hawaii 70.3 - DNF
Did the Swim and Bike but chose not to run due to injuries sustained in a fall down a flight of stairs the week prior to both races.
Escape From Alcatraz - DNF )
I've just signed 6 new sponsorship deals for the 2012 season!
Quintana Roo, Hawk Racing Wheels, Blue Seventy Wetsuits, GU, ISM Adamo Saddles and Beaker Concepts!
Thanks to all my sponsors for supporting and believing in me!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Click here to watch the ''Iron Blazeman'' Full Length Music Video featuring myself with all your favorite Top Pro Ironman Athletes and Rock Stars in the studio recording this song!
click here
This song and music video was written, produced, engineered and edited by Ampage lead singer and Ironman/Triathlete Mark Mason and Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen to help raise money and awareness for "The blazeman Foundation"
Multi tasking in my recording studio
Here are some pictures from the many recording sessions during the making of this song and music video.
Mark Mason & Chrissie Wellington in the studio Boulder co.
Mark Mason & Leanda Cave in the studio at Mason Ranch in Point Arena Calif.
Mark Mason, Mary Miller, Bryan Rhodes, Mirinda Carfrae, Andy Potts in the studio Denver Co.
Rick Allen (Def Leppard), Matty Reed, Mark Mason in the Def Leppard studio Malibu Calif.
L-R Jasmine Oeinck, Holly Bennett, Fiona Docherty, Amanda Hahn, Chrissie Wellington, Mark Mason in studio Boulder Co.
Click here to watch the AMPAGE "Ironman Sam" music video with footage of our last U.S. tour and lead singer Mark Mason racing in the 2009 Kona Ironman World Championship. This was the original song Mason wrote in 2009 to celebrate competing in the Kona Ironman. Later Mason changed a few lyrics and brought in some of the top Ironman athletes and rock star friends to sing on it and help raise money for Blazeman Foundation -
Click Here
A long day at the Ford Ironman World Championship!
_____________________________________________________
Ironman Sam Album Cover 2009
Photo By Bruce Mulder
Athlete Bio :
1972 - I started running at age 12 after watching Dave Wottle and Steve Prefontaine run in the Munich Olympics. Even to this day those were some of the greatest running races I've ever seen.
1974 - At age 14 , I ran for the AAU team "Blue Angels" along with Olympian Mary Decker and coaches Joe Salcido and now USATF president Don Denoon. I was ranked 6th in the state of California for my age group in the mile .
1974 Mark Mason
1976 - I quit running at age 16 due to leg injuries ending my 1980 Olympic dreams and became the lead singer, songwriter and bass player for the rock band " AMPAGE ". I spent the next 30 years recording albums , writing and recording songs for movies , a lot of touring , a LOT of partying and No Training.
11998 Mark Mason and his band AMPAGE opening for Def Leppard
2003 - I found myself on a high school track on the Mendocino Coast of California and decided to run a mile just to see how close to my old time I could get. Much to his surprise It wasn't even close. ''I think my time was somewhere in the 12 minute mile range. I had already quit drinking and partying years earlier so now I decided to start training for a few months until I beat my old mile time''.
2006 - 3 years, a lot of training and a lot of 5k & 10k races later I was running somewhere in the 8 minute mile range.
Mark Mason Escape From Alcatraz 2009
2007 - A friend of mine told me about a race called " Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon". I thought it sounded kinda cool so I signed up for their lottery registration figuring I'd never get picked , after all my friend had been trying to get in that race for years with no luck.
I got picked first time out. I was very excited and then suddenly remembered I don,t know how to swim nor do I own a bike. GULP! The next thing I know I was taking swim lessons and bought an old Cervelo bike on ebay. A couple months later I did my first sprint triathlon in Oxnard Calif. as a tune up race for Alcatraz. After that , I was hooked ! I started doing race after race across the USA. I completed 13 triathlons and several 5K running races in my first year. While in Florida , I raced in the " Escape from Miami Triathlon ". It was there where I met Jeff Cuddeback who won in my age group and came in 2nd OVER ALL . He quickly became my first triathlon coach and inspiration. Later that year in California. I attempted a practice swim from Alcatraz. I only made it half way and decided not to do the race. ( I guess 3 months was not enough time to learn to swim well enough to complete Alcatraz) All in all I ended up placing somewhere in the middle of most of my races. I was happy with that for my 1st year in the sport.
