Only stout hearted dare test the waters

Daniel Wallace
Special for The Republic
Apr. 8, 2005 12:00 AM

The sun glinted off the water as Dennis Barr waded down a boat ramp into Tempe Town Lake and began swimming against the wind.

Barr, a 52-year-old Tempe resident, battled waves in preparation for the Ironman Arizona Triathlon coming to Tempe on Saturday.

"I'm out here trying to build confidence for the swim," said Barr, who in February fractured two ribs and consequently missed weeks of training.

Barr's injury was a significant setback, considering the grueling nature of the Ironman competition. One of the most rigorous of all sporting events, the Ironman triathlon consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike race and a 26.2-mile run - a full marathon - in succession.

Professional and amateur athletes from 30 countries and 47 states are entered.

There have been two fatalities at Ironman triathlons, which began 25 years ago as a competition between Navy SEALs, and has grown into an international phenomenon with 18 competitions worldwide and more than 20,000 participants.

The requisite training, Barr said, is a lifestyle.

Barr is out of bed by 4:30 every morning, running at the track before work and swimming at the YMCA in the afternoons. Two physical trainers work with Barr, and during an average week he devotes more than 14 hours to exercise.

He hasn't always been so committed.

Barr smoked two packs of cigarettes a day for nearly 20 years. He paid little attention to health or nutrition. After the birth of his son, Dylan, 13 years ago, Barr decided to change his life.

"I didn't want to smoke around Dylan, and I wanted to live long enough to see him grow up," Barr said.

He said he stayed true to his resolution by quitting smoking and taking up running.

He would run far as seven miles while his son peddled beside him. He began entering competitions, first half-marathons, then marathons.

And after his first triathlon, Barr said he was hooked.

"I've now been in over 30 triathlons," he said. "And I'm a member of the Landis Triclub."

About 10 members of Landis Triclub in Tempe will compete this weekend.

Barr said they have been training together whenever possible.

And one aspect of their training that highlights the difficulty of the Ironman is the group swim, which Barr described as necessary preparation for the start of the race.

"One guy swims in a circle of six other guys, who hit him and pull him down while he tries to break out of the circle," Barr said.

The Ironman triathlon is not seeded.

Nearly 2,000 participants are crammed together at the start of the swim like minnows in a tiny pool.

"Elbows are flying, you get kicked in the head, people pull you down and swim over you. It's a complete frenzy," said Brent Ruegamer, 32, of Tempe, who is competing this weekend.

Barr said people sometimes emerge from the water with bloody noses and split lips.

"But nearly everyone finishes the swim," said Shane Facteau, communications director of Ironman North America, "which in itself is amazing."

On average, 92 percent of athletes complete the race in the 17 hours allotted, Facteau said.

The late-night finishes are particularly emotional, he added, because "average" competitors finish then.

Tempe Town Lake will be the hub of activity. Aside from the swim, the transitions to each stage will be there. The bikes pass eight times and the runners pass twice.

For fans who can't make it, it will be televised on Fox Sports Arizona.

"I think I'm ready," said Barr, who is in the amateur category.

"Come race day, though, there's always a fear that you're not. You stand there with your wet suit on and your goggles down waiting for that gun to go off, and your heart's in your throat."