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'If You Want Something Bad Enough You Can Find A Way'

Photos courtesy of Ironman

Local residents Kim Miller and Bev Buysse were two of the 1,800 competitors in October's Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 25, 2008

Local residents Kim Miller and Bev Buysse were two of the 1,800 competitors in October's Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. Racers qualify for the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, and 26.2-mile run by competing in other Ironman events, or by getting spots in a lottery. Tens of thousands of athletes apply each year for a spot in this granddaddy of endurance-sport events.

Miller shares how she got involved in triathlons and Ironman events. Buysse reflects on her recent Ironman experience.

Bev Buysse, 51, St. Petersburg

Goal: Complete the World Championship Ironman in Kona, Hawaii.

Final results: Swim: 01:13:55; Bike: 07:16:48; Run: 06:01:41; Total time: 14:49:25

Why I did it: I've had this goal for about 20 years, which was five years after I started competing in triathlons. I was in the U.S. Coast Guard until 2001 and did not have time to dedicate to Ironman training until after I retired.

After I retired, a friend of mine had a stroke. I thought she was too young. She was my age and motivated me to train for an Ironman triathlon. I've always thought that if you could complete an Ironman, you could do anything. I not only completed an Ironman, but the pinnacle of events, the World Championship.

How I did it: I came up with a 12-month plan. I threw a Kona Kickoff party and invited friends over to watch the live webcast of the 2007 Hawaii Ironman. Then I started swimming, biking and running, stretching and doing weight training.

Early on, I did weight training and stretching twice a week, and alternated days for each sport. I always took one day a week off no matter what. I usually bike and swim on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday; run and do weights on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; stretch and do yoga on Monday and Friday.

Each week, I would build on the previous week's distance. Every fourth week I would have a recovery week, where I would kick it back and let my body recuperate. Then I would pick it up and continue to build until I reached a point where I could swim 2.5 miles, ride 112 miles and run 24 miles comfortably. I would watch what I ate before long rides to see how I felt and try to record what worked and what did not.

The final experience was different than what I expected. The Kona community noticed your Ironman wristband, asked where you were from, wished you good luck and congratulated you on getting to the event.

The course was as tough as I envisioned. I had heard about how brutal the winds were on Queen K Highway. I thought the wind would let up. It did not. Riding downhill at 7 mph was discouraging, and riding into a headwind for more than 25 miles was as brutal as it gets. When I looked out over the lava fields and saw whitecaps on the water, I knew it was going to be a tough, long ride. I never look forward to the run, but I sure was ready to get off the bike and run. The finish turning onto Alii Drive was spectacular. The fans made you feel like you were the first finisher coming in.

Hurdles: In May, while riding my bike to work, I hit a squirrel and flipped over my handlebars. I had 12 stitches in my mouth, ruptured three cervical disks in my neck and tore two wrist ligaments, putting me in a cast for a month. I lay in the emergency room thinking, "How is this going to affect my training for Hawaii? And I hope my bike is OK."

The forced four-week recuperation took me off-schedule and interfered with the Rhode Island 70.3, a race I had planned as a warm-up. My doctor put on a waterproof cast so I could swim. I rode a bike trainer in the living room and ran on a treadmill all of June and July. One week out of the cast, I went to Rhode Island and completed the 70.3. It was tough, but when I finished I knew I could get back on track for Hawaii.

Going the distance: It took a lot of determination and willingness to train. I have been physically active since I was 5, so staying fit is a way of life. I am more alert, have more energy and actually crave the workout. Going the distance was just a matter of building on what is already there.

Best advice: If you want something bad enough you can find a way. Put a plan together with the end result in mind, then break it down into the steps. If you suffer some setbacks, don't let that stop you. Amend the plan and continue forward.

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