If you're trying to catch Wendy Minor, now is the time.

After taking fifth in her age division at the Ironman World Championships in Kona two weeks ago (14 hours, 22 minutes and 56 seconds), her 25th Ironman competition in a little over 20 years, and completing her sixth Xterra World Championship offroad triathlon (first place in the 60 and older division at 5:53:53) last weekend, the 61-year-old Minor is taking a well-deserved break.

As the owner of a successful food- and water-testing business who follows a triathlon training regimen that doubles as a second full-time job, Minor is an expert at making the most of her time. And right now, efficiency means taking a little time off to let her body recover and to allow her energy reserves to refill.

Minor grew up in Orinda, Calif., at a time when athletic opportunities for girls were severely limited.

"In P.E., we played basketball, but all we could do was dribble the ball twice and pass," Minor says. "We'd play tennis but with no running, since running was considered bad for women. I also played golf as a teenager."

As an Oregon State University coed, she golfed, fenced and played tennis, but it still wasn't enough to fully satisfy her competitive streak.

With a microbiology degree in hand, Minor started her own business at age 24, all the while skiing and sailing.

In 1984, Minor, a single mother, moved to O'ahu with her daughter and quickly found herself immersed in the Island's paddling community.

"The day after I got here, I joined Hui Nalu," she says. "That was really odd, but it did not seem odd at the time. Then I joined the masters' swimming at the Oahu Club."

And she was off.

Where others take years building up to the 2.5-mile Waikiki Roughwater Swim, Minor dove in and did the double Roughwater. Not long after, a friend bought a road bike and let Minor take a spin. The friend mentioned that she was training for the Tinman Triathlon. Minor thought, "Why not?"

Never a serious runner, Minor's first training efforts found her alternately running and walking, block after block.

She finished the Tinman, then did a shorter sprint triathlon, then a half-Ironman, which qualified her for the Ironman in Kona.

"I figured I'd better do it because it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance," she says. "I trained from August to October to get ready."

Consider the progress Minor had to make. The Tinman then consisted of a 750-meter swim, 25-mile bike ride, and 10K run. The Ironman consists of a 2.5-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and a full 26.2-mile marathon.

Minor's daughter, Mandy, turned 9 the night before that first Ironman. Minor's father, taking a quick break from caring for Minor's cancer-stricken mother, flew in from California to see his daughter race.

"When I came through the dark on Queen K highway and crossed the finish line and saw my daughter and my dad there, it was super-special," Minor said. "My dad came to all of my Kona races until he passed away (in 1999). Whenever I'm out there now, I think about him a lot."

Minor would go on to compete in 12 Kona Ironman competitions, as well as Ironman races in Canada (six times), the Canary Islands, Australia, California, Arizona, Idaho, New York and South Africa.

Along the way, she has also competed in the grueling Xterra race and paddled the Moloka'i channel in six- and two-person canoes.

And while she has been through the usual host of everyday endurance-athlete injuries — runner's knee, plantar fasciitis — she has never suffered a major injury from triathlon training. (Breaking her arm snowboarding doesn't count.)

Her good health is partly the result of Minor listening to her body and mind. Under the guidance of triathlon trainer Raul Boca and swim coach John Flanagan, Minor concentrates more on high-quality workouts than obsessing on mileage. And, as has been her pattern, she takes periodic extended breaks from her triathlon schedule.

"I tend to train and do races for two years, then back off for a year," she explains. "I get mentally burned out, and I definitely need to back off. When I come back, I'm fresh, and it's a whole lot more fun."

Right now, Minor has designs on digging up her long-neglected surfboard.

"I put it in the garage and put a bunch of stuff on it," she says. "I knew I had to leave it (while I trained), or I'd never get back on my bike."

Yet, Minor knows she'll keep returning to triathlon as long as she is able.

"Swimming is great for people of all ages, and I think I'll swim forever," she says. "I absolutely love being on my bike because I feel like a kid. And even though I was never much of a runner, it's amazing what you find out you can do, especially when you combine all three together.

"There is such a sense of satisfaction in doing Kona," she says. "You have to dig so deep down into your soul to pull it out. It's just deeply satisfying."

And, Minor says, it's an experience everyone can share if the will and the determination are there.

"I remember years ago watching the Ironman on TV and thinking, 'These guys are absolutely nuts, just lunatics,' " she says. "But sure enough, I got into it and going through it, you realize that it's doable.

"Anything is possible."

Reach Michael Tsai at mtsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.