L-R Coach Mike Doane, Andy Potts, Mark Mason after 2009 Kona Ironman Awards ceremony
2008 I hooked up with Olympian Andy Potts who introduced me to his coach Mike Doane Who is also the head Triathlon and Swim coach at the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center. Long story short , Mike started coaching me. A couple months later I competed in the " Escape from Alcatraz " ( yes, I got picked again in the lottery ) triathlon this time completing it . A couple months later I flew out to Colorado Springs to train with Mike Doane and Andy Potts and have them clean up some of my bad training habits. Mike and I became fast friends and he has been coaching me ever since.
My Coach Mike Doane and Myself after finishing 2009 Kona Ironman
2009 was the year of the Ironman for me. I did the Hawaii Ironman 70.3, Vineman Ironman 70.3 and The Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona Hawaii. I also wrote, recorded and released the song ''Ironman Sam". I also released a music video of the song with footage of me racing the Kona Ironman as well as footage from my bands last tour. It was an amazing year!
2009 Ford Ironman World Championship
2010- Started out a tough year for me. I was seriously injured in the Ironman California 70.3 during the swim to bike transition. I was tripped by another athlete and my feet ended up in the guys spokes. I ended up with 30 stitches on 4 toes by the AMAZING Ironman onsite doctors in the medical tent. They were great! Took a few months to recover but just in time to do The Escape from Alcatraz, Vineman Ironman 70.3 and the Lake Stevens Ironman 70.3 in Seattle Wa. Finished the season with a couple fun triathlons in Santa Cruz and the L.A. triathlon.
2011- I started my year with a return to California Ironman 70.3
Next was The Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon. After that I went back to my roots and finished the season doing sprint triathlons And placing top 5 in most of the races while having a great time competing instead of just trying to finish.
I also signed 5 sponsorship deals with Quintana Roo, Hawk Racing Wheels, ISM Saddles, Blue Seventy Wetsuits and Beacon Concepts!
2012 Was an interesting year. I started and coached one of the first ever high school triathlon teams at Point Arena High School in Northern California. I then started the first ever high school triathlon conference league in California (so we would have someone to compete against) signing up more than 15 other high schools in the state. I then contacted all the colleges in the state and piggybacked there races and season with our own ''high school division''. It was a huge success with more and more high schools signing up every day!
I started my own season racing at the colleges (in my own age group) followed by New Orleans Ironman 70.3, Kona Ironman 70.3 with Lance Armstrong and The Escape from Alcatraz. Prior to Kona I fell down some stairs and pinched a nerve in my neck as well as a golf ball size lump on my elbow. While I did the swim and bike at Kona and Alcatraz I had to DNF on the run due to the pain. I healed through the summer and am now training for the upcoming 2013 season.
2012 Southwest High School Triathlon Conference Championship Triathlon
2009 L-R Torston Able, Leanda Cave, Mark Mason
Back at the condo's Licking our wounds after a tough race in Kona
Picture L-R Mark Mason and father Jan W. Mason 1984
PLEASE GIVE TO MY CHARITIES:
These 4 foundations are very important to me. My best friend and ''father figure'' as he would say, Jan W. Mason (My Dad) taught me how to swim, bike and run when I was young as well as play music. He also had Parkinsons. I watched that disease strip away everything my dad loved to do in life including playing guitar, biking and running long distance with me. While the Parkinsons didn't kill him Eventually Myasthenia Gravis did. Now my long time friend and music publisher has also just died from Myasthenia Gravis. I would like find a cure to both of these diseases.
