“Anyone can do an Ironman triathlon.” When you meet Owen Martin, you understand why he says that. While the self-employed father of two teenagers is trim, his physique doesn’t inspire you to check if a superhero suit hides under his collar. He has a quiet but warm smile, and doesn’t attract stares in the coffee shop in town where we meet. He’s just an ordinary guy. Yet as you speak to him, the realisation dawns that there’s a lot of depth to the friendly Dundalk man. We need to put a qualifier to the ‘anyone’ in his statement.
An Ironman triathlon means you swim 2.4 miles, cycle 112 miles, then run more than 26 miles. Owen has done this six times. He became interested in the sport when he got to know Johnny McCabe, a veteran triathlete. Owen tried Camlough Sprint tri, liked the experience, and aimed for more. After building up his fitness over time, he tackled his first Ironman in Austria in 2005.
“There’s a good buzz,” he says of the atmosphere at the Ironman Germany, which took place on 4 July 2010. “It’s like a festival.” With Owen and his fellow Dundalk triathletes Liam Dolan, Robbie Caraher, Barry Rafferty and Mark Rafferty among almost 3 000 athletes descending on Frankfurt for the event, you can believe it. This specific Ironman is considered relatively flat, though some participants were dismayed to find the course more demanding than they’d anticipated. “It’s more accurate to say it’s flatter rather than just flat.” A route that’s not hilly means competitors push for greater speed, which makes the race more challenging.
An even greater difficulty was the strength-draining high temperature, especially on the run. Wetsuits, which lend a swimmer more buoyancy and adds to speed, were also not allowed. On top of that, the bike course was extended by five kilometres. That’s not a lot, compared to the length of the cycle leg, but when you’re pushing your body to such extremes, every straw adds weight to the proverbial camel’s back. This triathlon therefore posed its own set of unique challenges, as each of them does. Even so, Owen finished a magnificent 52nd overall, ninth in his age group. This performance won him a place in the sought-after Triathlon World Championship in Hawaii in October 2010.
The people who complete an Ironman are mostly not guys with perfect bodies and honed six-packs. One of the athletes in Frankfurt was 74 years old. No, the ‘anyone’ Owen refers to are those ordinary folk like you and me who put their mind to the goal and do what it takes to get there. “I think if you put in an hour’s training a day you could complete an Ironman. Of course, you can’t start training in March and expect to compete in August. You’d have to build your fitness up over time.” A triathlon coach can be a great help, but many athletes believe it’s best to work out your own training programme. Owen himself trains sixteen to seventeen hours a week, on average.
Putting time into training is not the only sacrifice you need to make. Certain lifestyle changes are inevitable. For instance, a few pints at the pub is no longer on the schedule. You must be sure to get enough rest: adequate recovery is as important as adequate exercise. Your head needs to be in the right space. “I’d say doing an Ironman is about 45% physical, and 55% mental.” You need to prepare your thoughts as much as your body.
So yes, anyone can do an Ironman. Anyone who’s medically fit to exercise, who is prepared to pay the cost required. And the returns on this physical, mental and financial investment? Intense satisfaction that’s hard to describe. Owen has sworn as he neared many a finish line, drained in body and mind, that he’d never put himself through such an ordeal again. “Minutes later,” he says with a grin, “you’re already planning the next one.”
Can we call it an addiction? Probably. But you’ll find me in line for the next high.
