SYRACUSE -- Ironman makes a visit to Central New York this Sunday but you won’t find this blockbuster playing in local theaters. Triathletes from Syracuse to around the world will travel through water, over hills and descend on upon the Inner Harbor using three modes of transportation in a race against the clock. Some call it the ultimate test of physical fitness, for me it’s more of a mid-life crisis minus a sports car.
Athletes will race in the three disciplines of swimming, bicycling and running, to cover a distance of 70.3 miles. At the 7am firing of the starting gun, they will swim 1.2 miles in the Jamesville Beach Reservoir. Up next comes what I consider the most grueling part of the day, a 56 mile bike through the hills of Onondaga, Madison and Cortland counties. Finish the day off with a 13.1 mile run from Jamesville Beach Park to the Syracuse Inner Harbor for a huge post race celebration.
First up Sunday morning will be the professionals, with my swim wave starting about 15 minutes later. Top competitors will cover the distance in around 4 hours. There are plenty of locations to view racers and cheer them on along the course. Be aware lane restrictions and road closures are planned along the course. If you want to find out more about race details, or even still sign up, check out the Syracuse 70.3 Ironman website here.
I’ll officially become a triathlete this Sunday when, not if, I cross the finish line. Never in my life have I trained so long and so hard for a single sporting event. A big thank you goes out to my wife and family for the support through it all. This crazy journey all began close to one year ago when I heard Syracuse was getting a 70.3 Ironman race. After dabbling in some running races the past few years, something in my head told me I had to do this race. I want to prove to others, and most importantly to myself, that I still have that competitive, weekend warrior in me.
I’ve never excelled in any of the three sports, having a bit of history in each. Biking turned out to be my favorite and strongest discipline. I have quite a long history of racing BMX bicycles, up until I retired back in 2004 due to my many crashes and following concussions. I’ve never owned a road bicycle. Santa brought me a nice shiny new one last Christmas and since then I’ve logged a lot of miles on it. A lot of running completed too. The swim portion will be the death of me as I haven’t hit the water nearly enough. But I’m sure that I am prepared enough to conquer this challenge. A bought with pneumonia in the middle of the summer, my supposed peak training, sidelined me for three weeks. What’s my goal? It’s now just to finish, finish strong with my head held high and a smile on my face. My results will be far from contending. I’m not concerned with that other than helping my family locate me Sunday. The best result of all my training has been the weight loss. Close to 30 pounds in 12 months, yeah!
Good luck to all the Central New Yorkers who are competing along side me. If you see me on the course, or better yet at the post race refreshment tent, say hello. Do you have an Ironman story to tell? Have you completed a 70.3 or even full ironman race before? Leave a comment below this story. We’d love to share it with others.
