Glenn Goes for the Ironman to help fight Hepatitis
I did it! I am an Ironman. Ich im ein Ironman. 15 hours, 37 minutes, and 6 seconds.
Check out all my photos at:
Ironbrat Photos
My whole Ironman experience has been an amazing journey for me. It was just one of those things that I wanted to do at least once in my lifetime since I started competing in triathlons in 1997. Like for many, the training and the events leading up to the event have been as important as the day itself. Part of my journey included raising money for the Asian Liver Center at Stanford where I was able to help fundraise over $4000.
For those who are not familiar with them, the Ironman is a triathlon consisting of the following events in this order done all on the same day within 16 hours: 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bicycle ride, and 26.2 mile run. There are many of these around the country and the world but the ultimate race is in Kona, Hawaii in October where all the top finishers from the other Ironman events around the world (along with some “lucky” lottery winners) compete to see who is the Ironman World Champion.
I decided to take part in the Ironman Switzerland in Zurich which took place on July 17, 2005. I chose this course because of the scenery and the date of the event. I was training with a group that called themselves the Ironbrats who mostly did the Ironman Germany in Frankfurt the week before.
Zurich was very clean. Not too much excitement but it was good because my focus there was the Ironman and not much more. There were some social events organized by the race committee so it was nice to see how the Europeans celebrate and get ready for such an event.
The race day, I woke up around 4am. Not too difficult because of the excitement and the preparation of my food for the morning and the rest of the day. I had also spent the previous week in Europe to get used to the time difference. The race started at 7am without any major incidents. Just a few shaky moments where I was getting seasick and people bumping into me repeatedly since they were not navigating the course well. However, the mass start of 1400+ athletes in Lake Zurich was a sight to see. I had never raced with such a large group. Shorter distance races usually start the swimmers in waves.
I finished the 2.4 mile swim around Lake Zurich at 1 hour and 32 minutes. Not too bad. Just around the time I expected.
I then started on the bike course which consisted of 3 loops around the city of Zurich. What I failed to realize was that this was one of the toughest bike courses in the Ironman races. I knew there would be hills and I am able to train on them in San Francisco but the mental challenge of doing the 3 loops along with the thought of running a marathon after the 112 mile bike ride took its toll on me on the second half of my bicycle journey. Good thing that I saw my partner Johnny during the bike ride on one of the hills cheering me on but I knew I had much more to go. The challenge for the day was the heat. It reached 100 degrees that day and there was no wind so that added to my fatigue. I drank as much Powerade and Accelerade (sport drinks) and even took in electrolyte tablets but I think I still fell short of my nutritional needs. I also ate plenty of carbohydrates during my 8+ hours on the bike but probably not enough for what I would need on the run.
I finished the 112 mile bike course at 8 hours and 6 minutes. I’m not too happy with the time but given the weather conditions and hills (approximately 5000 feet of climbing), I’ll take it. Besides, my combined swim and bike so far was under the 10 hours I needed to remain in the competition. It was close but I’ll take it.
The marathon started off great. My legs felt wonderful and my first mile was at about the pace I expected. However, my body started to feel tired and lacked some fuel to keep me going. I kept at a run/walk pace just so I could finish the marathon in less than 6 hours. My previous best marathon time was around 4:26 so that was my goal but that was definitely out of reach since I had just swam and biked for 10 hours.
The run consisted of 4 loops around Lake Zurich. It was great since there were plenty of spectators cheering us on. I encountered an issue after my 2nd loop. I was mis-directed and ended up going through the finish chute with 13 miles to go on the run. This definitely stressed me out since I thought I could get disqualified. However, I was easily rerouted back to the run course happy to be running again where I continued my run/walk pace. My partner Johnny was there the entire run encouraging me. I could not done it without his encouragement. I finished the run at 5 hours and 41 minutes.
My overall time was 15 hours, 37 minutes, and 5 seconds. Comfortably under the 16 hour cutoff which relieved me. Crossing the finish line was amazing as hundreds of people cheered me and the rest of the racers on in the dark night. I was even able to bring out some dance moves at the end.
