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Ironman race rewarding
., . - Wednesday, October 28, 2009

ERIC CARDWELL (photos courtesy of Dawn Murray)

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Cardwell competes in demanding event

On Sunday, September 13, Pleasanton native Eric Cardwell competed in Ironman Wisconsin. Held in the city of Madison, Ironman Wisconsin is one of a series of Ironman events across the world known as one of the most grueling endurance events.

A 1983 graduate of Pleasanton High School, Cardwell is the son of Thelma Cardwell Cale and the late David R. Cardwell. The 44-year old graduated from Texas State University in 1988. He is currently a psychotherapist and building contractor.

The Ironman event consisted of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride, followed by a 26.2 mile marathon run. The event centered around the state capitol in Madison, Wisconsin. They have a number of large lakes in the area. The 2.4 mile swim leg was done in Lake Manona. The 112 mile bike portion took him through the rolling corn and mustard fields of Wisconsin, riding through several towns.

“There were a bit over 2,400 competitors that began the race. The 2.4 mile swim leg is a mass swim start. The only event of its kind with so many racers in the water at one time. It is a bit like trying to swim in a washing machine,” explained Cardwell.

The event is quite a spectacle for the locals. There were some 3,000 volunteers and many thousands of spectators along the swim, throughout the entire 112 mile bike course, and the marathon. The event is a timed event with required cutoff times.

If a competitor does not make it through a particular leg prior to the cut off time, the officials will pull that person out of the race. The entire event begins at 7 a.m. and ends at 12 midnight. Interestingly enough, thousands of spectators are there until the midnight cutoff cheering in the last competitors.

Cardwell did this event with his good friend Pat Pattillo, an attorney in Kerrville. For the two, the test for this event began a year ago. These events sell out within minutes. They enlisted the advice of a local friend and seven-time Ironman finisher Allison Sullivan. She told them the best way to learn about the ins and outs of such an event as well as to sign up was to go and volunteer at the event.

They scheduled to volunteer at the event in 2008. Cardwell and Pattillo learned an enormous amount about pulling off an event of this magnitude and they signed up. Volunteers get the priority to sign up over the general public.

Their test was the year to come. They again enlisted Allison to give them direction and coaching throughout the year.

“We purchased new bikes that were triathlon specific. We took swim lessons,” said Cardwell. We were constantly experimenting with nutrition to see what worked and what did not. We swam in the Guadalupe River, we rode countless miles in the Texas Hill Country, and we ran. We did strength training with personal trainer Jose Flores of True Fit Training in Kerrville.

The most difficult part of this year, however, was the sacrifice of family. Both Cardwell and Pattillo are married and have children. They could not have done this without their family’s support and sacrifice. There were many times they had to be picked up on long rides due to mechanical issues with the bikes.

“Triathlon is an interesting sport,” added Cardwell. “It is one of the very few sports that all competitors such as the pros, elites, and the age groupers (amateurs) all compete on the same course under the same conditions at the same time. This sport also seems to transcend the athlete stereotype. Certainly the participants are athletic, but on the course you will have some as young as 18 years and I have seen 80+ years of age competing. There will be small, medium, and large people out there and yes, I have had all ages and sizes pass me by.”

He also said the triathlon is definitely a sport of overcoming adversity/issues. The saying “it is not if, it is when” rings true. With so many things to contend with during the race, there are many things that can happen. There are wetsuits, goggles getting knocked off, bike flats, chains that break, nutrition to carry, etc., etc. And there is injury.

Both Pattillo and Cardwell have had crashes on bikes to contend with. This year, three weeks prior to the race, Pattillo was in a horrible downhill crash that totaled his bike. Only by the grace of God, he was only hurt superficially. The bike shop, Jack and Adams in Austin, was unparalleled in helping them through this. They understood what they were going through because they had been there before. They gave him a wonderful bike to complete the race in.

Their families went with them and all volunteered. This was a way to have them be a bigger part of the race and enjoy the event more. Each commented on how wonderful an experience it was to see these competitors struggling through.

Both Cardwell and Pattillo finished IM Wisconsin. As luck would have it, they met up during the race and were able to complete most of the race together. They stopped shortly before the finish line, congratulated each other and ran across the finish line to hear their names called out as Ironmen. Cardwell’s finish time was 15:51:06.

The two learned they were just regular people who finished a long event.

“It is an event most people who are willing to put in the time can accomplish,” Cardwell said. “I learned to swim four years ago. It is a long day. Our mantra was that ‘We had already passed the test. This (Ironman) was the reward.’”