by Shane Alton Eversfield
It’s Post-Race Day 3. The chaos inside the Team Zendurance Support Van has been dissolved, the bike case packed and shipped, and my occupancy at the enchanting Mermaids’ Temple has come to a sad but grateful close. The 22nd running of the 3-day UltraMan Triathlon finished up on Sunday 26 November, with the double marathon from Hawi to Kailua. We were gifted all three days with the most favorable weather conditions in the history of the race. In my 13-year residence here, I don’t ever recall a continuous overcast sky from Hawi to Kailua. The Gods were merciful with us. Nineteen of the 30+ starters finished the 3-day race in the allotted 12 hours per day.
The theme this year was “Rookie”, featuring the largest rookie field in the history of the race. (Uh, I guess the first year just might have had a higher percentage of rookies, but there weren’t too many ultra tri-geeks back then.) This was also the first time the race included a hand cycle athlete, John Maclean, who attempted to traverse the entire 324 miles around the Big Island with the power of his arms alone. While he did not complete the entire course on Day 2 (a 171.4-mile bike tour of the island’s south, east and northern coastline and a climb over the Kohala mountains into Hawi), it did not diminish anyone’s respect for his ikaika (courage). He was back on day 3 to complete the double marathon in 3 ½ hours. John, like the late Randy Caddell, is a true pioneer among handcycle athletes.
The true climax of the Rookie theme belongs to Jeff “Land Shark” Landauer, This year’s new world champion. He raced his first triathlon in April, and his first iron-distance in late summer. OK, he does have a stellar background in long-distance bike racing, finishing second this year at the Furnace Creek 508. But Jeff just took up swimming early this year, and made it through the 6.2 miles of open-ocean on Day 1, no problem.
Then there’s runner-up Navy SEAL Dave Goggins. UltraMan was his very first triathlon – and he did it on a borrowed bike! So much for respecting the seasoned vet. So much for starting with a sprint triathlon and building up. Dave says most of his physical training as a SEAL is power lifting and three 20-minute runs a week. I guess the rest of us have got it all wrong.
There was also a cast of illustrious veterans: Big Island resident Cory Faulk was back for the umpteenth time. This year Cory was sporting a new hip, replaced earlier this year. Cory was fresh off Hawaii Ironman, 5 weeks prior. Luubock Texan Shanna Armstrong succeeded in defending her UltraMan title this year, after racking up a RAM finish earlier in the summer. (RAM is a non-stop 3,000 mile bike race across America. Kinda makes UltraMan look like a stroll around the block.) My beloved friend Suzy Degazon was here for her 9th consecutive finish, after doing a triple Ironman in June and a double in October, along with many other races strung out through the year, like a long strand of pearls.
Yoshihiro Chijimatsu was back for his 16th(?) finish. Unfortunately he crashed on the descent from Volcano at the beginning of Day 2. I was riding with a small group just behind him at 20 mph, when his rear wheel started to wobble violently. We held our breath as he struggled and failed to gain control or come to a stop. He ended up off the paved shoulder and went down just before hitting a sign post. I skidded to a stop and ran to him, just as two support vehicles pulled up. He sustained a broken collar bone, but avoided any head injuries and left no skin on the road. After a visit to the hospital, he followed the rest of the race with his support crew. I spoke with him briefly at Bamboo Inn after Saturday’s stage. In his simple English, he smiled and said he will be back next year.
Why does one “do” UltraMan? Each of us is unique in our approach to life and our individual answers reflect that aspect of our nature. Long distance training and racing strips me down and exposes my vulnerability. Through vulnerability, I experience gratitude and humility for the simplest most precious things in life, like health and companionship. Air, food and water are more precious than gold in this state.
Each participant in U.M. relies upon his/her support crew for the 324-mile passage. I am very grateful to Lokelani McMichael, my Team Captain, to Carlos Martinez (Day 1 & 2) and Jeannie Cluff (Day 3), who joined Loke in the van, and to Carole Jean Bradburn, my swim escort with Carlos. Without them, I’d be out there still, haplessly staggering around on the road somewhere, in a daze. We all need one another in life, and that truth evokes humility and gratitude.