Now that I’m finished, the common question is “Would you do one again?” I don’t plan on it in the near future but I really enjoyed the challenge and the lifestyle of being so fit. However, it is a 6-9 month commitment that competes with the rest of your life: family, friends, work, and other interests. So the short answer is I don’t know. I wouldn’t rule it out but for now, at least I can say…”I am an Ironman!”
However, this was not an individual event since I could not have done it without the support and encouragement of my family, friends, and teammates at SF Triathlon Club. My client and project teammates at Westaff have also been supportive and understanding of my flexible work schedule I needed while training and sent me positive thoughts while I was in Europe for the race.
Updated Training Statistics through 7/8/05
Training time: 326 hours
Swim Distance: 94+ miles
Bike Distance: 1450 miles
Run Distance: 512 miles
A few years ago, I didn't think that I could ever accomplish this goal because the hepatitis that had been laying dormant in my body since childhood had surfaceced as chronic hepatitis. I've been lucky as the combination therapy that I've been on for the past 2 years has been successful in suppressing the virus.
In order to spread the word about hepatitis and to help fight its spreading, I have selected the Asian Liver Center as my beneficiary. 100% of your donations will go to the Asian Liver Center. I am paying for all the training, registration, and travel expenses to compete in Zurich in 2005. Thanks to all those frequent flier and hotel points I've earned over the past few years.
The Asian Liver Center at Stanford University is the only non-profit organization in the United States that addresses the high incidence of hepatitis B and liver cancer in Asians and Asian-Americans. Founded in 1996, the center uses a three-pronged approach towards fighting hepatitis B through outreach, education, and research. Specifically, the Asian Liver Center spearheads educational outreach and advocacy efforts in the areas of hepatitis B and liver cancer prevention and treatment, serves as a resource for both the general public and health practitioners, and implements clinical and research programs.
Click for more on the Asian Liver Center:
Asian Liver Center
Click for more on IronMan Switzerland:
IronMan Switzerland
Check out all my photos at:
Ironbrat Photos
My whole Ironman experience has been an amazing journey for me. It was just one of those things that I wanted to do at least once in my lifetime since I started competing in triathlons in 1997. Like for many, the training and the events leading up to the event have been as important as the day itself. Part of my journey included raising money for the Asian Liver Center at Stanford where I was able to help fundraise over $4000.
For those who are not familiar with them, the Ironman is a triathlon consisting of the following events in this order done all on the same day within 16 hours: 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bicycle ride, and 26.2 mile run. There are many of these around the country and the world but the ultimate race is in Kona, Hawaii in October where all the top finishers from the other Ironman events around the world (along with some “lucky” lottery winners) compete to see who is the Ironman World Champion.
I decided to take part in the Ironman Switzerland in Zurich which took place on July 17, 2005. I chose this course because of the scenery and the date of the event. I was training with a group that called themselves the Ironbrats who mostly did the Ironman Germany in Frankfurt the week before.
Zurich was very clean. Not too much excitement but it was good because my focus there was the Ironman and not much more. There were some social events organized by the race committee so it was nice to see how the Europeans celebrate and get ready for such an event.
The race day, I woke up around 4am. Not too difficult because of the excitement and the preparation of my food for the morning and the rest of the day. I had also spent the previous week in Europe to get used to the time difference. The race started at 7am without any major incidents. Just a few shaky moments where I was getting seasick and people bumping into me repeatedly since they were not navigating the course well. However, the mass start of 1400+ athletes in Lake Zurich was a sight to see. I had never raced with such a large group. Shorter distance races usually start the swimmers in waves.
I finished the 2.4 mile swim around Lake Zurich at 1 hour and 32 minutes. Not too bad. Just around the time I expected.
