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Strong Bonds
03/13/2008 - By Tobi Tesoriero
Bethany And Luther White III
Ironman Couple Bethany And Luther White III Bring Fitness To A Whole New Level
We have all heard the tales of ancient heroes who performed feats of super-human strength – heroeslike Hercules, Odysseus, and Jason. These champions challenged themselves, traversing great distances, meeting obstacles and enemies head on. They set forth on their journeys, armed with drive and determination, becoming examples for generations to come. We’ve been amazed at the strength and endurance of these super creatures and have marveled at the ferocity of their strength and character. They are the stuff of which legends are made.
Well, it seems in today’s world we have set our own standard of the modern-day warrior. These heroes challenge themselves and test their limits with the same perseverance and drive as those mythical icons. They work hard, test their limits, and rise to the occasion of the challenges they have laid out for themselves. They have set upon their own journey – the path of an Ironman.
Colts Neck residents Bethany, who has a master’s in landscape architecture from University ofMassachusetts, Amherst, and a bachelor’s in computer science from Smith College, and her husband Luther White III, Market Director of Group 1 Automotive (he has an undergrad degree from University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a JD degree from Suffolk Law School), are two such modern-day “super” beings who are able to claim the distinction of being Ironmen. Both have earned bragging rights for their amazing ability to swim 2.4 miles, followed by a 112-mile bike ride and then a 26.2-mile run!
The Whites have participated in triathlons over the past several years. They have made a family affair of training together and traveling around the country to events with their children, Emma, 4, and Maximus, 3. The Whites share their passion for the sport, as well as information on the rigors and training demands of the triathlon.
LICN: What is a triathlon?
LW: A traditional triathlon is swim, bike, run.BW: It is a three sport event.
LICN: In that order?
LW: In that order. In some climates they have changed it; sometimes it is snowshoeing or kayaking, or in the winter in the Midwest they do cross-country skiing. We participate in the traditional one.
LICN: Where are they usually held?
LW: They are held all over the world, but we participate in the United States. The sport has exploded in popularity over the last 3 or 4 years. The United States of America Triathlon (USAT, the governing body of the sport) membership has quadrupled. A lot of runners who had sustained injuries are enjoying the fitness from triathlon with the added sports, without the continuous pounding from the running. Triathlons have a number of different lengths.
LICN: When you say it is different lengths, do you mean the legs of the race or the race itself?
LW: There are basically four distances in triathlons. The first distance is called the sprint distance. Those are typically a 0.25-mile swim, a 10- to 12-mile bike, and a 3.1-mile run. Then there is an Olympic or international distance. That is typically a 0.9-mile swim, a 30-mile bike, and a 6- or 7-mile run. There are minimums set by the USAT, but race directors can use their discretion. Then there is the half-Ironman distance, which is literally half the distance of the Ironman and is a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike, and a 13.1-mile run.
BW: That is an exact amount.
LW: Then you have the full Ironman distance which is the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, and a 26.2-mile run.
LICN: Which do you participate in?
LW: We focus on Ironman. That’s our “A” race, but obviously Ironman is tolling on your body, so we don’t do more than one a year…we will typically do international and a couple of halves during the course of the year…but, the Ironman is my passion.
LICN: How does one enter or become eligible
to race?
LW: The majority of non-Ironman races are non-qualifying events. You can enter an Ironman race as well without qualifying unless it is a championship. There is a questionnaire you have to fill out, though, as they are legitimately concerned about your safety. They recommend you do a half Ironman before you attempt a full Ironman. Everyone is eligible to take on the challenge.
LICN: Does the USAT oversee the Ironman competition?
LW: You have the USAT and you have the International Triathlon Federation; then you have Ironman, which is really a trademark…a brand within the sport. It is a small segment of the triathlon population in the United States.
LICN: Do the women do the same distances as the men?
BW: Yes…the women make up about 25% of all participants. Actually, the number of women participating doubled last year.
LW: If you participate in an Ironman, the distances are the same for everyone. Graham Frasier (CEO of Ironman) does an incredible job. We have participated in other events, and they are not as well run. Roads are not closed to traffic, [there are] not a lot of lifeguards, not enough nutrition on the course, and the run course might have gravel or potholes…. You can imagine the manpower you need to put that kind of event on. Frasier has turned this into a world-class event. I just participated in the New York City Marathon, and it was not run as well as Graham Frasier’s Ironman events. The Ironman is expensive to enter, about $600 for the entry fee…then you have to add on travel and additional expenses for the family.
LICN: Do they hold the events in the same locations every year?
BW: Pretty much, but they have also added venues. The oldest one is in Lake Placid.
