Seven years off from the 140.6-mile distance has got Sal Salmi excited to compete in what will be his 10th Ironman race on Saturday. Salmi, who turned 60 last week, looks to be the epitome of health — a lean and strong endurance machine ready to tackle anything that comes his way.
A lengthy scar running down his chest, however, tells another story. Quadruple bypass heart surgery in 2007 forced him to take a break, and after a few years of training to regain his cardiovascular fitness, he eventually returned to shorter distance triathlons and running events.
But this year, something was different. Salmi, a retired engineer who manufactured telecommunications chips, said his body began to respond well to longer workouts. Wanting to take advantage of the opportunity, Salmi decided to use destination races as a way to see the world with his wife, Maureen.
“I thought it would be fun to travel to races with my wife,” Salmi said. “I went and did Ironman New Zealand earlier in the year but hadn’t thought about qualifying. But I began to feel good with my training leading up to Ironman Canada which made me get a little more serious.”
Salmi’s consistency paid off as he placed second in the men’s 60-64 age group at July’s Subaru Ironman Canada in Whistler, British Columbia — securing a slot to his third Ironman World Championship race with a qualifying time of 11 hours, 39 minutes and 51 seconds.
Known for his running prowess, Salmi said his biggest challenge is the swim, and he looks forward to the last leg of the iron distance.
“I dread getting into the water,” he said. “My strength is the run and my day typically gets better and better as the race goes on. If all goes well, I usually can make up time on the run.”
With Saturday’s race being Salmi’s third Ironman of this year, the seasoned veteran shares some advice for other Big Island athletes gunning for their first world championship finish.
“Everyone should know how much ‘wax’ they have,” Salmi said. “Everyone should pace themselves and not let their candles burn out too quickly. If you think you are going too slow, rethink that. It’s true when they say ‘start slow to finish fast’ versus the other way around. A lot of people get caught up with all of the excitement and start too hard. Start easy, and inch-by-inch, increase your pace.”
What does Salmi plan to do on race day?
“Just have fun. It’s an achievement, it’s an enjoyment, and it’s fun — I love it!”
Jason Hamada
For the past six years, Jason Hamada had a front row seat to the Ironman World Championship race, and watched as thousands pushed their bodies to the max all for the sake of hearing those iconic words, “You are an Ironman.”
Hamada, who is a patrol officer for the Hawaii Police Department, worked the event each year as a special duty officer, and has witnessed everything from the fleet-footed to the midnight marchers.
Call this year a lucky one for Hamada as it marks “a year of firsts.” Hamada completed his first Olympic distance event at Lavaman Waikoloa, first half Ironman distance at Honu, and in June, was selected by lottery to compete in the Ironman World Championship.
“I’m scared, nervous and excited,” Hamada said. “It’s a whole different feeling when you are totally a part of it than when (you are) watching from the outside.”
Hamada said that it’s been challenging juggling his work schedule to fit in the required time of training. As a patrol officer, Hamada rotates one of three shifts on a monthly basis: midnight to 7 a.m., 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 3 p.m. to midnight.
“I’ve had very little sleep,” Hamada said. “It’s scary how much training I’ve needed to put in. But I’ve been real lucky. I’ve had no problems in the swim, no flat tires, and a lot of support from family and friends.”
Hamada, who has done a few marathons prior to his triathlon endeavors, was also involved with Cross Fit, the popular strength and conditioning program. After purchasing a triathlon bike in 2013, Hamada said he did it with the intention of doing Ironman.
“When I do something, I like to do things that are pretty extreme,” he said. “Everything that I do, I do it 110 percent. I consider Ironman pretty extreme, in fact, it’s the most extreme thing that I will have ever done in my life.”
As with most Ironman newbies, finishing will be the icing on the cake after months of personal sacrifices and long training days.
“Just to finish would be awesome,” Hamada said. “There is no time goal, I don’t want the extra pressure. I sort of have an idea of where I need to be during the race. I just hope everything works out good.”
Cassidy Landes
As a girl growing up playing tennis in the small town of Huron, Ohio, the first time Cassidy Landes saw Ironman was on television. After moving to Kailua-Kona in 2006, Landes said she realized that being fit and active was part of the island culture.
“When I moved here, everyone seemed to be doing or training for Ironman,” Landes said. “So I just thought I’d give it a try.”
Although Landes said she did not know how to swim, she began training for her first endurance event, and in 2008, she finished Ironman Coeur d’Alene in Idaho. Having a great first experience got her hooked, and Landes said it fueled her fire and attention to focus on her next goal — getting into Kona.
“I was lucky to get the lottery slot in 2012,” she said. “It was amazing. It was by far one of the best experiences of my life. And it was Kona. My friends and family cheered for me on the race course.”
Landes said that one of her best friends, Tanny Vonthron, enjoyed watching her progression in the sport, and cheered for Landes at nearly every race. Vonthron sadly lost her battle with cancer in March.
“I’m dedicating this race to my friend,” Landes said. “Although this will be my second time doing Kona, it definitely has a different and special meaning for me.”
Landes said she feels better prepared this time around. She’s put more focus on the bike segment, training on longer and steeper climbs of Kohala Mountain and Saddle roads. She’s also trained her mind to overcome tougher moments of rigorous training sessions by telling herself, “Oh, I’ve done this before,” to make it mentally easier to handle.
As for tomorrow’s “big show,” Landes’ plans to have a big pasta dinner with her family may be just the fuel she needs to break 13:25:55.
“I want to beat my time from 2012,” she said. “I’ll be so happy if I can do that.”