Kona Ironman®: Behind-the-Scenes with Professional Triathlete Liz Lyles
Catholic Business Journal recently tagged along with triathlete champion, Catholic, wife, and mother-of-two, Liz Lyles, as she wound up her phenomenal rookie year as a professional Ironman® competitor. But before giving you an inspiring, behind-the-scenes look at Lyles' recent achievement in Kona, Hawaii, it is best to take a step back and gain an eye-opening perspective about what it means to take part in an Ironman® competition.
Each year there are about two dozen full Ironman® races and about the same number of Ironman® 70.3 races around the world. A full Ironman® contest consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run. A 70.3 race is half of all these distances. in addition to male participants, nearly 300 female professional triathletes in the world participate in these competitions. On average, the female competitors complete the swim in about an hour, the bike in about five hours and the run in about three hours, for an overall time between nine and 10 hours. They stop only to change outfits between each phase of the event, which can take from less than two minutes to four or five minutes. In sum, this means nearly 10 hours, virtually non-stop. Water and nutrition are taken on the move. Not surprisingly, the general rule is that it takes at least four weeks to recover from just one of these grueling competitions.
Given the number of competitions vs. the number of female professional participants, less than 10 percent win either a full or a half Ironman® in any given year. Less than five percent win a race at both the full and half Ironman® in the same year. More than half go their entire careers never actually winning a race.
Liz Lyles, on the other hand, won her first professional full Ironman® race as a pro in Wisconsin, while setting the course record for the marathon portion of the race.
Later, Lyles won a Half Ironman in Boise, ID, and finished Fifth in the European Ironman Championships in Frankfurt this past July, where she was the Top American Finisher. Catholic Business Journal picked up with Liz at Lake Tahoe on September 22, in the first-ever Lake Tahoe Ironman®. Then we tagged along to Kona for the World Championships. And, we are still in awe of her tenacity, courage and competitiveness.
Lake Tahoe
The newly introduced Lake Tahoe Ironman® is arguably the toughest course on the circuit. There are three reasons for this. The first is Lake Tahoe's overall altitude, which ranges from more than 5000 feet to 7000 feet. Second is its hilly terrain. The changes in elevation are the most challenging of any race in the circuit.
The third reason for Lake Tahoe's toughness is the weather. Weather changes during an Ironman® event make it even more difficult. The night before the inaugural Tahoe race, the entire surrounding area was blanketed with two inches of snow. At start time, the air temperature was literally a freezing 32 degrees! The triathletes actually stood in the 61-degree Lake Tahoe water to stay warm while waiting for the starting gun. An hour later, freezing cold and wet, they transitioned from swim to bike with the temperature only a degree or two warmer than the 32-degree mark. Even so, as the triathletes finished the 2.4 mile swim and emerged from Lake Tahoe to begin the bike riding segment, sun glistened behind them on the surrounding snow-capped peaks.
Halfway through the bike segment, the clouds dissipated and the sun began to beat down. By the time the triathletes had finished the run segment, the temperature was in the mid-70s and the sun beat down relentlessly through the thin mountain air.
In the photo to the left, Liz Lyles waves to her son, Luke, and a bevy of family and friends as she passes the 18-mile mark in the run. She finished the Lake Tahoe Ironman™ at the podium, in Fourth Place, and once again she was the Top American Finisher, trailing three Europeans.
After that it was off to the World Championships in Kona. Even though recovery time is usually at least four weeks after a full Ironman™, Liz wanted to push her limits and go for both. Keep in mind that even to qualify for Kona during her first season was another significant accomplishment for Liz. Only the 37 highest-ranked women in the world are invited to compete in the World Ironman Championships at Kona, Hawaii, each year. The qualification is so stringent that less than half of all female pros ever compete there even once during their careers, yet rookie professional Liz Lyles not only qualified for Kona, she was competing on the heels of the Lake Tahoe event. Catholic Business Journal followed Liz to Kona for an eye-opening, behind-the-scenes experience. Lest anyone—even after the preceding descriptions—mistakenly think triathlons are only about waking up on some days and going for a swim, bike ride and run, consider what we learned during our trip behind the scenes with Liz Lyles.
