At the end of a 364-day adventure, Darin Shields wanted to relax. So, as quickly as possible, the Ridgefield man headed for a hot tub.
After spending almost 10 hours on Aug. 29 putting his 42-year-old body through the rinse-and-tumble cycle battering of Ironman Canada, Shields was thinking only one thing: warmth.
A day that began with dreams of warm Hawaiian breezes turned into a cyclists version of Ice Road Truckers. And that made the first official Ironman triathlon a more extreme experience than Shields anticipated.
And for a heck of a story.
An experienced marathoner and half-Ironman racer, Shields started training in late August of 2009 for the 2010 Ironman Canada. He’d completed a triathlon of the same distance — 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, 26.2-mile run — once before. But that hadn’t been an Ironman race, and it had taken him 12 hours to complete.
He went to Penticton, B.C., last month intent on completing his first Ironman triathlon in less than 10 hours and qualifying for the Ironman World Championships.
It was a challenge he was prepared for, thanks to Dr. Dave Ciaverella and several dozen friends and training partners who share a passion for pushing themselves to physical limits.
Shields said he wasn’t particularly bothered by the mob scene of a swim. With a record 2,800 athletes starting the race, there were times in the opening minutes when swimmers were climbing over one another in search of open water. Getting kicked in the eye didn’t change Shields’ focus.
As cyclists rolled past him early in the 112-mile loop that would include a couple of mountain passes, Shields kept reminding himself to be patient.
Nearing the second summit on the bike course, he enjoyed a Tour de France-like feeling as spectators lined the mountain road to offer encouragement. The day was unfolding according to plan.
Then, the heavens unloaded and ramped up the challenge.
During a windy, 5.5-mile downhill stretch, a mountain squall dropped the temperature into the 30s and threw rain and sleet at the riders. Just descending the mountain safely became a strain. Shields followed a professional competitor to the bottom of the mountain.
Somewhere between there and the transition to the 26.2-mile run, Shields lost feeling in his feet and hands. He needed help changing his socks and shoes. He ran the first five miles of the marathon without any feeling below his knees, and feeling that his chances of qualifying for Hawaii were fleeting.
Ciaverella, a Portland physician and veteran triathlete, saw Shields and told him he would pass multiple runners in his age group over the last half of the marathon. The coach, himself a Kona qualifier, was correct.
As a way of coping with his body screaming to quit, Shields imagined landmarks he routinely passes on his training runs around Ridgefield. That almost made the last three miles bearable.
“Those last three miles are the ones that make or break a triathlete,” Shields said.
Shields hit the finish line 9 hours, 53 minutes, and 46 seconds after his race began. He was the 11th male age 40-44 to reach the finish line — 73rd overall.
“Your body stops, but your emotions are still running,” he said, reflecting upon his finish-line experience.
As he made his way up the finish-line chute, Shields marveled at the reception. It wasn’t until he was almost to the end of the chute that he recognized that his aids were running buddies Bob Croucher and Mike Gilbert from Vancouver.
After hugging his wife Angela — who has completed three Ironman triathlons — Shields spent an hour under observation and wrapped in blankets in the medical tent before seeking out that hot tub.
Shields had broken the 10-hour barrier as he’d hoped, and done it in conditions he hopes he never again faces in a race. Still, he couldn’t totally relax until 11 a.m. last Monday.
That’s when his name was called as the last man in the 40-44 age group to claim a spot in next month’s Ironman World Championships.
That’s when the warmth finally settled in for Darin Shields, Ironman.
Paul Danzer covers Community Sports for The Columbian. Reach him at 360-735-4521 or paul.danzer@columbian.com.
