Age:  30
Residence:  San Diego
Background:  Collegiate track and cross-country at Arkansas and Arizona
Career Highlights:  1994 US Pro National Champion, 4th overall at 1994 ITU Duathlon World Championship (non-drafting) in Australia

American Pro Duathlete Paul Thomas plans to return to racing this year after a 3 year break from the sport.  Paul, formerly one of the top American duathletes, comes from a running background.  Growing up in California, he is one of a small group of US high school runners that has broken 9 minutes in the 2 mile.  During his collegiate career at Arkansas and Arizona he recorded a 5000m PR of 13:58.  

Paul started racing duathlons in 1993.  In 1994, under the coaching of former top American Pro duathlete Joel Thompson, he won the US Pro Nationals in California.  He followed that victory with an impressive fourth place finish at the 1994 Duathlon World Championship in Australia, a placing that no American has since equaled at the World Championships 

During his time away from the sport Paul worked for PR Bar, but last summer he decided that career wasn't making him happy.  "The best feeling is when I win a race...a big race.  I wasn't getting that at PR Bar".  When he left PR Bar last summer he weighed 188 pounds, up 25 pounds from his racing weight.  Since leaving PR Bar he is back down to his racing weight and he now manages the Athlete's Edge Bike Shop (the starting point for a popular San Diego Saturday morning group ride) and trains full time.   

With plans to race in this year's 5 race Dannon Duathlon Series and the Duathlon World Championship, Paul has given up caffeine and alcohol.  About his former racing days, Paul says "I was doing performance de-enhancing drugs (alcohol and caffeine).  But now I have the nutrition down." 

He is now religiously following his old workout schedules that he used while he was being coached by Joel Thompson.  His first competition since he started training again was the Carlsbad 5000 running race, where he ran a 14:59.  Paul's first duathlon will be the 5k/30k/5k Dannon Arlington Duathlon on April 25.  duathlon.com will have complete coverage of that race.