Gratitude and humility help me to cultivate one of the most cherished of all human attributes, grace. I find that racing is a great metaphor for life. My intention is to live (and to die) gracefully and graciously, so that is how I approach racing. I don’t get much satisfaction in living flat-out, balls-to-the-wall, get-in-front-and-stay-in-front, me-against-you, with gnashing teeth and painful joints. Don’t get me wrong, I like to go fast, but I like to sail fast, not pound fast. “More easy dat way.”
Through UltraMan I felt ultra-grateful and ultra-humble, so I did the race ultra-gracefully. My proof of this is in the speed of recovery. Two out of the three post-race days I’ve been back in the ocean swimming. I’ve been on my feet all day each day, with just a little swelling in my feet by late afternoon. The soreness in my calves has subsided, and I’m feeling good as new. I’ll be out noodling around on a bike and leisurely running by this weekend. I’m just itchin’ to bust out the nordic skis as soon as I get back to Lake Placid next week.
As many of you know, my approach to UltraMan was based on kinetic intelligence – swimming, biking and running with the utmost efficiency, economy and grace. I don’t go for the extreme training volume. OK, I did 30 hours one week and 23 hours the following week. My focus remained primarily on mindful movement. For that approach, I maintained my functional strength and proprioceptive training. (I have not been in a gym since I left Lake Placid, 22 September. In Hawaii, I relied completely on yoga/pilates matwork, as well as physio-ball and stretch cord work – all with an emphasis on balance and proprioception.) Judging by the perceived ease of the race, I feel that the kinetic intelligence approach is the most effective. Through this approach, training volume can be minimized. I peak at 18 hours/week for iron-distance races, and that is just 1-2 weeks. The rest are 10-15 hour weeks.
During the last 2 weeks leading up to the race, I concentrated on Tai-chi and sitting meditation. This concentration amplified my experience of mind in matter.
I credit a big part of my speedy recovery after UltraMan to good nutrition during the race stages. I fueled exclusively on Hammer Nutrition’s Perpetuem and Endurolytes. I did not eat anything before the start of each day, and – after drinking Hammer’s Recoverite with two Super A. O. caps – had a healthy meal of whole foods at the conclusion of each day. I did not experience any kind of energy deficit during or after the race, and very little weight fluctuation. I am very grateful to Brian and Kadidja, my o’hana at Hammer Nutrition, for sponsoring me with these precious products. Hammer products work, with no fluctuations in energy level. They work really well.
There is a new entrant in the tri clothing market in the U.S., by the name of “2XU”. (Pronounced “two times you”.) 2XU is from Down Under. Michellie Jones wore 2XU clothing as she won Hawaii Ironman this year. Meanwhile, way back in the peanut gallery, I wore their awesome Elite wetsuit for the 6.2-mile swim and came out of the water in 5th place. I swear I could have gone on another 2 miles in that suit, easy. (My escorts might have abandoned me by then out of shear boredom.) The Elite has lots of flexibility and buoyancy in just the right places, and a snug fit. With the exception of endless glide and ridiculous buoyancy, I did not notice the wetsuit during the swim, thanks to the comfortable fit. I’m really looking forward to “smoking” my next Ironman swim in that suit. (Of course, then I get to watch at least half the field pass me by on the bike.)
I also wore 2XU tri shorts and tri top for the UltraMan run. The quality fabrics and construction of these pieces made them feel transparent throughout the 10-plus hours I was out there running. (OK, I did some walking too. And some of my running was more like plodding.) In addition, I wore their compression tights for the first 15 miles of the run. (Got a little hot after that, or I would have kept them on.) I’m wearing the tights right now as I begin my travels to the mainland. They really help with recovery by improving return blood flow in my legs. I am most grateful to Aidan Clarke and Chris Sinkovich, my o’hana at 2XU, for their generous support. (It’s pretty amazing when companies step up to support 49-year-old geeks like me.)
