Sept. 15 was the perfect day for an afternoon swim, bike or run. For thousands of men and women from all over the country and the world, the swim, bike and run lasted a bit longer.
Sunday, Madison played host to the Ironman Wisconsin Triathlon, an event that encompassed a 2.4-mile swim in Lake Monona, a 112-mile bike ride throughout Dane County and a 26.2-mile run through the UW campus and Eagle Heights. Twelve students from the university participated in the race, an experience some will never forget.
Junior Mike McLean participated in the Ironman, finishing in less than 13 hours. He said he enjoyed participating in all three events, although the run gave him the most problems.
\I liked all of it really,"" McLean said. ""The swim was really cool because most people had green swim caps on and all you saw was green spheres. Green heads from Monona terrace down to the lake.""
Sophomore Peter Maves also competed in the race and finished in just under 12 hours, his goal for the race.
Like McLean, the run challenged Maves the most because he became exhausted toward the end of the race.
""By [the time of the run], my legs were pretty tight after the swim and bike, but I was able to keep going,"" Maves said. ""It's a pretty tough race altogether.""
One challenge of the race for the participants was keeping themselves nourished throughout the day. If athletes do not replenish fluids lost through perspiration, they can suffer from dehydration. McLean, who experienced this during and after the race, ran into medical difficulties.
""The run [was the most difficult] because I don't think I hydrated,"" McLean said. ""I thought I was eating a lot ... but I didn't really take the time to stop and fill up.""
McLean's dehydration caused him to require medical information upon completing the race.
""I collapsed into the arms of a medical team that spent the next two hours trying to bring me out of shock and dehydration,"" McLean said.
""There was a whole room loaded with people. It was like watching a war movie or something.""
Maves also expressed the importance of hydration during the race. Volunteers for the triathlon handed out water, Gatorade and snacks at an aid station, and each participant assembled a ""Special Needs"" bag with food and equipment. Volunteers brought the bags to certain locations on the course where the triathletes could access them.
""When I passed by the aid station, I'd usually walk and grab my water or Gatorade and pretzels, "" Maves said.
Despite the challenge Maves and McLean encountered, both said they would enter another race. Maves said he would compete in another Ironman Wisconsin, although he would probably not race next year because of the time commitment and the cost of participating, $375.
For McLean, there was no question about future participation.
""I'm definitely going to do it again,"" McLean said.
