Even the strongest athletes collapse to the ground upon completion of this race.
Those are the ones who finish. Some are left vomiting on the side of the road or stricken by injury. To become an Ironman you must swim 2.4 miles, quickly switch gears and bike for 112 miles and finish off with a 26.2-mile marathon run. Only the finest athletes of excellent mental and physical condition could even complete a course of this magnitude.
So what does an Ironman look like? How about a 76-year-old Catholic nun?
Spokane resident Sister Madonna Buder has competed in 37 marathons, 300 triathlons and 31 Ironman Triathlons, all after the age of 50. Her journey to that point is quite a story.
Buder was introduced to running at the age of 48. A priest spoke to her praising the power of exercise. He described running as a "panacea with the power to cure depression [and] harmonize the mind, body and soul." Buder, full of inspiration, put on some hand-me-down shorts and went out to find the runner's high.
"I still don't know what the runner's high is, but I have had plenty of runner's lows," Buder said.
She never considered competing until she received news of a family member battling alcoholism. She immediately thought of Christ, who died on the cross so that his grace would be transferred to mankind. At that point Buder decided she would run the 8.2-mile Bloomsday Race held in Spokane so that her "will to overcome would be transferred" to her family member in need. The training was so intense at times she felt that running the race would be physically impossible. At the lowest point in her training she recalls hearing a voice telling her that she must have faith. She accepted this and saw the race as her cross to bear. Buder completed the race, and from then on she was hooked.
The first long-distance race she competed in was the Boston Marathon. This time she ran for multiple sclerosis, raising nearly $4,000 for the cause. After completing the Boston Marathon she set her sights on the Troika Half-Ironman Triathlon outside of Spokane. This would be her first of 300 triathlons, which are ranked in intensity by their length, the ultimate one being the Ironman Triathlon.
Nearly 25 years later, Buder is still going strong. Training has become a "lifestyle" for her. She typically rides her bike or runs to Mass. She enjoys "riding to Medical Lake," a 40-mile round-trip from her home. She also trains in the water at the Martin Centre on the Gonzaga campus. Training has become so second nature to her, she explained that at times she finds herself literally "running" errands.
Buder recently competed in the Canadian and Hawaiian Ironman competitions, both known to be extremely difficult courses. At both courses, she set a new age group record - she was the first 75-year-old, woman or man, to compete in and complete either course.
Asked to compare the two courses, Buder said they were very different: "The Canadian course was far more physically demanding, whereas the Hawaiian course was more mentally demanding." She described the Hawaiian course as a moonscape, winding by the ocean with no change.
Buder's faith motivates her to complete such an arduous races.
"I see the finish line as symbolic for the Pearly Gates. You want to get there, and you want to know you have given all you have to give when you arrive," she said.
According to Buder, participating in a triathlon has parallels to life. During training she has time to be in nature and "enjoy the captivating scenery that Mother Nature has to offer." In a race setting, when you are flying down a course as fast as you can go, you are susceptible to all the dangers life has to offer, she said.
Like life,races do not always end well. A few years ago, Buder was making great time on her bicycle. She was suddenly thrashed by intense winds and was thrown from her bike while rounding a corner. Lying on the pavement bleeding, Buder recalls the feelings of "angels there to cushion [her] fall." She has been able to use her faith again and again to come back from hard falls and difficult times.
Buder shows no signs of slowing down. She feels that she must stay strong so that she may "be able to help those who need [her] services the most." Whether one's goal is to someday participate in Ironman or simply to overcome laziness and study for a history exam, Buder truly inspires one to put forth tremendous effort, no matter what the goal may be.
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