Liz arrived on the Big Island five days before the race. First on the agenda was getting her bike checked out and tuned up. This meant taking it to the Specialized tent and having the technicians give it a thorough going over.
Next on the pre-race To Do List, stop at the Garmin shack. Liz had noticed trouble with the GPS and the power meter on her bike. It turned out the GPS was not functioning properly, so she had to leave the bike with them for a couple of hours while they replaced it with a new one for the race.
While she waited for the Garmin crew to replace her GPS and sync it with the bike's power meter, Liz attended the pre-race Pro Briefing at the race headquarters. It gave her a chance to visit with some of the other pro triathletes and begin to focus on the upcoming contest.
After the Pro Briefing, she met briefly with her coach Cliff English for some final words of encouragement and thoughts to help her final preparation. Cliff has coached some of the top triathletes in the world during the peak of their careers.
Previously, he and Liz had developed a race strategy specific for Kona. Then he designed a complete training regimen designed specifically for this race that Liz had followed prior to coming to Hawaii.
Now it was simply a matter of implementing the strategy and reaping the benefits of the grueling practices that preceded the trip.
Then it was off for a brief, 25-mile test run on the bike to make sure the bike was tuned properly, the power meter functioning and the GPS doing its job. After everything checked out, Liz and her husband, Chip, took her bike and gear kit to the T1 transition point to stage it for the next day’s race.
Race Day Race day activities started well before dawn. Liz awakened at 3:30 a.m., for a 4:00 a.m. departure from the hotel to drive the 20 miles to the starting point. Then, still during the pre-dawn hours before the race, it was into the number-painting area to get her numbers applied and her ankle meter attached.
From there it was off to T1 with Chip, her husband, for a final gear check.
Just as the sun was beginning to peak over the mountain-rimmed horizon, Liz swam out to the starting line, along with 50 pro men and 36 other pro women, to tread water and await the start of the race.
An hour later, Liz exited the water to commence the bike portion of the competition. Team Liz was in place along the course to cheer her along and help give her energy for the nine hour event. The team included her Mom and Dad, her Mother-in-law, and both her children, as seen in the photo to the left. Husband Chip had gone ahead on a motor scooter to give her time-crucial race information later in the competition.
At the end of the bike portion of the race, Liz slips her feet out of her shoes to save crucial seconds at transition point 2. It is difficult to see in the photo above, but her bare feet are actually on top of her bike shoes which are still clipped to the pedals.
Then she’s off for the 26.2-mile marathon to complete the race, with people from all over the world cheering her on.
Crossing the Finish Line Nothing can compare to the end of an Ironman®. Finally crossing the Kona Finish Line at 9:32:54—that's Nine hours, 32 minutes and 54 seconds after starting, Liz Lyles, the rookie professional triathlete, is elated...and exhausted.
She finished 16th among pro women and was the sixth American pro woman. Of the 37 pro women who started, eight did not finish because of the grueling conditions. Unlike the extreme weather and temperature changes in the Lake Tahoe race less than a month earlier in the season, the temperature in Kona was 89 degrees, with 79 percent humidity, and no wind.
Quickly after crossing the finish line, the head cold that Liz had been battling for a week finally got the best of her and she collapsed from near-total exhaustion.
The following series of pictures shows Liz going down and the first aid crew helping her back to her feet and to the aid tent.
After a brief period of recovery, it was family reunion time: A chance for Luke and Emma to congratulate mom on a great and couragous performance.
And also a time to unwind with Chip and Liz’s mom, Joan Demgen, while recounting some of the highlights of the race.
Then a final congratulation from Chip for a job well done. (See photo to left.) Catholic Business Journal extends its congratulations to Liz as well, along with our best wishes for an exciting year next year!
NEXT UP … The Western Australia Ironman on December 8, 2013. Liz will travel to other side of the world to compete against some of the best triathletes in the Southern Hemisphere.
