Wanted: Ironmen

The Road to the 2004 Australian Ironman Triathlon:

Rydges Capricorn Half Ironman, Yeppon, August 27, 55 qualifying posn Cairns Half Ironman, September 7, 35 qualifying posn Gold Coast Half Ironman, October 5, 100 qualifying posn Forster Tuncurry Half Ironman, November 16, 250 qualifying posn Shepparton Half Ironman, VIC, November 23, 100 qualifying posn Marina St Vincent Half Ironman, SA, November 30, 25 qualifying posn Canberra Half Ironman, ACT, December 14, 250 qualifying posn Tasmania Half Ironman January 18, 2004, 15 qualifying posn

The upcoming Ironman season is rapidly approaching and some of the toughest sportsmen in the ADF ready themselves to take up the challenge.

Ask yourself do you have what it takes to be an Ironman? Can you swim 3.8 km, cycle 180 km and run 42 km in less than 15 1/2 hours?

How much training as an individual do you undertake?

Most members in the ADF will do less than two hours of specific sports training per week.

Most triathletes will train for in excess of 20 hours per week, to prepare themselves to undertake the grueling season of Ironmen qualifying races which will be held all over Australia.

The Ironmen and Ironwomen will complete six months of training just to get to the qualifying race. Their daily training consists of swimming every day, cycling down a lonely highway at 7 am on a Sunday morning in seven degrees Celsius and pounding mile after mile on the tread mills.

The distance for the qualifying Ironman races are 1.9km swim, 90 km cycle and 21 km run. For most athletes this is the hardest part, just being able to qualify for the Australian Ironman.

With qualifying times continuing to plummet over the years, competitors in every age group now need to record a sub 5-hr race just to pick up the last position available.

This means that you must swim the 1.9 km in around 30 min, cycle the 90 km in around 2 hr 40 and run the 21 km inaround 1 hr 40.

Sounds easy? Well get out there and try it some day. Sure some people can do those times on different days, but try and put them all together in one race and see how you go.

By the time you get to the run your legs are falling off as you struggle to run at a meager 6-min km pace even though your mind is saying that you can easily run at a sub 5-min pace.

This is what being an Ironman is all about, pushing your body to its limits and then some more. It’s a matter of mind over body, the drive to cross the finish line at all costs.

In 2003 the ADF had 35 members compete in the Australian Ironman, with one member qualifying for the greatest race of all, the Hawaiian Ironman.

If you are looking for the ultimate challenge in your life the Australian Ironman Qualifier Series is for you.

With the help of our newest sponsor Mincom, ASTA is fully committed to providing our ADO members an opportunity to race the longer distance triathlon’s without the financial burden that comes with the Australian Ironman series.

It also provides those members who would like to compete, but are hesitant in undertaking the distance as an individual, the opportunity to compete as a team member.

It is the team’s events that ASTA sees as the real growth area, as team members often become individual competitors.

ASTA is throwing out the challenge to members to put together the best team they can and take on the best ADF individuals. Historically teams usually struggle to beat the individuals.

The ADO Long Course Championships will be held on October 17 at Sydney International Regatta Centre, Penrith, with the distances being a 1.9km swim, 70km cycle and 15km run.

The event is open to all ADF members Regular, Reserve and all Defence Public servants and has no entry fee.

For further information on qualifying races contact WO2 Greg Young at email address greg.young2@defence.gov.au

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