The Ironman Triathlon is considered the most grueling one-day endurance race in the world.
Several University of Idaho staff members have competed in the race. Jim Zuba, director of development for special projects, and Tony Roubal, Marine officer instructor both participated. June 21, Roubal first attempted the race in Coeur D’Alene when he ran the half-Ironman event.
Report Photo | Argonaut – Military officer instructor Tony Roubal talks about training and competing in the Iron Man race.
“Coeur D’Alene was neat because … there’s a few people you know,” Roubal said. “It was a fun environment. It’s crazy when you put several extra thousand people in Coeur D’Alene. Shuts the whole thing down — just packed.”
Preparing for the Ironman events was one of his main focuses, he said. Roubal said he routinely trained to perfect his swimming and cycling skills.
“My cousin and his wife are both doctors in Coeur D’Alene,” he said. “And he made the comment my first year up here, ‘You should run the race.’ To which my response was, ‘That’s a really terrible idea.’”
Overtime, Roubal said he found the challenge more appealing. His knees and back needed rehabilitation due to his duties as a Marine, so he was coached in swimming and cycling.
Zuba said one of the toughest challenges in an Ironman event is the time management demanded by the competitors.
“Fitness ethos is a part of my nature from 21 years in (the) Army,” Zuba said. “Fitness ethos is a part of my nature from 21 years in (the) Army,” Zuba said.
Zuba has competed in seven Ironman races in Coeur D’Alene, one in Canada and about 20 other Ironman events scattered around. He also qualified for the world championship 70.3 in 2013.
This year, Roubal participated in one of these world championships in Australia Sept. 6.
“You don’t have the giant cheering section that you did in Coeur D’Alene,” Roubal said. “In Australia … it was like everybody had to be qualified to get there and it was a lot more serious environment.”
Roubal said there were around 3,000 contestants ready to race the half-marathon. He said he considers the half-marathon more strenuous because the body needs to work faster in a shorter amount of time.
Zuba said that he mentally and physically challenges himself in such races because it helps improve his mental health overall.
Roubal completed a full, Ironman 70.3 Aug. 26 with a swimming time of 33:37 in a distance of 1.2 miles. He then transitioned to cycling with a 2:37:55 time in a length of 56 miles and finished the race running in 1:30:41 by 13.1 miles.
Roubal said he has gone through similar challenges as the Ironman when he was deployed in a desert region.
“In deployment, your normal load out is 130 to 140 pounds … (and) everyday that’s what you’re used to walking around,” Roubal said. “You stress it, and let it adapt. I mean the principles are all still the same, it’s just a much different challenge. A little different mentality there.”
Catherine Keenan
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