Iron wills
Pulse editor
Sunday, November 16, 2008
A 2.4-mile ocean swim, a 112-mile bike race and a 26.2-mile run are challenging enough for most triathletes. But for those who participate in the Ford Ironman World Championship, an added challenge is competing in Hawaii, where swimmers battle waves; cyclists peddle though lava fields, where temperatures can reach 105 degrees F; and runners race along a coast road buffeted by trade winds of up to 45 miles per hour.
It sounds like a superhuman feat, even for lifelong triathletes. But every year, people with day jobs and families feel compelled to challenge themselves and train for the competition. After grueling a qualifying process, only the best of the best in their age groups make it to Hawaii.
BARRY WILLIAMS / Special
Malissa Piersol, clinical manager in the oncology unit at Piedmont Hospital, finished 21st in her age group at the Ford Ironman World Championship in Hawaii. She rides her bicycle 9½ miles to work five days a week.
Photo courtesy of Andy Meyer
Andy Meyer had some bad luck during the cycling stage of the Ford Ironman World Championship. ‘Things weren’t going the way I wanted, but I knew there was no way I could get on that plane and not be a finisher,’ he said.
This year, a nurse from Atlanta and a physical therapist from Cohutta were among those who proved they were made of iron and competed in the Ford Ironman World Championship on Oct. 11.
Malissa Piersol, RN
A nurse for 23 years, Malissa Piersol is the clinical manager in the oncology unit at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta. She works five days a week, yet manages to train daily for triathlon competitions.
This year’s event was Piersol’s fourth time competing in the Ford Ironman World Championships; she also participated in 1994, 1995 and 2000.
Nobody would have foreseen her becoming a triathlete when she was a child.
“I was never really that competitive a person,” she said. “I used to skip PE in school and hide out in the girl’s room.
“I started running after my second child was born, because I had gained 57 pounds. My first race was a 10-mile challenge and I realized I could do more.”
That experience led to more races.
“I entered my first triathlon for a laugh, but a woman beat me by just a little bit,” said Piersol, so she began training in earnest.
“I try and do something every day,” she said.
She sold her car and cycles 9½ miles one way from her Grant Park home to Piedmont Hospital. At lunch, she swims or lifts weights at a health club. Several nights a week and on weekends, she runs 5 to 10 miles with neighborhood running groups.
Piersol, who has competed in about 20 ironman events, won the Louisville Triathlon on Aug. 31.
“I won at 12 hours and 10 minutes, and realized I only had six weeks to train for the championship, but I had frequent flyer miles, so decided I’d go [to Hawaii],” Piersol said.
Despite a cracked wrist from a bike accident and a trip to the medical tent for depleted sodium levels, Piersol finished the Hawaii event in 13 hours, 6 minutes, 54 seconds, which was good for 21st place in her age group.
Piersol, 51, wants to break 12 hours and to compete into her 60s and 70s.
“It keeps you young and I like doing it, but it’s also a way of giving back,” Piersol said. “I like talking to patients and inspiring [them] to get physical.
“People’s usual response is ‘Are you crazy?’ but then they’ll tell me that if I can do that, they could at least start walking.”
Nursing can also be a feat of endurance, Piersol said. She believes that her exercise regimen gives her more energy on the job and reduces stress.
“I don’t always feel like riding my bike to work, but I’m always glad I did it,” she said. “It wakes you up and clears your head.”
Andy Meyer, PT
A physical therapist for 20 years, Meyer runs his own consulting business. Meyer, who ran track at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga in the early 80s, was running in short races when his brother talked him into competing in a triathlon in 2003.
“I did it in 11 hours and was immediately hooked. I signed up the next day for the following year,” said Meyer, 46.
He finished 16th in his age group in his first try, so Meyer challenged himself to do better. The next year at the Ford Ironman Florida in Panama City, he placed eighth with a time of about 10 hours.
This year, he came in under 9½ hours — among the top five qualifying times in his 45 to 49 age group — to earn a spot in Hawaii.
With the support of his wife, Karen, and their three sons, Meyer has developed an ironman lifestyle.
“She makes as many sacrifices as I do,” he said.
When Meyer is in training, he’s awake at 5 a.m. to swim at Chickamauga Dam or at a wellness center in Dalton. He works out at lunchtime and after work; eats plenty of carbohydrates, protein and fruit; and is in bed by about 8:30 p.m. He’ll run for one to 3½ hours and cycle for one to six hours several times a week.
“You can burn an extra 15,000 to 18,000 calories doing a triathlon, so good nutrition is a part of training,” Meyer said.
Meyer’s first championship competition in Hawaii this year wasn’t ideal.
“My heart-rate monitor quit working halfway through the bike race,” Meyer said. “Without that, you’re just guessing about your pace.
“I hadn’t counted on the extreme heat. My bike had a couple of flats and the winds blew me off the road a couple of times.”
His time was 12:35:40, but he finished the race.
“Things weren’t going the way I wanted, but I knew there was no way I could get on that plane and not be a finisher. I didn’t want to disappoint my family or myself,” he said.
Meyer believes that physical endurance and perseverance improve his performance at work.
“When I have a big project, competing has taught me to look at the overall goal and then take it one step at a time” he said. “If you stick to it, you’ll get through it.
“A triathlon is like a microcosm of life — you learn to stay with it through the good times and bad, and [to] keep fighting.”