CATHOLIC BUSINESS PROFILES: LIZ LYLES — Wife, Mother and Ironman Champion
A Catholic Business Journal Exclusive. Have you ever wondered what is it like to be a professional long-distance, endurance athlete? How does Faith impact that career? You are about to find out. Liz Lyles is a 35-year-old professional triathlete. She and her husband, Chip, have two children, Luke (5) and Emma (3). In short, Liz has two major passions in life: family and Ironman competition. And that makes heir lives anything but ordinary.
After turning pro in July of 2012, Liz quickly garnered international attention. She won Ironman Wisconsin, won Ironman Boise 70.3, and most recently finished in 5th place at the Ironman Frankfurt European Championships, securing her spot at the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii this October.
Catholic Business Journal (CBJ) recently interviewed this Catholic mother of two about her life, her career and her faith.
Here’s what Liz had to say:
CBJ: What was your journey to becoming a professional Ironman Triathlete?
Liz Lyles: Right after we were married, my husband, Chip, and I lived in San Diego. I’ve always loved running and had run a few half marathons and finished pretty well. During my spinning class a local race director in the class suggested I enter one of his triathlons. I didn’t own a wetsuit, so I raced in Chip’s, which was way too big! My only bike was a mountain bike, no clips, so I used that for the race. Surprisingly, I won my age group and was hooked. I compared my results to local professionals Michellie Jones and Paula Newby-Fraser, two legends in the sport and incredibly inspirational ladies. Looking at their accomplishments was a real driver for me. I entered a few more triathlons that year. I had some pretty good results, and learned a lot. The following spring I decided to enter what is now Ironman 70.3 Oceanside. I won my age group in that race to qualify for my first trip to the Hawaii Ironman.
CBJ: You had a lot of success as an age grouper, and in 2006 or 2007 you could have chosen to race professionally. You decided to start a family instead. Tell us about that decision.
Liz Lyles: I’ve learned some very important lessons as a mom. Discipline, responsibility, and commitment have taken on a whole new meaning. I’m not sure I had had the right focus to compete professionally before I experienced motherhood. I’m more focused now than I have ever been. I had a few triathlon-related accomplishments I needed to cross off the bucket list before having kids, and I was able to do both: Win the Donner Lake Triathlon after getting 2nd place three years in a row, and finishing Hawaii again.
Everyone has their own reasons for having or not having kids, and at what point in their life they want to. I respect that. I’m happy with mine and Chip’s decisions, we have no regrets. I’m also happy that my kids will be able to be a part of my career as a triathlete. The lessons and successes I’ve shared with them are important to me.
Competing at this level there are no easy races, and the competition is always incredibly fast. I’ve had some third and fourth place finishes and the first thing Luke and Emma say after the race is “Why didn’t you win?” Before I start throwing out names like Heather Jackson or Leanda Cave, I tell my children that I’ll work harder and do better next time. Those words become part of my work ethic. There are no excuses with the kids, so they are good motivators too.
CBJ: So, in 2012 you were still an amateur. In June you turned professional. Then you won your first Iron distance race as a professional just two months later. What was it like?
Liz Lyles: I’m asked this a lot. Things really took off and starting happening fast. Winning Ironman Wisconsin was the biggest athletic accomplishment of my life at that point. Not only was winning an Ironman race a big deal for me, but winning it in Wisconsin, on that course, with all those terrific spectators was incredible. Everything, including the farmlands, the finish line at the state capitol, the beautiful downtown, and the amazing crowd were all that American sports should be. I tell people that Madison is an incredible triathlon, Ironman, and sports town. Part of the run course goes through the University of Wisconsin football field. I find myself rooting for the Badgers now! I know I’ll return to Madison at some point. I love Madison, Wisconsin.
CBJ: How do you and Chip deal with the time commitment and sacrifice it requires to compete at the pro level in such a demanding sport?
Liz Lyles: This is another question I get asked a lot, because the training routine to be prepared for a nine plus hour race in three different disciplines is time consuming and intense, to say the least. But Chip and I believe one of the most valuable parts of our marriage is the support we provide for each of us to achieve our personal goals and dreams so we can both find fulfillment. We find fulfillment from what we do as individuals, what we do as a couple, and what we can help each other achieve. Our strong partnership and our Catholic faith form the foundation of our relationship.