Over 20 years ago Bob Timmins saved my life from drugs and alcohol. I was playing in a rock band and living on the streets and alleys of Hollywood with the disease of alcoholism and drug addiction. Bob got me sober and showed me how to live. I owe him my life!!!!!. He has since passed on, but this foundation was set up to continue his lifes work. ALL proceeds from the song "Ironman Sam" will be given to these 3 foundations. I have also dedicated my newest album "Don't Shoot the Wounded'' to Bob Timmins.
I just started working with the Blazeman Foundation this year. I remember seeing Jon Blais on tv during the Ironman world championships. Jon was given a death sentence in the form of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease) in May of 2005, at the age of 33, Jon accepted his diagnosis and decided to do incredible things with it. He began waging a War on ALS from the beginning. This was his way of dealing with it; this is how he lived out his days... fighting for research and raising awareness. Please go to there websites and donate generously.
Thank You
http://www.waronals.com/
The Timmins Foundation
Continuing Bob T's Legacy of helping people that have a desire to stop drinking get the treatment they need !
http://www.timminsfoundation.org/
Ironman/Triathlete
Welcome to my website and my world of Triathlon and Ironman!
My name is Mark Mason. Some of you know me as the lead singer and bassist for the pop rock band Ampage, (www.ampage.com) or maybe as the ceo of Mason Yachts International inc. Yacht and ship brokerage (www.masonyachts.com) or in my little town of Point Arena Calif. Im also known as Coach Mason (www.coachmason.com) the Cross Country, Triathlon and Track n Field coach for Point Arena High School. and Director and founder of The Southwest High School Triathlon Conference (www.highschooltri.com ) But my real passion is competing myself in Triathlon and Ironman. I train 2-4 hours a day and race all over the world. I'm not a pro but just as dedicated in my ever changing age group division. These are my adventures!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012 races and results-
Stanford Triathlon - 7th Place (1:14:38)
UC Davis Sprint - 3rd Place (1:48:16)
Cal Poly Triathlon - 3rd Place (2:56:08)
UCSB Triathlon - 6th Place (1:34:59)
New Orleans Ironman 70.3 - 41st Place (5:41:31)
ITU Championship San Diego - 40th place (3:07:37)
Ironman Hawaii 70.3 - DNF
Did the Swim and Bike but chose not to run due to injuries sustained in a fall down a flight of stairs the week prior to both races.
Escape From Alcatraz - DNF )
I've just signed 6 new sponsorship deals for the 2012 season!
Quintana Roo, Hawk Racing Wheels, Blue Seventy Wetsuits, GU, ISM Adamo Saddles and Beaker Concepts!
Thanks to all my sponsors for supporting and believing in me!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Click here to watch the ''Iron Blazeman'' Full Length Music Video featuring myself with all your favorite Top Pro Ironman Athletes and Rock Stars in the studio recording this song!
click here
This song and music video was written, produced, engineered and edited by Ampage lead singer and Ironman/Triathlete Mark Mason and Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen to help raise money and awareness for "The blazeman Foundation"
Featuring-
Chrissie Wellington, Andy Potts, Mark Mason- Ampage, Leanda Cave,
Mirinda Carfrae, Scott Tinley, Rick Allen- Def Leppard, Steve Jones-
Sex Pistols, Mark Inglert-Dramarama , Jasmin Oeinck, Pamela Mason, Mary
Miller, Bryan Rhodes, Matty Reed, Wingnut , Fiona Docherty, Simon
Gowen, Mike Riely, and Amanda Hahn!
Iron Blazeman (full length) Music
Video was made to help raise money and awareness for the Blazeman
Foundation and there work to find a cure for A.L.S.
All the Athletes
and Rock Stars donated both there time and talent to make this happen
and should be commended on there effort. To learn more please go to
www.waronals.com
Multi tasking in my recording studio
Here are some pictures from the many recording sessions during the making of this song and music video.
Mark Mason & Chrissie Wellington in the studio Boulder co.
Mark Mason & Leanda Cave in the studio at Mason Ranch in Point Arena Calif.
Mark Mason, Mary Miller, Bryan Rhodes, Mirinda Carfrae, Andy Potts in the studio Denver Co.
