On Sept. 22, roughly 2,600 athletes will hit Tahoe’s crystal clear water to begin the inaugural IRONMAN Lake Tahoe, a triathlon consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile run.
Among that packed field, several hometown athletes will tackle a course that race director Keats McGonigal calls “one of the more challenging races that we put on.”
The elevation gain on the bike course (which climbs over Brockway summit twice) and the high altitude will be especially difficult for competitors, said McGonigal.
But that thin air and those brutal climbs did not scare away athletes. The first IRONMAN in California since 2001, this year’s event sold out in about 36 hours, as competitors jumped at the chance to compete in Lake Tahoe’s world-class alpine beauty. Up to 12,000 visitors are expected to come to Tahoe to cheer on these athletes as they attack the high-altitude climbs, the open-water swim, and the full marathon-length run on a course that travels through Kings Beach, Tahoe City, Truckee, and Squaw Valley.
Moonshine Ink tracked down four local athletes who will have home-court advantage next month as they take on the IRONMAN challenge in their backyard. Each has their own motivation, their own approach to racing, their own goals and challenges, and their own story. All four are balancing jobs, family life, and training. But come Sept. 22, these athletes will all look to hear the same four words in front of their hometown crowd: “You are an IRONMAN.”
Dawn Gaffney
Working Mom with a Competitive Drive
Dawn Gaffney, 42, completed her first triathlon in 1984, but it wasn’t until 2001 that she did her second, the Donner Lake Triathlon.
“As I was about to turn 30 I didn’t like where my health was at,” she said. “The race just happened to fall on my birthday, so I thought I’d do something good for myself.”
She’s since completed that race seven more times, plus two half-Iron distance races and one full-Iron distance race, the Vineman Triathlon in Sonoma County. Gaffney said competition is what drives her. But her biggest competitor is herself.
“There’s a sense of accomplishment in my personal progression that pushes me,” she said.
Despite her now-solid triathlon experience, Gaffney, who lives in Tahoe City and works at Squaw Valley, said training for Ironman Lake Tahoe has been tough, especially as a working mother.
“My friends and I always joke about how there should be a ‘working mom’ category,” she said.
In balancing training with work and family life, Gaffney does most of her sessions on her own or with her kids (they ride bikes while she runs) on a spontaneous schedule, with no coach and no training plan.
“I pretty much just wing it and hope for the best,” she said.
On race day, Gaffney’s goal is to “finish strong.”
“I want to swim the swim, bike the bike, and run (not walk) the run,” she said.
Rob Kronkhyte
Living the Endurance Athlete Lifestyle
For Rob Kronkhyte, 57, endurance training is a lifestyle; it’s a year-round routine and a big part of who he is. Though his activities have evolved over the years, he’s no stranger to the unique challenge of long-distance racing.
Kronkhyte, a Tahoe City resident, first became a triathlete in 1986, focusing primarily on XTERRA (off-road) racing, and then took up ultra-running in 2000. He’s put together an extensive racing résumé over the years, including numerous Western States 100 finishes, multiple XTERRA World Championship appearances, and completing IRONMAN Canada in 2009.
“I need to be pushed,” he said. “IRONMAN pushes me like ultra (running races) do.”
Kronkhyte’s training is highly structured, as are other aspects of his life, such as diet. He eats very few processed foods, and even makes his own energy bars.
“It’s so important to be putting the right fuel in the tank,” he said.
Kronkhyte’s race prep consists of “lots of really long runs” (50-miles plus), laps on the IRONMAN bike course, and regular swims in Lake Tahoe.
“It’s a lot about just being on my feet and putting hours on my body so I’m not fatigued at mile 12 on the run,” he said.
Kronkhyte said he’s “fired up” with the approach of race day, and feels like he’s ready to go. His goal is to finish in between 12 and 13 hours, and in the top 10 percent of his age group.
Michael Chador
Making a Comeback
Michael Chador, 45, will bring some extra motivation to IRONMAN Lake Tahoe this fall, since his first IRONMAN attempt last November left him stranded on the side of the road.
The Olympic Valley-based athlete was partway through the ride at IRONMAN Arizona last year, and charging hard, when he hit a cut in the concrete and went over the front of his bike. Three other riders piled on top of him and the bike ended up in pieces. His body was covered in road rash, but not being able to finish was the most painful part Chador said.
“I’d been training for easily a year and a half,” he said, adding that when he started he could barely swim one length of the pool. “It was a long, hard journey to get to that point and to have it end that way was really disappointing.”
Chador learned a lot that day, and he now approaches IRONMAN with a new perspective.
“Before it was really all about time,” he said. “I wanted to finish under 12 hours and I was very focused on accomplishing that one thing … But what happened was a bit of an eye opener that it should not be about time, but just going out and accomplishing what I set out to do.”
Come IRONMAN Lake Tahoe, Chador said time will be secondary. He’ll focus on the finish line, pay careful attention to his body, and draw motivation from his family.
“The number one thing that keeps me going is just being a positive, strong role model for my daughters,” he said.
Valli Murnane
Power of the Mind
Go ahead and add Valli Murnane to the working moms category. The 41-year-old mom of two, who operates Tahoe Cross Country with her husband, knows a thing or two about being busy. But that didn’t stop her from signing up for her first IRONMAN.
Murnane said she’s “no incredible athlete,” and she struggles with swimming. But she’s certainly no novice, either, having completed a number of shorter triathlons, and one half-Iron distance race. Growing up, she competed in running and rowing events.
Murnane said IRONMAN training has been a unique and challenging process, so she enlisted some local coaching help for guidance. Time has been the single most difficult aspect, she said.
Come race day, Murnane’s greatest weapon may very well be her mindset.
“With a positive mind I believe we are truly capable of anything,” she said.
Though nerves and excitement are starting to kick in, Murnane said she’s trying to keep it all in perspective to help her complete the event in the 17-hour time limit.
“I’m just trying to stick to my training plan and be one with the journey,” she said. “I can’t get too caught up in the hype.
I just need to take it one day at a time.”
