Joe Sharrow recently achieved a significant life goal in the heart of Badger country.
Sharrow, 39, a Goodrich resident, finished the Ironman Triathlon Sunday, Sept. 10 in Madison, Wis., the home of the University of Wisconsin. Out of the 2,500 competitors that started the race, Sharrow finished 1,197th, completing the event in 13 hours, 37 minutes and 50 seconds.
‘I wanted to run an Ironman before I turned 40,? he said. ‘It was a great experience.?
The Ironman Triathlon is comprised of three events: swimming (2.4 miles), cycling (112 miles) and running (26.2 miles, the equivalent of a marathon). Sharrow swam in one hour, 31 minutes and 25 seconds; biked in seven hours, 26 minutes and seven seconds; and ran in four hours, 10 minutes and one second.
Sharrow said the biking was the hardest event of the three, and felt more comfortable once he completed that event and moved on to running.
‘My roots are in running,? he said. ‘Once I got to the run, I felt I was in my element.?
Sharrow’s past experiences back up his claim. He has run in two previous Detroit Free Press marathons ? in 2004, he finished in 3:58.26, and in 2005, he finished in 3:25. He also plans to race in this year’s marathon Sunday, Oct. 29.
In addition, he has competed in the Big Fish Triathlon in Hadley Township, the Crim Festival of Races, and the Kayla O’Mara Memorial Road Race earlier this year.
Adding to the day’s challenges was the unseasonably cool weather. ‘I don’t think it got above 60 degrees the day of the triathlon,? he said. ‘It rained for 13 hours, plus wind.
The triathlon got underway at 7 a.m. Central Standard Time, and contestants had to be done with the swimming portion by 9:30 a.m.; otherwise, they were disqualified from competing in the rest of the race.
Likewise, competitors had to complete the cycling portion by 5:30 p.m. or be eliminated, and the run concluded at midnight, regardless of whether or not competitors were done with the race. Sharrow said he finished the triathlon at 8:37 p.m. CST.
He said he was nervous about making the cutoff times, but added that made him train harder. He said on Friday, Sept. 8, the triathlon committee added another cutoff time, mandating that all competitors must be halfway done with the triathlon by 1:30 p.m.
Sharrow said he ran into a bit of a roadblock between the cycling and running portions of the event.
‘When I got off the bike from the rain and cold, I had to change into my running gear,? he said. ‘They held me up for 19 minutes because my body was shivering. They wouldn’t let me run for fear my body temperature would drop too low.?
One aspect of the triathlon that helped keep Sharrow and other competitors going was that every mile, there would be reinforcements such as water, Gatorade, chicken broth, Powerbars, and GU packs (which Sharrow described as ‘almost like cake frosting?.)
Sharrow said contestants must register for the Triathlon at least one year in advance. Once that was taken care of, he began focusing in earnest on his training.
He strove to balance his training schedule with his job as a firefighter and paramedic with the City of Warren (where he has worked for 14 years), as well as his painting business which he operates on the side. He said he ran about four days per week, biked about three or four days per week, and swam two days per week in training for the event.
‘For me, that worked out well,? he said. ‘When I was in training for the swim, I spent one hour in the Brandon pool, and as it got close to the Ironman, I added on. For biking, I kept track by mileage ? I started out at 20, then worked my way up to 50. For running, I started out running 10 miles each Sunday for three weeks, then 15 miles for three weeks, 18 miles for two weeks, 20 miles for one week, and then two weeks of rest. Once I got closer to the Ironman, I was more consistent.?
He said he was able to train for the triathlon at work, since they have a treadmill at the fire station. ‘They encourage us to stay in good shape,? he said.
Sharrow left for Madison Friday, Sept. 8 and brought along parents Joe and Cheryl Sharrow of Goodrich, along with wife Gina, 39, and children Christina, 13, Joey, 11, and Janeen, 10.
While Sharrow said he is not sure if he wants to compete in another Ironman (‘It’s too soon to tell if I’ll try again?), he will soon be preparing for the Free Press Marathon, which he is running in hopes of qualifying for the Boston Marathon in 2007. He said he has to finish the marathon in three hours, 20 minutes in order to qualify.
‘I thought I’d rest for two weeks and then get back to running,? he said.