Iron Ageless: Local competitors head to Hawaii for triathlon

Sometimes John Strait has to stop swimming to feel the contrast between Lake Washington's chilly water and the sunrise warming his face.

"There are moments in my training where there's just spectacular beauty," said Strait, who lives in Seattle. "Like being in the middle of Lake Washington at sunrise and there's nobody else there. It's truly a special moment."

But training's over now. In Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, for his first Ironman Triathlon World Championship, talk of beauty these days translates to "blah, blah, blah" in Strait's mind.

Ironman World Championship Triathlon :: Where: Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. :: When: Saturday. :: Who: 50,000 competitors from more than 50 countries. :: Details: The race starts at sunrise and must be completed in 17 hours. Distances are 2.4-mile swim in the ocean, a 112-mile bike, and 26.2-mile run. :: 2000 champions: In horrible conditions, Canada's Peter Reid, 31, and Switzerland's Natascha Badmann, 33, won their second straight championships, finishing in 8:21:00 and 9:26:16. :: Local competitors: Alyson Littman, 28, Seattle; Michael Blue, 41, Seattle; Sasa Gabersek, 32, Seattle; Jon Pauole, 31, Seattle; Jan Acuff, 46, Seattle; John Strait, 55, Seattle; Cynthia Krass, 37, Sammamish; Amy Jo Turi, 26, Snoqualmie; Deborah Taylor, 43, Bellevue; Gary Blackbourn, 51, Medina; Duane Reed, 62, Clyde Hill.

His thoughts are dominated by performance. And, well, an occasional lingering thought about a big bowl of granola topped with fresh berries in soymilk. It is a long race, you know.

In 17 hours, competitors must complete a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a marathon (26.2 miles).

Among the difficulties of the race, which started in 1978 with 15 competitors, are the strong current in the Pacific Ocean and the kicking from other competitors. And the wind is so strong that a third of the competitors will be knocked off their bikes, and the heat and humidity can rattle a Southerner, not to mention a Seattleite.

Yet, Strait says he can do it.

And he's 55. Take that, MJ.

"This is a subculture," Strait said by phone from Hawaii. "To us, we get to do what we love all day long. In my circle of friends, I'm normal. To an outsider, I'm completely nuts."

Strait isn't the only Washingtonian among the 50,000 competitors for this year's Ironman, either. Ten others from the area made their way to Hawaii, including Gary Blackbourn, 51, who's making his seventh appearance and celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary with his wife and two daughters.

Snoqualmie's Amy Jo Turi, 26, is a former Big West swimming champion who is fulfilling a lifelong dream. And Duane Reed of Clyde Hill is a three-year veteran of triathlons, who at 62 can bike circles around most 20-somethings.

Reed qualified for the event by finishing the Ironman Canada in 12 hours, 45 minutes.

"Some say when you reach a certain age you should slow down and rest," said Blackbourn, a Medina resident who sells prosthetic heart valves. "Don't get me started on that one. People who say that are really doing (elders) a great deal of disservice. In my work, I know the evidence is strong on the benefits of exercise.

"But this may be stretching that belief a little bit."

Health benefits are only part of the reason Strait, a former ski school owner, nurtured a passion in triathlons four years ago. A sales representative for the Northwest territory of Woolrich, Strait also likes the tranquility he reaches at the height of competition.

He's sponsored by Portland Running Company and ranked atop his age group (55-59) by Northwest Triathlon. Strait qualified after placing first in his age group at the Blackwater Eagleman Triathlon, a half Ironman, with a time of 4:43:51. He finished seventh in his age group at the 1999 Ironman Florida.

"I'm not a doctor and I'm not a psychologist," Strait said. "But I'm a believer in exercise and that the human body is the most beautiful machine ever built.

"And I try to have fun every day. For some people, it's an evening walk or maybe a marathon. For me it's the Ironman."

Jayda Evans can be reached at 206-464-2067 or jevans@seattletimes.com.