Triathalon: Swim or sink for this triathlete

By Terry Maddaford

Ian Stronach is a hard case. One of life's real characters.

He might not be quite so chipper in a couple of weeks, however, after he has battled the odds and elements in the New Zealand Ironman triathlon in Taupo.

A 70-year-old retired former naval officer, Stronach is tackling his third Ironman after earlier efforts in Auckland in 1992 and 1993, when he set the 60-64 age-group record he held "until some bloody Aussie beat it."

Stronach, who did his first Ironman with his wife, Marcelle, before she was sidelined following a stroke, is heading into the unknown, although he does plan to be in Taupo on the Tuesday before the March 6 championship "to suss things out."

"My wife is determined I'm going to do it," said Stronach a short time after completing another 100km training ride this week. "She'll be there with my supporters. I know there will be a lot of the runners from the "Y" down as well."

With a running, and, more recently, a cycling background, it is hardly surprising Stronach finds the 2.4km swim the greatest challenge.

"The fresh water only adding to the test," he said. And colder? "For sure. I'll be wearing a wetsuit, helmet and boots - and if I could get an outboard I'd use that as well."

His other fear, he joked, was being dragged by the current beyond the finish line and down the Waikato River.

The 2h 15m swim time limit holds no real fears, however.

"Swimming is all technique. If you stop, you drown. I don't want to do either.

"I hope to be on the bike in an hour-and-a-half and expect a seven-and-a-half-hour ride. I have allowed myself five hours for the [marathon] run but I could do better than that. I did four hours last time."

Twelve years ago, in an earlier marathon, Stronach ran a personal best of 3h 09m. He is a member of the exclusive Survivors' Club after running the tough Rotorua marathon 16 times.

Hardly surprising really, when you consider he played rugby until he was 38.

In his earlier Navy days, he was good enough to play for the New Zealand Combined Services and in 1951 for the Australian Services against the All Blacks.

"The most vivid memory of that game was being flung into touch."

At only 68kg that is hardly surprising, although he said he was eating like a horse in his attempt to gain the two or three kilograms he needs to put on before race day.

Not averse to a glass of wine and few beers as part of his training diet, Stronach, who lives in Epsom, has an ongoing love affair with Cornwall Park and One Tree Hill, where he churns out many miles.

He swims and runs three times a week, cycles three days and rounds his training week off with a long Sunday run.

The ironman cut-off time for the 2.4km swim, 180km cycle and 42.2km marathon run is 17 hours. Stronach will be disappointed if he takes more than 14 - and he can be sure there will be plenty out on the road way beyond that.

Pictured: Ian Stronach training on St Heliers Bay beach. He is aiming for a time of under 14 hours. HERALD PICTURE / RUSSELL SMITH