This means we give a lot to each other. Some would call these sacrifices, and it often feels like that’s what they are. At the end of the day, it’s what commitment is all about. What we’re willing to give to each other. Right now the support Chip is giving my efforts to succeed in this arena is heroic. Of course, he says the same thing about me. But the point is, we’re in it together. Later, after this chapter in our life passes, we’ll be equally as committed to something else together. The pursuit for new adventures and accomplishment never ends.
CBJ: What do you hope Luke and Emma remember about their mom being a professional athlete?
Liz Lyles: I’ve been blessed with the gifts to be a triathlete. It would be a shame not to work hard, and utilize these gifts. Everyone has their own “thing” that makes them happy, and their own talent that they are good at. For me, my thing is swimming biking and running, so I push myself always to honor these gifts and achieve everything I can from them. If I have a message in this interview, it would be to get, or stay focused, have a goal, and put everything you have into maximizing your God-given talents. I hope to pass along this same advice to Luke and Emma, so they can be their best with the gifts they’ve been given.
Another thing I’d like Luke and Emma to remember is that Chip has helped me succeed, both as a mom and a triathlete. So I hope they learn about love, respect and the power of good relationships from the example Chip and I set so they can find the same kind of relationships when they grow up.
CBJ: Where from here? What are your current professional goals?
Liz Lyles: My two immediate goals are to win Ironman Lake Tahoe on September 22, and to make a good showing at the World Ironman Championship in Kona three weeks later. It would be a dream come true to win the very first Ironman Lake Tahoe here at home where I live and train. And there is no triathlon experience like Kona. It is a pretty big honor to have qualified in my first year as a professional—to be among the top 37 out of about 300 professional women in the world. I want to show respect for that and live up to that honor.
CBJ: You are kind of the “Lake Tahoe Triath-a-Mom”? What will it be like to race in your own backyard? Will you have an advantage?
Liz Lyles: There is no such thing as an easy Ironman. They are all tough. This course is downright brutal. Living here year round, I do have the advantage of being acclimated to the elevation, and climbing on my bike in the mountains. The lowest point of the 140 mile course is 6000’, and I think it goes up into the mid-7000s. The field I’ll be racing against is no joke though. Some of the very fastest ladies from all corners of the world will be out there going for it.
It’s pretty rare to have a branded IRONMAN event in your hometown, and there couldn’t be a better host than Squaw Valley to host the event. There is definitely some pressure racing at home, but I’m up for it. I’ve been training hard on the course, and I’m ready for game day.
CBJ: How does your Catholic Faith play into your career as a professional triathlete?
Liz Lyles: I pray before every event I compete in. I never pray to win, because everyone could pray to win, and that’s not something that is fair to ask for. I pray for a safe race, for myself, and my competitors… that no one gets hurt. I also pray for an honest race, and I pray that nothing out of my control happens, like a mechanical issue on the bike or something like that. I pray to be able to perform at my best, and achieve everything that I have put into preparing for a race. So far in the early stages of my career, things are going incredibly well and I’m thankful for that every day.
If I can ask for one favor from anyone who reads this interview, I’d like to ask everyone to say a prayer for Camilla Pederson. She is an incredible triathlete, she won Ironman Frankfurt in July. Just over a week ago she was involved in a really bad biking accident, and has been in a coma since. Incidents like this really keep things in perspective. Please say a prayer for Camilla.
The Catholic Business Journal will follow Liz’s professional career with highlights and photos from Ironman Lake Tahoe, the Kona World Ironman Championship and other future events. Stay posted! ----------------------------------------------------------- Find out more about Liz by visiting her website: www.lizlyles.com. Live coverage of Ironman Lake Tahoe and the Hawaii Ironman World Championships will be broadcast at www.ironman.com on September 22 (Tahoe), and Octobler 12 (Hawaii). NBC will broadcast the Hawaii Ironman later this year.
