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| SportsSunday, August 26, 2007 7:49 PM CDT |
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Sweet hopes training will pay off in triathlon
NORMAL — The road to an Ironman triathlon for Andy Sweet has been as unique as the competition itself. While recovering from a broken neck he suffered in a mountain-biking accident, Sweet watched his brother, Chris, compete in an Ironman. The sight of his brother challenging himself in a grueling competition sparked Sweet’s interest. “I thought to myself, ‘Well, I can do this,’ ” Sweet said. He suddenly had a change of heart. “At the time, I had no interest in running, no interest in road biking,” he said. Now, he can’t seem to stop. For four years, the 25-year-old Metamora native has pushed himself to the limit in a competition that tests a person’s stamina, physical characteristics and mental strength. Sweet, who will compete in his fourth Ironman on Sept. 9 in Madison, Wis., believes his sudden infatuation with the Ironman came from watching his brother five years ago. “I had a change in mindset when that happened,” said Sweet, who will compete with 25 other Bloomington-Normal residents. “I realized this is a great way, not only to stay in shape, but really to push the edge to what a human body can do.” The competition sure pushes the envelope. In one day, a competitor must swim 2.4 miles, then bike another 112. On top of that, it’s capped with a 26.2-mile marathon to finish the event. All told, a person will travel more than 140 miles in less than 24 hours, which certainly challenges the mind. “I think that’s the biggest thing for an Ironman — it’s the mental game,” said Sweet, a graduate assistant in Illinois State’s department of biological sciences. “You’d be amazed with the things that go through your head.” The three events are consecutive, meaning there is no break in between. To keep competitors nourished, several aid stations are set up on the bike and marathon routes. Sweet said water, Gatorade, bananas, grapes and energy bars are given to everyone to try to maintain hydration and nourishment. “Everyone does it a little different,” said Sweet, who drinks a customized energy drink designed specifically for him. In order to compete, you must register at least a year in advance. With 12 months to prepare, the grind of training appears to be the most challenging part of the experience. “By far and away the training is harder physically than the race itself,” said Sweet, who hopes to drop his time under 10 hours this year. “A lot of people train five or six months just to run a marathon. Now you throw in riding 112 miles and swimming for 2.4 miles.” Still, when you cross that finish line, the months of training and the physical and mental strain on the body are suddenly rewarded with the completion of something few experience. “It’s absolutely the most amazing feeling in the world,” said Sweet, who will compete with his brother and fiancée, Heather. “There’s no one word or sentence that can explain how it is to cross that finish line.” What is your game? “Our Games” runs Mondays in the Pantagraph. Its stories will focus on the games that we play and on those who play them. If you have a story idea, contact the sports department at sports@pantagraph.com or (309) 829-9000. Get area high school sports scores and statistics at Varsity Sports. E-mail this story | Print this story | Search archives | RSS Show comments |  Hide comments | Hide comments on all stories |
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Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.
Lance wrote on Aug 27, 2007 12:01 PM:
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