June 26, 2009
By Richard Stevens – Senior Writer/GoLobos.com
A weekend of late with Lobo swim coach Tracy Ljone hasn’t exactly been a day at the beach, an afternoon in the easy chair, or a picnic in the park. But there has been a lot of activity: running, swimming, biking. And a whole lot of it.
But that’s the price you pay and the demands you make on your body if you want to compete in an Ironman competition and leave approximately 2,200 other iron men and iron women in your wake and in your dust.
Ljone competed in her first Ironman competition on Sunday (June 20) at the 2009 Ford Ironman Coeur d’Alene (Idaho). It’s a grueling, grind featuring a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, a full marathon (26.2 miles) – in one day!
And how well did one of UNM’s top athletes do? Let’s just say her reward (and punishment?) is she qualified for the Ironman World Championships to be held October 10, in Kona, Hawaii. Yep, she has to do it all over again.
Ljone was No. 3 in her age group (30-34), the 22nd woman finisher, and 310th overall in a race that listed more than 2,500 bibs.
The bib number unofficially representing the University of New Mexico – 2185 – was sensational in Ljone’s first Ironman test and possibly the highlight for Ljone was being the first woman and the 11th swimmer out of the water at 2.4 miles.
“Sure, being the Lobo swim coach, it was exciting for me,” said Ljone, 33. “I’m proud being the first woman out of the water. I didn’t think I would be. There were probably 4,000 people on the shore watching and my parents were there watching.
“I also was excited because I was consistent in all three races. I think the Ironman is one of the ultimate tests of athleticism and conditioning. It’s such a personal challenge. My first goal was to finish and enjoy it. The secondary goal was to have a good day and finish in the 12-hour range. I never imagined going under 11 hours, so I was very excited.”
The Ironman opened with the 2.4-mile lake swim, moved to a 112-mile bike ride and ended with the 26.2-mile jog around the lake. Ljone was 15th in her age group in the bike and No. 3 in the marathon.
Her total time for the three events was 10 hours, 57 minutes, seven seconds (10:57.07). She was the 11th woman amateur finisher. Ljone did the swim in 54.47; the bike ride in 6:09.50; the marathon in 3:45.22.
Ljone said she trained “seriously” for about six months prior to the event. She would often swim in the mornings, run during the weekdays, and hit the bike on weekends.
“I didn’t have an actual training schedule,” said Ljone. “I tried to swim and run three times a week. I would try to bike on the weekend. I might bike 50 to 80 miles a day and I got in three or four 100-mile rides (over the six months). I would get in shorter runs during the week and got maybe three longer runs in at 18, 20, 23 miles.”
Ljone didn’t exactly have a weakness in the Ironman event, but she does have the most room for improvement in the cycling event. “I had some time to make up in the swim and the marathon,” she said. “I obviously need to work on my cycling a little bit.
|
“I’m proud being the first woman out of the water. I didn’t think I would be.” Lobo swim coach Tracy Ljone on winning swim event at Ironman competition |
“And you don’t know how you are going to feel in the marathon just coming off the bike. But I was kind of on a high about the whole thing, the event, the scenery. The run bordered the lake the whole way and it was gorgeous.”
To those of us who prefer a weekend on a couch or maybe relaxing at a Lobo event, Ljone’s punishment is that she has to continue her high-level training. And then go race over a 140.6-mile course against even better athletes than she faced in Idaho.
For Ljone, there is only reward in what she has accomplished and her invite to the world finals.
“That’s a dream-come-true type of thing,” said Ljone “Hawaii’s a big deal. I have to go, but I definitely want to go. I had always wanted to do an Ironman at some point in my life and I wanted to do one before I was 40.”
Now, Ljone gets to do a second Ironman in one year. She said she picked Idaho because, after putting in all that work, she wanted to do her Ironman thing in a nice setting.
Maybe it’s a good thing that the World Championships are in Hawaii. Ljone will get another Ironman with a view.