WAIKOLOA — They’re fast — they’re very, very fast.
The Ankrum family is already building a legacy on the Big Island. It’s a legacy of speed, whether it be in Peaman biathlons, Mango races, or even the occasional big triathlon.
The Ankrum family earned another title on Sunday: fastest family at Lavaman. The Ankrum “Father and Sons” squad of Adam, Aiden and Alec were the first relay team to cross the finish line in a time of 2 hours, 2 minutes and 12 seconds.
“The last two years we were runner-up, so winning it this year was pretty fun,” said dad, Adam Ankrum, an Ironman World Championship finisher. “As a family we have been doing triathlons for five or six years. It gives my sons a chance to experience the atmosphere and adventure of a tri, but keeps it simple with only one event to do.”
The victory did not come easy. Heading into the run, the Ankrum family was in third place in the relay, trailing the leader by 10 minutes and second place by nearly five minutes.
“I was pretty worried going into the run and knew I had to work hard to make up a lot of ground,” Alec Ankrum said, who completed the 10K run, the final leg of the Olympic distance event. “I did not pass the first place relay team until the final mile. I was also able to pass two (Open division athletes) to finish the run fourth overall.”
Aiden Ankrum, started the race. He was the first swimmer out of the water and allowed his father to take the lead out of transition and into the bike.
“It was pretty nice, very calm and uneventful,” Aiden said of his 1.5K swim. “I was really happy to see Alec cross the finish line for the win.”
During the bike, Adam knew that he would eventually fall back from the lead, but wanted to stay as close as possible to the leaders to give Alec a chance for the victory.
“I knew I would have the lead for a very short time. I was able to stay up front for about two miles before I was eaten up by a good biker and then about five (Open division athletes) passed me,” Adam said. “I wanted to at least keep the relay leaders in my sight but one was able to pull away before I entered the transition.”
For Adam, the best part of each race is watching his sons compete.
“I have done a lot of triathlons but I am getting older and I’m now more of a spectator,” he said. “It is much more relaxing to do it this way. One of my boys is a great swimmer and the other is a great runner, and I can take advantage of that, watch them race, and kick back.”
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Peaman’s racing style is one of a kind, so it was really no surprise when he showed up to the finish line gripping his shoes in his hands.
In a deep sand finish, it seemed only practical, and probably helped him shave a few seconds off his time, which he continues to do in just about every race he competes in.
Weighing only 80 pounds a little over five years ago, Peaman has put on the weight, in a good way, tipping the scales at around 145 now. With the weight comes strength from added muscle, which is allowing him to put up some of the best performances of his racing career.
On Sunday, Peaman completed Lavaman in a time of 2:24:35.
“My swim is nearly the same as it was when I was in my 20s and my bike is the best it has ever been,” Peaman said. “I just need to get a little more strength in the run.”
Peaman has a unique training style, which he has adapted to over the years to stay healthy.
“I probably only do about 10 percent of what most people do,” Peaman said. “I train smart and slow, doing Peaman races and Mango races. I race, then I rest, then I race, then I rest. I don’t do a lot in between. I allow my body to recover.”
The reason why Peaman races so much is also simple — he loves it.
“I love the jostling start of the swim. It is like NASCAR or wrestling,” he said. “On the bike, you get out there and you are all alone, just enjoying what you seen and trying to keep a rhythm.
“The run is just pure joy. You are bouncing down the road, running along the coast, hopping from rock to rock. I really like the trail parts of Lavaman,” Peaman added. “And then the water when you finish. I like drinking the water too.”
One fast biker
The Waveriders Tri relay team of Kawena Haserot, Caleb Barville and Xitlalitl Reyes had to settle for second place behind the Ankrum family.
However, Barville — a local cycling phenom — put on a show on the bike with a time of 53:36. According to the archived results on the Lavaman website, it is a course record. The previous best of 54:56 was set by Daniel Folmar in 2012.
On Sunday, the time was nearly 10 minutes faster than the second best relay bike time (1:03:25, Adam Ankrum) and almost two minutes faster than the second best bike of the day by second place overall finisher Jason Lamoreux (55:17).