Ride of his life: Local triathlete qualifies for Ironman World Championships

By Bill Hartlep Sports Editor - August 8, 2007

Hawaii is one of the most popular vacation spots in the world. Millions of travelers make their way to the tropical paradise to get away from the rigors of everyday life and have the experience of a lifetime.

Chad Holderbaum is heading to Hawaii this fall for the experience of his lifetime, but it certainly won't include any rest and relaxation.

The Irwin resident and Penn-Trafford graduate will compete in the 2007 Ironman World Championships in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, Oct. 13.

"I knew I'd get to Hawaii eventually. I didn't anticipate it happening this soon," said Holderbaum, who's been a triathlete for three years. "I trained pretty hard this year though. It's pretty tough to qualify."

The event features a field of the best athletes in the world taking part in a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bicycle ride and 26.2-mile marathon run. Holderbaum, 27, qualified for the World Championships last month at the Lake Placid Ironman after finishing 58th overall out of more than 2,200 athletes with a time of 10:17.39. He placed sixth in his age bracket (25 to 29) and was nervous about advancing to the championships. Only the top four place winners qualify. Fortunately for Holderbaum, one of the athletes ahead of him had already qualified and another chose not to move on, meaning he earned a spot in Hawaii.

At Lake Placid, he finished the swimming portion in 1:04.55 and was in 368th place. He made up ground on the bike, moving into 64th place with a ride of 5:27.39. Then he was able to maintain his position during the marathon run, garnering a time of 3:38.30 for a total of 10:17.39.
"Any triathlon race, I'm playing catch up with the bike. My plan with the bike was to go pretty hard the first 56 miles and see where I was after that," he said. "I was in around 65th place after 56 miles, which is where I wanted to be for the run without being burned out. So the second half, I just maintained my position." His position earned him one of 1,700 spots in Hawaii among the best in the world. "Hawaii is the Super Bowl of the sport. It's the best of the best. It takes an elite athlete to qualify," Holderbaum said. "You swim in the Pacific Ocean. You bike and run through lava fields where temperatures are well over 100 degrees. The trade winds can reach 60 mph. It's really tough terrain. I'd be happy going under 11 hours. I'd be really happy going under 10 hours."

The 10-time letter winner at Penn-Trafford (cross country, track and ice hockey) has the support of his family, friends and co-workers at Westinghouse in Monroeville heading into the race, not to mention the backing of his fiancee, Jennifer Gordon.

The couple will wed on Sept. 8 followed by a honeymoon in Cancun, Mexico. Conveniently, Holderbaum will prepare for the world championships by running with his bride in the 70.3-mile Cancun Ironman Sept. 22.

Swept into the triathlon world, Gordon will compete in her first 140-mile event next summer at Lake Placid.

Holderbaum got into the triathlon lifestyle a little differently. He began running track in high school because his dad wanted him to stay in shape for hockey season.

"I think it's great. It just shows you how far he's come," said P-T cross country coach Mike Allshouse, who refers to his former runner as Chaderooski. "What he does now isn't even in the same league as what he used to do. He's turned into a real fine man. I'll be looking forward to seeing him on TV."

Holderbaum qualified for the WPIAL championships in 1997, which was before all runners were allowed to compete at the prestigious event.

After high school, he got out of sports while attending Pittsburgh Technical Institute and Robert Morris University. As a result, his weight fluctuated to more than 200 pounds, prompting him to get into running 5K races and eventually marathons and triathlons.
"It's the pinnacle of endurance sports," Holderbaum said.

"My main goal in all this isn't just to do it for myself. It's also to inspire people with an anything-is-possible attitude. You can do anything when you put your mind to it."

Taking dedication to another level, Holderbaum trains between 15 and 25 hours per week, sometimes taking a six-hour bike ride on Saturday and a three-hour run on Sunday. He also works out with a Norwin running club twice a week at Norwin High School Stadium.

Training and dieting are only the beginning for Holderbaum, who says that there are actually five legs to a triathlon -- swim, bike, run, and also nutrition and the mental aspect.
"It's really mind over matter. You get to a point where your muscles say to your brain, 'hey, I don't want to do this anymore.' Every race I've done, you have to fight that battle. You have to block out the pain and focus on what you want to accomplish."

His focus and mental determination has helped him accomplish his goal of making the world championships before the age of 30. His next goal of competing with the world's best will be an even tougher task, but Holderbaum is ready for the challenge.

To follow his training up to race day, visit www.chadholderbaum.com.

posted by Chad Holderbaum @ 8:29 PM Comments: 0