I then started on the bike course which consisted of 3 loops around the city of Zurich. What I failed to realize was that this was one of the toughest bike courses in the Ironman races. I knew there would be hills and I am able to train on them in San Francisco but the mental challenge of doing the 3 loops along with the thought of running a marathon after the 112 mile bike ride took its toll on me on the second half of my bicycle journey. Good thing that I saw my partner Johnny during the bike ride on one of the hills cheering me on but I knew I had much more to go. The challenge for the day was the heat. It reached 100 degrees that day and there was no wind so that added to my fatigue. I drank as much Powerade and Accelerade (sport drinks) and even took in electrolyte tablets but I think I still fell short of my nutritional needs. I also ate plenty of carbohydrates during my 8+ hours on the bike but probably not enough for what I would need on the run.
I finished the 112 mile bike course at 8 hours and 6 minutes. I’m not too happy with the time but given the weather conditions and hills (approximately 5000 feet of climbing), I’ll take it. Besides, my combined swim and bike so far was under the 10 hours I needed to remain in the competition. It was close but I’ll take it.
The marathon started off great. My legs felt wonderful and my first mile was at about the pace I expected. However, my body started to feel tired and lacked some fuel to keep me going. I kept at a run/walk pace just so I could finish the marathon in less than 6 hours. My previous best marathon time was around 4:26 so that was my goal but that was definitely out of reach since I had just swam and biked for 10 hours.
The run consisted of 4 loops around Lake Zurich. It was great since there were plenty of spectators cheering us on. I encountered an issue after my 2nd loop. I was mis-directed and ended up going through the finish chute with 13 miles to go on the run. This definitely stressed me out since I thought I could get disqualified. However, I was easily rerouted back to the run course happy to be running again where I continued my run/walk pace. My partner Johnny was there the entire run encouraging me. I could not done it without his encouragement. I finished the run at 5 hours and 41 minutes.
My overall time was 15 hours, 37 minutes, and 5 seconds. Comfortably under the 16 hour cutoff which relieved me. Crossing the finish line was amazing as hundreds of people cheered me and the rest of the racers on in the dark night. I was even able to bring out some dance moves at the end.
Now that I’m finished, the common question is “Would you do one again?” I don’t plan on it in the near future but I really enjoyed the challenge and the lifestyle of being so fit. However, it is a 6-9 month commitment that competes with the rest of your life: family, friends, work, and other interests. So the short answer is I don’t know. I wouldn’t rule it out but for now, at least I can say…”I am an Ironman!”
However, this was not an individual event since I could not have done it without the support and encouragement of my family, friends, and teammates at SF Triathlon Club. My client and project teammates at Westaff have also been supportive and understanding of my flexible work schedule I needed while training and sent me positive thoughts while I was in Europe for the race.
Updated Training Statistics through 7/8/05
Training time: 326 hours
Swim Distance: 94+ miles
Bike Distance: 1450 miles
Run Distance: 512 miles
A few years ago, I didn't think that I could ever accomplish this goal because the hepatitis that had been laying dormant in my body since childhood had surfaceced as chronic hepatitis. I've been lucky as the combination therapy that I've been on for the past 2 years has been successful in suppressing the virus.
In order to spread the word about hepatitis and to help fight its spreading, I have selected the Asian Liver Center as my beneficiary. 100% of your donations will go to the Asian Liver Center. I am paying for all the training, registration, and travel expenses to compete in Zurich in 2005. Thanks to all those frequent flier and hotel points I've earned over the past few years.
The Asian Liver Center at Stanford University is the only non-profit organization in the United States that addresses the high incidence of hepatitis B and liver cancer in Asians and Asian-Americans. Founded in 1996, the center uses a three-pronged approach towards fighting hepatitis B through outreach, education, and research. Specifically, the Asian Liver Center spearheads educational outreach and advocacy efforts in the areas of hepatitis B and liver cancer prevention and treatment, serves as a resource for both the general public and health practitioners, and implements clinical and research programs.
Click for more on the Asian Liver Center:
Asian Liver Center
Click for more on IronMan Switzerland:
IronMan Switzerland