LW: There were originally seven events in the U.S.; I think it’s now nine. You currently have Ironman USA in Lake Placid, Ironman Wisconsin in Madison, Ironman Arizona in Tempe, Ironman Florida in St. Petersburg, Ironman Louisville, Ironman Coeur d’Alene in Idaho (which we will be doing next June), Ironman Canada, Ironman World Championships, and Hawaii. There is a whole slew internationally.
LICN: How long have you been participating in the sport?
LW: Seriously for 3 years. I have been actively involved for five. When I mean seriously, I mean with training and lifestyle.
BW: It must have been 3 years ago when I started. It was just after Max was born; I did my first sprint, and right after that I trained for my first Ironman.
LICN: Had you been athletic prior to that?
BW: Not endurance sports really. I had run cross-country for a year in junior high [laughs], but, none of the three sports. We have always been athletes and involved in some sport. I had done diving in college and soccer in high school and college, but not biking or running.
LICN: What initially attracted you to triathlons?
BW: To see if we could do it [laughs].
LW: The absolute challenge. The distances in Ironman are insane…and the diversity of the three sports…I actually hate running. This is where the lifestyle comes in. We often do things that are easy; Ironman forces us to do things that are hard. The sacrifices, those little wins, and those little hurdles you get through…. A friend of mine says there are two times you train: “when you want to and when you don’t want to.” It’s those mornings when it is 5 am and it is cold and you have to hit the pool…but you always feel better afterwards. Then when you run the race you are alone. It takes about 12 hours and your mind wanders to so many thoughts…you are nervous; you have all this pent-up energy and you are surrounded with other “A” types, and you feed off of that. Then the cannon goes off and you are going a million miles an hour for a race that takes 12 hours; 8 minutes into it you realize it is a long day and you get that feeling of exhaustion and know you have to slow down! You go from excitement and exhilaration to tiredness, anger, frustration; sometimes you feel like crying. You see an athlete with one leg, you see a 75-year-old biking, and you realize what a blessing it is to be out there. Then you realize, ‘how can I be complaining when I see what this person is accomplishing?’ The positive encouragement you get on race day and fromthe triathlon community through the year is phenomenal.
LICN: Is it the same for you?
BW: I got sucked in [laughs]. I think it is realizing that we are blessed to have the ability to do it. We moved down to New Jersey and I didn’t know how I was going to do the training. I have a different plan than he has. My training is done when the kids are napping, so some days I don’t get to train. It is just the idea that I can do it that motivates me.
LICN: What do you do to train…physical, diet, mental preparation?
BW: Again, our plans are a little different.
LW: Well, they say in triathlons there are three things you need for success: the first is the physical – you have to put time in to do it; the second is nutritional, because if you are not taking in the proper nutrition you cannot perform on race day; the third thing is the mental side. Let me say [that] the nutritional is my Achilles heel. I take Vitamin C, fish oil, multivitamins. I take iron because it increases the oxygen in your blood. I drink a tremendous amount of fluids, I pay attention to my salts and potassium, and, again, I shouldn’t eat as many carbs as I do. I am a Clydesdale. There is a division for people above 200 pounds. They came up with this division because elites were 160 pounds and, in a sport like this, smaller people have an advantage. I typically race at 250. We are not all able to be 160 pounds, so it is a challenge.
BW: He actually started out overweight. But now his body fat is low.
LW: I do core exercises rather than weight training that would bulk me up.
LICN (to Bethany): Do you have a special diet or routine?
BW: In terms of diet, I eat pretty healthy anyway. I also take some vitamins. It is the proper kind of eating while you train; with the right carbs and proteins your body can recuperate. In terms of the training, we actually do it at home. We do strength training.
LW: We have the same coach. He puts us on a similar plan so when time permits we can do it together.
LICN: How many hours a week do you devote to training?
LW: We train 15 hours a week. The kids are involved as well; they take swimming lessons, bike, and run; they are at every race. I took on the Ironman challenge and I was working full-time and going to law school at night. Over the course of time, I gained 100 pounds! I was a solid 350 pounds and I was still doing sprint triathlons. I had always been an athlete…but when I first started I would come out of the water winded. Bethany would be shouting, “Let’s go, let’s go!” At this time a friend had mentioned the Ironman to me; I looked at myself hard in the mirror and realized how overweight I was, how unhealthy. I realized I needed balance in my life and focus; so my friend called and, being a Type A, I said okay. I went online and registered. I spent the next 2 weeks training; I swam 200 yards and said, ‘wow, this is going to be a challenge.’ I then got connected with a coach and
started serious training…I see people with personal, professional, and spiritual needs, and I think in life the trick is to balance those needs.
LICN: Do you find the women have those same needs and drives?
