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Ex-Marlin Conine Takes On New Sport
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Published: April 26, 2008
ST. PETERSBURG - Jeff Conine retired last fall from major-league baseball after a 17-year career.
He was 41.
Then he thought, "What am I going to do now?"
"And then I started thinking seriously about doing an Ironman triathlon, something that had been in the back of my mind," he said. "I guess guys in my position are supposed to take it easy. But I have no desire to take it easy. I like the idea of swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles and running 26.2 miles at Hawaii's Ironman world championship in October."
First things first. Namely, a relatively insane training schedule, which has included wiping out on his bike the day after Christmas, breaking his collarbone, getting surgery and missing most of his training during January and February. It also means competing in triathlons for the first time, the first of which is Sunday's St. Anthony's Triathlon, an Olympic distance (.93-mile swim, 24.8-mile bike and 6.2-mile run) event in St. Petersburg.
"I figured that was a perfect-type place to start," said Conine, who has been training around his South Florida home in Westin. "Start out with a shorter distance and work up from there."
At the moment, Conine says he is pretty fit, although he is a bit heavy for longer triathlons (220 pounds on a 6-foot-1 frame). He expects the weight to drop before he takes on a half-Ironman (1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run) next month in Orlando and another half-Ironman in New Hampshire in August.
Only after that will he take on Kona, Hawaii, home to the Ironman world championships. He received a special invitation, given each year to a few athletes that race officials believe have compelling stories.
So, between the racing, it will be a lot of swimming (two days a week of at least 2,000 meters), running (at least an hour after each swim and at least 30 minutes every other day), and biking (almost three hours at least a few days a week).
"So far, I love it," he said.
He said he hasn't missed baseball at all, and that he has enjoyed the extra time with his family, including a little training with his daughter, 12-year-old Sierra, who is competing in today's Meek & Mighty Triathlon.
In the long run he has no plans to be a star, as he was in baseball, winning two World Series titles with the Florida Marlins (1997 and 2003).
Although he said he would like to someday inspire others, as a nun did while competing in 20 Ironmans after starting at age 56. Or, perhaps, like Florida Marlins president David Samson, who completed an Ironman in 2006 and inspired Conine.
"But really, right now I just want to finish," he said.
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