Rick Allen (Def Leppard), Matty Reed, Mark Mason in the Def Leppard studio Malibu Calif.
L-R Jasmine Oeinck, Holly Bennett, Fiona Docherty, Amanda Hahn, Chrissie Wellington, Mark Mason in studio Boulder Co.
Click here to watch the AMPAGE "Ironman Sam" music video with footage of our last U.S. tour and lead singer Mark Mason racing in the 2009 Kona Ironman World Championship. This was the original song Mason wrote in 2009 to celebrate competing in the Kona Ironman. Later Mason changed a few lyrics and brought in some of the top Ironman athletes and rock star friends to sing on it and help raise money for Blazeman Foundation -
Click Here
A long day at the Ford Ironman World Championship!
_____________________________________________________
Ironman Sam Album Cover 2009
Photo By Bruce Mulder
1972 - I started running at age 12 after watching Dave Wottle and Steve Prefontaine run in the Munich Olympics. Even to this day those were some of the greatest running races I've ever seen.
1974 - At age 14 , I ran for the AAU team "Blue Angels" along with Olympian Mary Decker and coaches Joe Salcido and now USATF president Don Denoon. I was ranked 6th in the state of California for my age group in the mile .
1974 Mark Mason
1976 - I quit running at age 16 due to leg injuries ending my 1980 Olympic dreams and became the lead singer, songwriter and bass player for the rock band " AMPAGE ". I spent the next 30 years recording albums , writing and recording songs for movies , a lot of touring , a LOT of partying and No Training.
11998 Mark Mason and his band AMPAGE opening for Def Leppard
2003 - I found myself on a high school track on the Mendocino Coast of California and decided to run a mile just to see how close to my old time I could get. Much to his surprise It wasn't even close. ''I think my time was somewhere in the 12 minute mile range. I had already quit drinking and partying years earlier so now I decided to start training for a few months until I beat my old mile time''.
2006 - 3 years, a lot of training and a lot of 5k & 10k races later I was running somewhere in the 8 minute mile range.
Mark Mason Escape From Alcatraz 2009
2007 - A friend of mine told me about a race called " Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon". I thought it sounded kinda cool so I signed up for their lottery registration figuring I'd never get picked , after all my friend had been trying to get in that race for years with no luck.
I got picked first time out. I was very excited and then suddenly remembered I don,t know how to swim nor do I own a bike. GULP! The next thing I know I was taking swim lessons and bought an old Cervelo bike on ebay. A couple months later I did my first sprint triathlon in Oxnard Calif. as a tune up race for Alcatraz. After that , I was hooked ! I started doing race after race across the USA. I completed 13 triathlons and several 5K running races in my first year. While in Florida , I raced in the " Escape from Miami Triathlon ". It was there where I met Jeff Cuddeback who won in my age group and came in 2nd OVER ALL . He quickly became my first triathlon coach and inspiration. Later that year in California. I attempted a practice swim from Alcatraz. I only made it half way and decided not to do the race. ( I guess 3 months was not enough time to learn to swim well enough to complete Alcatraz) All in all I ended up placing somewhere in the middle of most of my races. I was happy with that for my 1st year in the sport.
L-R Coach Mike Doane, Andy Potts, Mark Mason after 2009 Kona Ironman Awards ceremony
2008 I hooked up with Olympian Andy Potts who introduced me to his coach Mike Doane Who is also the head Triathlon and Swim coach at the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center. Long story short , Mike started coaching me. A couple months later I competed in the " Escape from Alcatraz " ( yes, I got picked again in the lottery ) triathlon this time completing it . A couple months later I flew out to Colorado Springs to train with Mike Doane and Andy Potts and have them clean up some of my bad training habits. Mike and I became fast friends and he has been coaching me ever since.
My Coach Mike Doane and Myself after finishing 2009 Kona Ironman
2009 was the year of the Ironman for me. I did the Hawaii Ironman 70.3, Vineman Ironman 70.3 and The Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona Hawaii. I also wrote, recorded and released the song ''Ironman Sam". I also released a music video of the song with footage of me racing the Kona Ironman as well as footage from my bands last tour. It was an amazing year!
