WGV Athlete to Test Her Iron Will at Ironman Triathlon Susan Briers Fits Between 17 and 24 Training Hours into a Full-Time Work Week.
By lisa miller
What takes most a lifetime for the average person took only two years for Susan Briers.
This 50-year-old World Golf Village resident spent that time training to compete in the grueling World Championship Ironman triathlon. She’ll know soon if the hard work paid off. Briers left Wednesday to take her spot the event, which will occur Oct. 15 in Kona, Hawaii.
Only the “best of the best” qualify for the race that consists of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2 mile run. Briers placed first in her age bracket during a qualifying race in Brazil earlier this year.
“I’m a type-A personality, when I do something I want to do it well,” the athlete said. “I just want to have a good race, a safe race.”
She also qualified for the Team USA and World Championship short course triathlon during a competition in Shreveport, La., last month. The short course event will happen Sunday in Honolulu and involves a 1.5-kilometer swim, 40-kilometer bike ride and 10- kilometer run.
Though Briers is excited about the competition and opportunity to participate in what’s considered the Olympics of triathlons, she said her success is bittersweet. She’s the only one of her handful of friends who competed in the Brazil qualifier to earn a spot for the Hawaii race.
“I’m carrying the torch for all of them,” she said. “It’s really an absolutely wonderful experience, to have people supportive of you and living the dream with you.”
Briers, who is the director of food and nutrition services at Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville, has spent seven days a week for the past 22 months lifting weights, biking, swimming and running mile after mile to properly train.
Each day begins at 4:30 a.m. with a training session, then it’s off to work for eight-plus hours, then back home for more training. Briers completes most of her preparations at a lap pool in her King and Bear neighborhood, on a stationary bike in her home or around the 13 non-repeat roadway miles that surround her.
Despite what seems like eons of training to some, Briers doesn’t have any expectations for Hawaii, only to “do well and stay safe.”
And the challenges are obvious — keeping herself properly nourished by consuming enough calories during the race to keep her body going.
The horror stories of triathletes are endless: vomiting while running, diarrhea while biking, complete exhaustion, dehydration. But Briers is only concerned about one leg of the race.
“Biking is the hardest part because you’re on it for so long,” she said. “Most triathletes hate the run, but I come from a running background.”
A “running background” is an understatement when it comes to this athlete.
Briers started long-distance running in 1985 and has competed in more than 64 marathons. She started “ultra distance” events a year later and has finished 48 events consisting of 100-mile runs, which take up to 33 hours to complete.
“You went non-stop, you didn’t sleep. It’s a huge advantage,” she said of her experience. “I know that I can get through anything. I’m not going to die on a bike. I will take it at such a pace that I will survive it.”
Those interested in tracking Briers’ progress can do so at www.Ironmanlive.com. NBC also plans to broadcast the race at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12.lisa.miller@jacksonville.com,(904) 287-0618 ext. 202#Susan Biers’ training will be tested Oct. 15 when she competes in the World Championship Ironman triathlon in Hawaii. The daunting event comprises a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride and a 26.2-mile run.