LIHUE — Will Stedman had a mantra during the Ironman World Championship. A simple one, really, but definitely effective: Keep going. “The whole key is, I didn’t stop moving,” the Kauai man said. “As soon as I started, I didn’t
LIHUE — Will Stedman had a mantra during the Ironman World Championship.
A simple one, really, but definitely effective: Keep going.
“The whole key is, I didn’t stop moving,” the Kauai man said. “As soon as I started, I didn’t stop. If you don’t keep going, you’re a zombie.”
The 39-year-old Stedman completed one of the world’s most demanding and difficult races on Saturday on the Big Island. He finished the 140.6-mile event in 14 hours, 51 minutes and 27 seconds, good for 1,966th place. He completed the 2.4-mile swim in 1:34:06, the 112-mile bike in 7:20:57 and the 26.2-mile run in 5:29:23.
Leo McCarthy of Kilauea was the second man from Kauai when he finished in 15:15:12, good for 2,012th place. He covered the swim in 1:11:50, the bike in 6:47:51 and the run in 6:51:40.
For Stedman, his first Ironman was just as wonderful as he hoped. It was tough, absolutely. But it was also among his most amazing experiences, from the first strokes of the swim to the final few steps of the run and the delight of being greeted by family and friends and thousands of cheering fans, too, at the famous finish line.
The magic of the moment hit him Monday morning as he reflected on the race at home.
“Just being there was phenomenal,” he said.
He will never forget the “tons of aloha,” the camaraderie and the passion shared by the Iron athletes doing what they love for a day in Kona. “Awesomeness” was a word he used to describe it. In fact, he was having so much fun, he flexed for the camera out on the course. Such was his joy, he managed to do a celebration dance after finishing.
It was, he said, like being at the Super Bowl.
“It’s so much fun it’s insane,” he said. “Every one is enjoying the heck out of it.”
Despite the headwinds on the bike, and the heat (95 degrees) and the humidity that forced some of the world’s finest athletes to stop, Stedman was steady. He nearly hit his predicted finish time he wrote down — 14:45.
“I just knew a steady pace was going to be the best course,” he said.
He knew from his experience of completing 24 marathons to avoid going out too fast. Saving strength early would help him overcome the agony later. He did quit looking at his watch about halfway through the race because he didn’t want to see any slow mile splits that would lead to negative thoughts and mess with his mind.
“I didn’t need to go there,” he said.
Even as he ran the final miles in the dark, when all he could see were the glow sticks carried by athletes, he never had any doubts.
“It’s all about, ‘Yeah, we’re going to nail this,” he said.
He and McCarthy chatted as they ran together for a short stretch.
“We both said it was one of the best days of our lives,” Stedman said.
Stedman said the support of family and friends, from his training days to the race, was unforgettable. It was humbling to be among so many positive people who are also likely among the world’s fittest people.
“Everybody’s got an eight-pack,” Stedman said, laughing.
And yes, he hopes to do another Ironman World Championship in Kona. It was just too much fun — yes, he said fun — to be part of it only once.
“I can’t understand why anybody wouldn’t want to do it,” he said.