2009 Ford Ironman World Championship
2010- Started out a tough year for me. I was seriously injured in the Ironman California 70.3 during the swim to bike transition. I was tripped by another athlete and my feet ended up in the guys spokes. I ended up with 30 stitches on 4 toes by the AMAZING Ironman onsite doctors in the medical tent. They were great! Took a few months to recover but just in time to do The Escape from Alcatraz, Vineman Ironman 70.3 and the Lake Stevens Ironman 70.3 in Seattle Wa. Finished the season with a couple fun triathlons in Santa Cruz and the L.A. triathlon.
2011- I started my year with a return to California Ironman 70.3
Next was The Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon. After that I went back to my roots and finished the season doing sprint triathlons And placing top 5 in most of the races while having a great time competing instead of just trying to finish.
I also signed 5 sponsorship deals with Quintana Roo, Hawk Racing Wheels, ISM Saddles, Blue Seventy Wetsuits and Beacon Concepts!
2012 Was an interesting year. I started and coached one of the first ever high school triathlon teams at Point Arena High School in Northern California. I then started the first ever high school triathlon conference league in California (so we would have someone to compete against) signing up more than 15 other high schools in the state. I then contacted all the colleges in the state and piggybacked there races and season with our own ''high school division''. It was a huge success with more and more high schools signing up every day!
I started my own season racing at the colleges (in my own age group) followed by New Orleans Ironman 70.3, Kona Ironman 70.3 with Lance Armstrong and The Escape from Alcatraz. Prior to Kona I fell down some stairs and pinched a nerve in my neck as well as a golf ball size lump on my elbow. While I did the swim and bike at Kona and Alcatraz I had to DNF on the run due to the pain. I healed through the summer and am now training for the upcoming 2013 season.
2012 Southwest High School Triathlon Conference Championship Triathlon
2009 L-R Torston Able, Leanda Cave, Mark Mason
Back at the condo's Licking our wounds after a tough race in Kona
Picture L-R Mark Mason and father Jan W. Mason 1984
PLEASE GIVE TO MY CHARITIES:
These 4 foundations are very important to me. My best friend and ''father figure'' as he would say, Jan W. Mason (My Dad) taught me how to swim, bike and run when I was young as well as play music. He also had Parkinsons. I watched that disease strip away everything my dad loved to do in life including playing guitar, biking and running long distance with me. While the Parkinsons didn't kill him Eventually Myasthenia Gravis did. Now my long time friend and music publisher has also just died from Myasthenia Gravis. I would like find a cure to both of these diseases.
Over 20 years ago Bob Timmins saved my life from drugs and alcohol. I was playing in a rock band and living on the streets and alleys of Hollywood with the disease of alcoholism and drug addiction. Bob got me sober and showed me how to live. I owe him my life!!!!!. He has since passed on, but this foundation was set up to continue his lifes work. ALL proceeds from the song "Ironman Sam" will be given to these 3 foundations. I have also dedicated my newest album "Don't Shoot the Wounded'' to Bob Timmins.
I just started working with the Blazeman Foundation this year. I remember seeing Jon Blais on tv during the Ironman world championships. Jon was given a death sentence in the form of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease) in May of 2005, at the age of 33, Jon accepted his diagnosis and decided to do incredible things with it. He began waging a War on ALS from the beginning. This was his way of dealing with it; this is how he lived out his days... fighting for research and raising awareness. Please go to there websites and donate generously.
Thank You
http://www.waronals.com/
The Timmins Foundation
Continuing Bob T's Legacy of helping people that have a desire to stop drinking get the treatment they need !
http://www.timminsfoundation.org/
Favorite Quote : By Steve Prefontaine
" Somebody May Beat Me , But They are Going To Have To Bleed To Do It "
1996 Mark Mason during Filming of Ampage Music Video "The Beast Inside"
Contact:
Mark Mason
(310) 418 - 1590
email: ampage@earthlink.net
