What is the Ironman triathlon?
The Ironman triathlon evolved from a competition in Oahu, Hawaii. It is known for its grueling pace and environment. Competitors are required to complete – or at least attempt to complete – a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run in less than 17 hours. The real training begins McManic first found area residents who had previously completed several Ironman competitions. “They were great training partners and gave me a lot of good advice,” he said. His official training started in late June 2008. “There were some long weeks,” he said. “I would wake up some days at 3:55 a.m. to run before coming in to work.” Most morning workouts consisted of a combination of running and swimming before work. After work, McManic would spend an hour or two cycling, and most weekends he had a five- to six-hour bike ride. McManic completed his first Ironman in 12.5 hours, 10th of 27 in his age group and 1,035th out of 2,189 total. He was pleased overall with the results because his main goa
