Iron-willed attitude helps DeBoom excel in Ironman

Advertiser Staff

Tim DeBoom, of Lyons, Colo., will seek his third straight win in the Ironman Triathlon World Championship at Kailua, Kona. Advertiser library photo Race Facts What: 2.4-mile ocean swim, followed by 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run. Competitors have 17 hours to complete the course. Who: Approximately 1,600 competitors from all over the world. When: Saturday, 7 a.m. start. First finishers expected between 3 and 3:30 p.m. Where: Kailua, Kona on the Big Island. Race starts and finishes near the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel. Purse: $430,000 total; the first male and female finishers receive $100,000 each.

Technically, Tim DeBoom is a professional triathlete.

But he may as well be called a professional Ironman Triathlon World Championship triathlete.

"I do other shorter races throughout the year, but nothing major," said DeBoom, 33. "Basically, my focus is on one race."

That race is the Ironman Triathlon World Championship, which will take place at Kailua, Kona, on Saturday. The event consists of a 2.4-mile ocean swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run.

DeBoom is the two-time defending champion. He is seeking to join an exclusive list of multiple winners.

Only two other male competitors have won at least three consecutive Ironman world championships — Mark Allen won five in a row from 1989-93, and Dave Scott won three in a row from 1982-84.

"I expect another good race," DeBoom said. "I think I'm pretty fresh coming in. I actually trained harder than I ever have. If I don't make any big mistakes, I think I should be successful. Whether that means winning again or not, I don't know."

DeBoom said he trains seven times a week, 25 to 30 hours a week at his current hometown of Lyons, Colo. A typical training day includes a one-hour swim followed by a five-hour bike, and a one-hour run.

For a change of pace, he'll sometimes include yoga, hiking, mountain biking or weightlifting.

"It's a full-time job," he said. "I would say most of the top guys train the same. It's not like I'm doing anything entirely different. I think it comes down to mental toughness."

DeBoom's annual progression in the Ironman world championship is a testament to his toughness.

In 1996, only two years after winning the United States amateur triathlon championship, DeBoom placed 21st at Kona. He improved his placing every year after that, finishing 11th, 10th, third and second from 1997 to 2000.

In 2001, just three weeks after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, DeBoom got his breakthrough victory, becoming the first American champion since 1995.

"Every year leading up to that was a driving factor," he said. "Once you get that urge to improve, you just don't give up."

What's more, DeBoom has had to rally to victory in each of the past two years.

"The run has become my strength because of my experience in this race," he said. "The more you do this race, the more you learn about your body. That's where the mental aspect comes in."

Ironically, DeBoom said 2001 may have been his toughest year as a pro triathlete. Although he won the most prestigious event in the sport, he lost his primary sponsors.

"It wasn't anything I said or did, it was because those sponsors were getting out of the sport and going in a different direction," he said. "It made me question why I was in the sport."

Ultimately, DeBoom found that he was addicted to a Rocky Mountain high. He moved out of his hometown of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, about a decade ago to find a city more conducive to his training.

"What kept me going is the lifestyle," he said. "In Colorado, the atmosphere is great for training. I actually enjoy the training now more than the racing."

DeBoom arrived in Kona last week to "get used to the heat." He is also well aware of the heat that he will face from the other competitors.

"There are so many top guys now," he said. "You can take any of the top 15 to 20 and say they have a chance at winning."

In the women's division, Natascha Badmann of Switzerland is going after her fourth consecutive title, and fifth overall. Paula Newby-Fraser, who has eight championships, is the only female competitor with more titles than Badmann.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8101.