In the sport of triathlon three is never a crowd
Bv Kathryn Anderson, Jayplay writer
On the last leg of the race, he's not thinking much, only about the finish line. He calls this "The Zone." He runs a mental check: Legs. Posture. Cadance. All good. "Does anything hurt?" he asks himself. Well, yes. Everything hurts. This is, after all, a triathlon. He looks for a buddy, a distraction, somebody to help block the noise
of his body, screaming at him to stop. But he won't stop until the finish line is behind him. Todd Beauford was the kid who never made the "A" team, and next summer he'll run the Ironman Triathlon.
He looks the part. At 6 feet 2 inches and 180 pounds, his stats are ideal for a triathlete. He'd know. Although Beaufort is a rookie in the Ironman, he's a seasoned triathlon veteran. It was 10 years ago that Beaufort trained for his first race.
"All the people who
said I'd never be good enough can't touch me in this," he says.
The sport of triathlon, called both grueling and inspiring, attracts all kinds of people. Today, there is a race suitable for everyone regardless of experience, gender,
The sport of triathlon grew quickly. This year, USA Triathlon, the sport's governing body, has 60,000 members. Five years ago it had 21,500 members, which roughly equals the number of members who are currently competing in the 30 to 39 age group alone. Participation in the popular, all-women's Danskin Triathlon has increased by 69 percent since 2000, according to its Web site.Worldwide, there are 150 national triathlon federations that are united by the International Triathlon Union.
skill or age. Anybody can be a triathlete, even you. That is, of course, if you are up for the training.
By the numbers
Beauford, like many triathletes, is his own best competition, regardless of the number of people competing in a race. But the races are becoming more crowded. The sport of triathlon is more popular than ever, thanks to the adventurous masses of sinewy athletes who find three events far superior to one.
More than 1,200 men and women tread water near shore. Some wear wetsuits. All heads are capped and goggled. In a split second, everybody is moving. From a bird's-eye view, the murky green of the
An ironman race uses...
600 bottles of sunscreen
12,825 bananas
140,000 pounds of ice
5,000: number of people racing in the Accenture Chicago Triathlon, 2004's biggest race
9: how many hours it took to fill entries for this Saturday's Ironman race
2000: the year that triathlon debuted as an Olympic event
7231: USA Triathlon memberships in California.
lake transforms to frothy white. Pumping arms and legs punctuate the turbulent churning water.This is how the triathlon begins. When it ends, competitors have swam, pedaled then finished on foot a race designed to honor the fittest of the fit. And it takes fitness to swim, bike and run across miles of water and terrain in only a matter of hours.
Beauford says the swim start is nuts. "For some reason, that 3:30 a.m. wakeup call doesn't bother me on raceday."
As a strong swimmer, Beauford makes sure to be in the water first. Weaker swimmers, he explains, should stay in the back. When he encounters slow-pokes Beauford does not hesitate to pull them under by the ankle. It sounds brutal, but Beauford says it's necessary.
in the beginning. He trained with his best friend Mark, who was a natural in the water. Eventually, Beauford defeated him. Smiling, he described Mark at the finish line, bent over at the waist coughing up phlegm and looking at him hatefully. The two remain friends, but no
Beauford was the weaker swimmer
scribes the race. Competitors swim a little under half a mile, bike 12.4 miles and run another three. The sprint's short distance is relative.
The three recognized triathlon formats vary from extremely challenging to seemingly impossible. The shortest triathlon is a sprint. The word "sprint" loosely de-
longer compete together. Beauford races with his team, Bike Source Multisport.
The Olympic distance triathlon is the sport's standard course, named for the distance covered by triathletes competing in the Olympic games. Competitors race against others in their age groups. These athletes can be as young as 16. The Olympic distance race covers 32 miles of water and ground. Participants complete a.9-mile swim, a 24.8-mile bike and a 6.2-mile run. The top triathletes take about two hours to finish.
Try it
Thanks to the nearly exponential growth of the sport, variations on the triathlon accommodate those who are interested in multi-sport, but are intimidated by the sheer length of the traditional triathlon. The duathon combines just two elements: running and biking.The aquathon requires just swimming and running.
The longest race, and the most publicized, is the Ironman triathlon. Athletes competing for the prestigious title of Ironman start the day with a 2.4-mile ocean swim. Back on land they bike a 112-mile course, followed by a full marathon — 26.2 miles. Competitors have 17 hours — from 7 a.m. to midnight — to complete the 140-mile course. Participants must be 18 or older to compete for the Ironman title.
There are ironman races on every continent except Antarctica. Approximately
Topeka Tinman Triathlon & Duathon June 17,2006,7:30 a.m. Lake Shawnee in Topeka Entry fees: $41-$50 Offers duathon, long and short course triathlons
Visit www.topekatinman.com for more information.
22,000 people internationally will have competed in one of the 18 ironman races by the end of this year. Almost 30 years ago the race involved only 15 men, navy seals stationed in Hawaii who wondered which athletes were the fittest in the world: swimmers, cyclists or runners.
Navy commander John Collins thought there was only one way to find out. Combine all three.The winner, those 15 decided, would be crowned Ironman.
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