Speaking of geeks, you gotta be a real bike geek to do UltraMan. After all, we pedaled 261 miles, so we spent far more time talking to our bikes than we did talking to human beings. You gotta be a geek to do that. Day 2 was all new territory for me – I’ve never biked 171 miles in one day before in my life. But I’ll tell you what: I love my custom-built Serotta CXII. I don’t mind talking to her all day. She listens attentively and responds really well.
I’ll bet I was the only participant on a steel frame. It’s too bad everyone associates steel with heavy weight. It just ain’t so! Even my 61 cm frame is not heavy. The engineering and design that go into each Serotta frame – steel, titanium or carbon – are unsurpassed by any other bike company in the world. Serotta simply makes the best bikes in the world. The ride of my steel frame, with the carbon seat stays and carbon fork, is way smooth. The custom design of my bike makes the ride absolutely transparent. The bike feels like part of my body. I was astounded at how easy that 171-mile ride was on Day 2. (Keep in mind we had glorious weather.) I was even more astounded that I covered the distance in 9:44 and finished 12th for the day.
Back in February, I had the great fortune to meet visionary, founder and president Ben Serotta, when I attended a 3-day Serotta Bike Fit Seminar to become a certified bike fit technician. His integrity and impeccability are evident in everything that surrounds him. Ben really inspires me: It is possible to run a successful business that produces superior products without compromising one’s integrity. Ben shows genuine concern and appreciation for each person associated with his business. I am honored to be a part of the Serotta o’hana.
Finally, I purchased a set of Nimble Crosswinds carbon race wheels just prior to UltraMan. From now on, they will be my wheel of choice for all of my races. Since they are tri-spokes, light weight is not their attribute, but their aerodynamic characteristics are superior to any other wheels I’ve tried. Once again, the word that comes to mind is transparent. The wind just cannot find these wheels. (Oh yeah, I love the UFO sound they make when spinning.)
Am I plugging for the four aforementioned companies and their fine products? Yes. I’m not a salesman, a marketer or a promoter. None of them stipulated that I promote their products. I approached each of them because I knew their products performed well. Hammer and 2XU support me with free product, while Serotta and Nimble extend me industry discounts. I give each of these products my highest rating: transparent. Each product performs predictably and flawlessly. Each supported me in the UltraMan quest without my “noticing” them through distraction. When an athlete finds a product that enhances their performance – providing comfort or increased speed – the product does so without calling attention to itself. That is transparency.
While I’ve been playing at triathlon for over 7 years now, I’ve only been involved in the industry for 1½ years. I’m a visionary, not a businessman. Business has never motivated me; I’m just not that hungry for monetary success. However, I find an inspiring level of integrity among many of the individuals I deal with in this business. I am so grateful for that. I feel a genuine sense of family – of o’hana – with these people, and that makes me happy in my heart. It’s so good to know that the business of triathlon is not cold and heartless, that we feel a genuine passion for our involvement in the sport as a business.
While I am not terribly motivated by monetary acquisition, I am passionately committed to the vision of endurance training and racing as an effective path towards spiritual fitness. To that end, I am grateful to those of you involved in the industry who are collaborating with me in this vision as a business. With your guidance and wisdom, zendurance is growing as a healthy approach to endurance athletics. Monetary reward and support are necessary for me to grow this vision. I’m learning, growing and adapting. And the very best part is, I’m meeting new members of my family all the time.
As I bring this recollection to a close (Post-Race Day 5), I am now in the air and headed east. The Big Island will always be my home, even though I may live elsewhere. I will return there time and again, Jah Spirit willing, to race and to honor the ancestors and Pele. UltraMan was an amazing experience. It was a 324-mile party, celebrating aloha, kokua and o’hana. (I only wish we could have made it 500 miles.) Some day, I may return to live there.
Get me off this plane! It’s time to train. Time to train for physical, mental, emotional and spiritual fitness. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. Be well. Namaste.