Posted on: Friday, September 24, 2004
RECREATION
Triathlete balances work, expectations in competition
| • | Hawai'i Tsunami No. 2 at tourney |
| • | Sports notices |
By Katherine Nichols
Special to The Advertiser
Tanya Bettis is something of a hero in her hometown of Farmington, N.M., but you won't hear about it from her.
Proud of her 100 percent Navajo Indian heritage, yet intensely modest, she speaks about her family's Native American ancestry and her rigorous training schedule for the Ironman Triathlon World Championships on Oct. 16 at Kona only when asked.
"It's quite a big deal for her family," said Raul Boca, a veteran triathlon coach who trains the 34-year-old Bettis. "She's actually representing a whole group of people."
The Ironman will be the first of two grueling back-to-back races.
The weekend following the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run on the Big Island, she will fly to Maui and compete in her fourth XTERRA Off Road Triathlon World Championships.
"I do it because it makes me complete," she said of her enthusiasm for competition. "It keeps me in shape and it keeps me balanced, because my job is stressful. If I didn't train, I think I'd be so grouchy," she said.
As a full-time nurse at The Queen's Medical Center, she juggles a demanding exercise routine with a tiring job. Her 12-hour shift in the emergency room each week usually dictates a day off from working out.
Other days she tries to work the evening shift in labor and delivery, from 3 to 11:30 p.m., so she can train in the mornings.
But it isn't easy.
This entails going to bed at 12:30 a.m. or 1 a.m., then rising at 5 a.m. to swim with the Master's program at the University of Hawai'i. She does this four to five times a week for a total of about 14,000 meters in the water.
After swimming, she often bikes or runs, then naps before going to the hospital in the afternoon. Each week she rides about 160 miles — including a two-hour mountain biking session for XTERRA — and runs a total of 50 miles.
Her goal for the Ironman is to "just finish." But she quietly added that she hopes to break 11 hours, an aspiration her coach thinks is possible.
Workouts that include a 70-mile bike ride followed immediately by a 1-hour run pose constant challenges.
"I definitely need more sleep," she said. "And more calories."
Keeping her body fueled with the right kinds of foods has been a learning process.
During the 112-mile Dick Evans Memorial Bicycle Race earlier this month, she struggled with her food intake and dropped off the back of the lead pack of men at 65 miles. Even so, she was the second woman to finish in an impressive time of 5 hours, 36 minutes.
She also built her confidence with a strong 1:21 finish in the Waikiki Roughwater Swim, and last weekend won the Na Wahine Sprint Triathlon despite slipping and injuring herself during a transition.
Bettis participated in track and basketball in high school, but did little endurance exercise as a student at New Mexico State, choosing instead to "do the gym thing."
After earning her Bachelor's degree in nursing, a friend encouraged her to start cycling. So Bettis bought a steel frame bike and joined a training group, only to labor through every session.
"I used to be that person, always last," she said.
She worked in Las Cruces, N.M., and El Paso, Texas, for three years before becoming a traveling nurse.
The next three years took her to Washington State, California, and eventually, Hawai'i in 1999.
After a six-month stint in Hawai'i, she found herself back in Santa Fe, N.M., more enthusiastic than ever about the sport.
"I just kept doing it and kept doing it," she said.
Soon she started winning her age group in local races.
And she kept calling Hawai'i for job openings.
Good news came in 2001, when she moved to the Islands. She is married to fellow triathlete Chris Bettis, a former Navy SEAL who is currently an account executive for Countrywide.
"He has been the best support person for me," she said. "I'm lucky to have him."
In keeping with her desire for balance, her objectives in life don't revolve entirely around triathlons.
She and Chris bought a house recently, and she looks forward to having the energy to decorate and organize it. They also want to start a family. In the meantime, she relishes each new challenge.
"I like it that I can push myself and be my own individual person," she said. "It makes me realize what my potential is."
