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Athletes ready for Ironman Canada

Seven Whistler athletes will be on the start line for this year’s race

Like many of the world’s biggest athletic challenges, the Ironman triathlon began over a few beers with a dare.

One evening during an award party for a running event, a Navy man by the name of John Collins got into a debate with other athletes during the after about who was in better shape, runners, swimmers or cyclists. To put his theories to the test, he proposed a race that would link the Waikiki Rough Water Swim to a bike ride around the island, and the Honolulu Marathon Course.

He seized the microphone from the announcer, and presented his challenge to the crowd – whoever finished the course first would earn the title of Ironman.

On Feb. 18, 1978 a group of 15 competitors turned out to take the challenge. Eleven of them finished the race, including Collins.

Having only lost $25 organizing the first challenge, Collins decided to host another race the following year. Although only 15 competitors turned out that year, the event attracted the attention of Sports Illustrated and ABC Sports.

Today, Ironman is widely regarded as one of the toughest races on the planet – the toughest to compete in and the toughest to get into, with events around the world frequently selling out.

Ironman Canada, which takes place this Sunday (Aug. 29) in Penticton, is one of those events. In addition, because the event is only one of a few qualifiers for the Ironman Championships in Kona, Hawaii, athletes come to the event from all over North America and Europe. Less than a day after one Ironman ends, you can often find the competitors back in line to register for next year’s race.

This year seven Whistler athletes will take part in the event, swimming 3.86 kilometres (2.4 miles), cycling 180.2 km (112 miles) and running a full marathon of 42.2 km (26.2 miles). Some are competing to finish, while others are hoping to better their previous results. One local competitor is hoping to qualify for the world championships in Hawaii.

Christine Cogger is one of Whistler’s first-time Ironman competitors. In fact, this is her first ever triathlon.

"I was always planning on doing an Ironman, and this year things just worked out for me – I had the spare time, and a flexible schedule, so I jumped into it," said Cogger, who is competing in the 25-29 age group.

"That’s only part of the reason. I saw the event on television last year, and I said I’m going to do it, so I’m doing it."

Cogger has been in training since last November, working out with the Masters Swim Club and local trainer Val Burke. Still, she has spent most of the time working out on her own.

"It’s a much bigger time commitment than I anticipated, but it’s been really enjoyable. Part of me is looking forward to getting my life back when it’s all over, and not having to worry about getting out for six hour bike rides and three hour runs."

Cogger’s goal is to finish the race "before the sun goes down". She has run several marathons and has ridden bikes competitively, and says she is not worried about either leg of the event. What worries her most is the swimming, beginning with the mass start of more than 2,300 athletes.

"Probably the biggest challenge for me will be staying calm in the water with all those people, that’s the part I’m least comfortable with," she said. "It’s only just over an hour, so it’s not the biggest deal in a race this long. I plan to start at the back of the field and out to the sides. If I have to swim an extra 500 metres just to get a little space, I’m fine with that.

"I really don’t know what to expect, which is kind of scary. But I’ll have friends and family there on the sidelines support me, and all the people from Whistler, so that should help a lot. Everybody has been great, and the community here is so supportive."

Grace and John Blok are not new to Ironman – John has completed the race three times already and Grace started the swim event last year, but was unable to continue. But while the race is the same, their goals are different.

Last year, still relatively new to long-distance swimming, Grace was just hoping to finish her first Ironman. Now, one year and countless trips to the pool and our local lakes later, she is actually hoping to meet a few personal time goals this weekend.

"I don’t know if I’m being realistic or not, but I do have a timeframe in mind, and some things I hope to do and I’m going to go for them," said Grace.

"This year I feel more confident, more determined to have fun, and I’m trying not to worry about it as much – trying.

"I definitely feel better about my swimming as well, and I’m quite optimistic. I’m not fast, but I’ve been consistent, and I know I can get across the lake."

Although her husband John inspired her and supported her through training, Grace has her own reasons to get through the race.

"I guess it’s a goal I thought I could never accomplish, but steadily over the past five years I’ve accomplished other goals that I didn’t think I could do, so I’m going to try to accomplish this one too. It goes back to when I had cancer five years ago, and thanking God that I still have the opportunity do things like this. Now I just want to do everything that I can," she said.

Having a veteran Ironman athlete in the house has been helpful so far, and John has been her strongest supporter as well as her training partner.

"I probably wouldn’t do anything like this without him. He’s a constant source of motivation for me, convincing me to keep moving when I’m tired or I don’t think I can go on, and you do have those days when you’re training for something like this," said Grace.

John turned 50 this year, and is hoping to better his time of 11 hours and 7 minutes from last year’s Ironman.