BW: It is the same; there are just as many driven women, but I am not as driven as Luther is. He is competing to do better. I was competing to finish. I think it is a big challenge. If you are driven…it is easier to keep going day by day. When I train for Ironman, I remind myself that it will be that much easier on race day if I do this. I get tired at times…I have had to get up early and I am not an early-morning person. I thought those people that got up at 6 am to train were nuts! I totally thought that. I remember the first time I got outside to train on my bike, I was out there at 5:30 in the morning thinking, ‘wow, I used to think these people were nuts and now I am one of them!’ But it’s great. Sometimes it is tiring, but it brings you energy. As hard as it is to do, you do get a benefit; it helps you focus, reminds you of what is important in life. You realize if you don’t have a perfect day you still get certain things done; you move from one day to the next and keep building on it.
LICN: Do you train every day?
LW: We take one day off a week. It is specific training. Some people talk about the difference between training and working out. Working out is not doing anything with a purpose. Everything we do in training is with a specific purpose. Heart-rate zone, a distance…the goal is to build.
LICN: How often do you compete? You mentioned you do one Ironman a year. How many other races do you enter?
LW: I would say about eight.
BW: I did the Ironman, the half Ironman, the sprint, and the causeway, which is a duathlon. I guess I did swimming, too. I did five races this year, not all triathlons. Prior to Ironman I never ran, biked, or swam these distances. I remember when I had my kids the thought of running across a parking lot if I was in a hurry was overwhelming. I would be dead, breathing heavily; I can now run across a parking lot and it would be like nothing!
LICN: Any rituals or superstitions before competitions?
LW: The night before I need private time. I do visualization…go through the race in my mind.
BW: I don’t do a whole lot of stuff. You get nervous. I just try to get everything together. There is a lot of equipment involved; I go through the checklist making sure we have everything.
LICN: Where do you swim during a race?
LW: Usually an ocean or a lake.
BW: Some triathlons do use a pool, but the Ironman does not. Mostly it is a lake, river, pond, or ocean. Sprints they do in waves. In Ironman 2,400 people all start together. There is strategy to draft to get behind someone that is a hair faster than you, but, of course, I have never been able to.
LW: There is also strategy from a combat view. An example…at Lake Placid, there is a rope 5 or 6 feet underwater. You try to follow the rope to swim the straightest, shortest distance, but 3,000 people all try to do the same thing. When the cannon goes off the more timid people go to the side and wait a few seconds. Others, like myself, go right in front. I am big so I get jostled, but some people have other people swim right over them.
BW: I have a problem getting water in my mouth [so] I hang back. But I found myself off to the side and found the rope before the more aggressive people like Luther did. There is a time deadline of 2 hours 10 minutes to complete the water portion of the race. So you do have to push yourself to qualify. I finish it in 1 hour 26 minutes.
LICN: Is there an off season or is this year-round?
BW: There is an off season, but there is always some kind of training.
LW: This is where experience comes in. You have to have an off season so your body does not break down. I train 5 hours a week off season and in season I do 15. I run 6 to 10 miles a week. I do base training…try to train my body to be more efficient. Mentally you need that.
LICN: How long are the on and off seasons?
LW: Three months off.
BW: It depends when the Ironman event is. If it is earlier, you have to go into more rigorous training sooner in the season.
LW: In endurance sports, most people in their prime are 30 to 35 years old. Your body is developed. I also find you need discipline. I might be doing base training at the “Y,” and some jock goes on the treadmill near me doing a 6-minute mile, and I am doing a 10-minute mile. I want to say, ‘I can do faster than that, buddy’ [laughs], but you learn you have to focus!
BW: That is part of the lifestyle. Learning to incorporate training. Even the kids know our routines. We put on an exercise video and our son will bring us water, as he knows that is part of our routine. Or when we go to a race our daughter will go through a checklist and say, “Do you have your wetsuit, Daddy?” I only train in season because of the kids. I trained 7 months. I started being only able to run 3 miles; when I did my first half in May I thought I would die. But then when I did the full Ironman I felt better. I had put in the right time and then my body was ready.
LW: Our trainer is down in Maryland and we did our initial testing and evaluations in person. He gives us 2-week blocks of training schedules. We give him feedback on routines and take heart rate, etc. We communicate through the Internet, and every 3 or 4 months we meet in person and he monitors us.
LICN: Do you have any other passions or interests?
LW: We are involved in our church locally. I am very involved with work and am very passionate about it.
BW: I do things with the kids…swimming lessons and gymnastics. I am part of a women’s Bible study and a mothers of preschoolers group; also photography and travel. We traveled a lot before the kids, and now we travel a lot as part of the triathlon events.
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