Not many athletes get the chance to reach the pinnacle of their sport at the age of 50 – but Dave Mawhinney is about to do just that.
Dave, who reached his half century in June, will travel to Hawaii to compete in the Ironman world championships for the first time on October 10 – a little more than two months after completing the UK Ironman in Bolton.
Dave, who lives in Bayston Hill, qualified by being the first finisher in the 50-54 years category to clinch one of two age group places on offer. He completed the gruelling challenge of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile cycle ride and a marathon length run in a personal best time of 11 hours nine minutes and 30 seconds, finishing 108th out of around 1,200 competitors.
It was only Dave’s fourth Ironman event in three years since he took up the sport, though he has been competing in triathlons with his wife Sarah for the past seven years. But while he usually completes one Ironman a year and uses a 30-week training programme to prepare his body for the rigorous challenge, there is just nine weeks between the UK Triathlon at Bolton and Dave’s date in Hawaii.
“My quads are still really sore,” said Dave, speaking less than a week after the UK Ironman.
“But I’ve already started going swimming again and doing gentle cycle rides just to make sure my legs don’t seize up. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me and any athlete in my position wants to go. Ironman originated in Hawaii and it’s what everyone aims at. I have only ever done one Ironman a year and I have nine weeks until Hawaii. It will also be hot, humid and windy out there so it will be difficult to adapt, but I’m not going for a time – I just want to go there and soak up the atmosphere on the way round.”
Dave, who is a member of the Mid Shropshire Wheelers and SY Tri, said the event required an enormous amount of training to prepare for, as well as a lot of mental strength to push through the pain barrier at tough moments – especially near the end. He says it’s always a ‘relief’ to finish each stage, knowing you are closer to the finish – but admits he gets a ‘huge buzz’ out of competing and conquering the challenge.
The sport is one of the few that sees professionals competing alongside amateur athletes – Dave has to fit his training in around his job as a biomedical scientist at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, which includes early morning runs, lunchtime swims and a lot of organising of his time.
He says: “I could not have done this without the support of my friends and family, who along with my children Sophie and Jamie have been so understanding. I can’t wait for Hawaii and want to enjoy the race – if that’s possible.”
THE IRONMAN CHALLENGE:
- Competitors must complete the entire challenge a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile cycle ride and a 26.2 mile run in no more than 17 hours to be classed as a finisher.
- Those who fail to complete the swim in two hours 20 minutes are stopped.
- Entrants must have completed the swim and bike ride by the 10 hour 30 mark to continue to the run.
- The UK Ironman in Bolton started in a reservoir at 6am meaning 11pm that day was the latest people could finish.
- At the peak of his 30-week training programme Dave trains for 20 hours a week, including three hours swimming, 10 hours cycling and seven hours running.
- Dave claims its possible to burn up to 10,000 calories in a single day competing in an Ironman event.
by Peter Kitchen