"I’ve been faster mountain biking this year, so I’m hoping the bike leg will be faster too," he said. On the swim he says he’s "slightly faster" as well, and hopes to cut his time down to 10:45.

Still, he’s most worried about the swim event. "There will be a large smile on my face once I get out of the water and onto my bike, that’s for sure. You never really get used to being in the water with all those people kicking you and knocking your goggles off," he said.

His first year, when he ran into the water with the most competitive group, he was actually run over by faster swimmers.

Last year that time would have been good enough to make the world championships, another goal for this year’s race, but he knows he’ll have his work cut out for him. "You never know what the field is going to be like. In my category 66 people all just turned 50, and they’re from 10 different countries – mostly the U.S., but also places like Belgium and Denmark – all of them trying to do the same thing I’m doing," John said.

With the weather report not looking too good for this weekend, with cloudy skies and rain in the forecast, John knows he’s lost a competitive advantage over other athletes in his age category – the heat doesn’t affect him too much. In fact, The hotter it is the better he does.

"I don’t have a problem if I have to compete in the cold, but I think 35 degrees (Celsius) would be a perfect temperature," he said.

Marla Zucht has competed in marathons and Olympic distance triathlons in the past, and the Ironman was always on her to-do list. After going to Penticton last year as a spectator, she was inspired to go for it.

"You can’t go there and watch the event without being inspired, it’s just an amazing race," she said. "Standing on the sidelines you get caught up in it, and say to yourself ‘I think I can do that’. Above that, it’s a personal challenge for me, a goal I could strive for.

"I’ve always gravitated towards endurance sports, with marathons, triathlons, long bike races, and this seemed like the next challenge for me."

She has a group of about 15 people coming to Penticton to cheer her on, including family members and friends from Whistler and Vancouver, which will help her get through the tough spots, she says.

"I don’t feel nervous right now, but as soon as I pull into Penticton the butterflies will probably start to kick in. Then you have to do the body marking, and get your transitions ready, and before you know it you’re standing on the beach listening to the national anthem – by then I’ll probably be nervous," said Zucht.

Her goal is just to finish the race, but she’s hoping for a time in the 12-hour range. She says her training has gone well up to this point, and feels ready to go.

"Of course you never know what to expect, or how your body is going to react to all the stress you’re putting on it, but right now I feel pretty good," she said.

If it rains this weekend she says she’s most concerned about the bike leg, and what could happen with slick tires on a wet road. She’s also worried about mechanical break-downs – if something goes wrong with her bike during the estimated six hour ride nobody is allowed to assist her.

When it’s all over, Zucht is looking forward to taking some time off training before getting back into it. She says she’ll probably focus more on "shorter" events – like marathons and Olympic triathlons.

"It really takes a whole year to get ready for this, and while it seems like you have all the time in the world to get ready when you sign up, it sneaks up on you. It’s been an awesome experience, training for something like this, but I’m looking forward to having a few weeks where the alarm doesn’t go off at 6 a.m. and I have to decide whether to go running or swimming," she said.

Paul Nicholas is heading into his sixth Ironman hoping to break the 10 hour mark and qualify for Hawaii this year.

"Of course everybody goes down there thinking the same thing, but that’s a goal I would love to do," he said.

"The competition will be pretty tough, so would have to do it under 10 hours, and my time last year was 10:07, so we’ll see how it goes."

To shave off time, Nicholas has been focusing more on his biking and running. As the longest events, it will be easier to make up time that way, he says.

"I could have spent all winter in the pool, and would have only shaved a minute or so off my time, so I’ve been going for long rides and runs, and BRICKS – that’s a long ride followed by a long run." BRICK is a triathlete’s acronym for Bike-Run-Ick. Instead of two or three rides and runs a week, Nicholas tried to get out four or five days.

Living in a community that’s filled with triathletes makes it easier to get that kind of training, he says because there’s always someone around to train with. It also means that there is usually a lot of support on the sidelines during the races, which he says pushes you to go faster.

Why does he do it?

"Because it’s there I guess," said Nicholas. "I enjoy the training, and the race demands that you train all year. It gets you motivated in those dark winter moths to get out and do something, go to the gym, go running. There are worse habits to have, that’s for sure."

Nicholas doesn’t know what to expect from his competition, but instead will focus on his own race.

"You never know," he said. "Some people who are new to the race are awesome, and others you beat the year before can come back a year later and really surprise. That’s one of the great things about this race, the fact that everybody is motivated by different goals."

Whistler’s other Ironman hopefuls are local chef Ian Goard and Greg Sandkuhl. Squamish’s Mae Palm will be in her fourth consecutive Ironman as well.

If you can’t make it to Penticton to cheer on your athletes, you can follow the race online at www.ironmanlive.com.