The heat is on!
Amidst some of the hottest days on record, a handful of local athletes continue to persevere through some intense training sessions leading up to the world’s most iconic triathlon, Kona’s Ironman World Championships.
Luckily I had the pleasure of catching up with one such athlete, Waikoloa’s Michael Vrbanac, as he readies for his second attempt at Kona’s famed distance consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run on Oct. 12.
In recent years, Vrbanac and I have become fierce competitors — battling it out to the finish line on many occasions — only to laugh and joke about it after the race thereby winning my admiration as an athlete and friend.
Last year he finished just ahead of me at the Run for Hops 10K, and then it was payback time at the Kona Half Marathon. We were even.
Then, at this year’s Lavaman Waikoloa Triathlon in March, I chased him down, all the way to the sandy beach finish line and nearly caught him. But it wasn’t enough. He got me by seven seconds and a few months later had the audacity to punish me again during June’s Kona Half Marathon. I guess we still have a score to settle, but for now, his focus is Ironman.
Upon his return from Nice, France and finishing the Ironman 70.3 World Championships (1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run) on Sept. 8 in a stellar time of 5:21:52, Vrbanac shared how he got involved with triathlons, his athletic career at the University of Michigan and as an bike racer, what aspect of training he enjoys the most and what it will mean to cross Kona’s iconic finish line a second time.
Q: When and how did you start competing in triathlons?
I did my first triathlon in 1985 with a group of graduate school friends. I was attending the University of Washington at the time and working on a Ph.D. in chemical engineering. The triathlon was a sprint distance in Port Orchard, Washington. I recall swimming in a green speedo on a really cold day and being very cold throughout the race. I don’t think I could feel my feet until near the end of the run. I did not have a swimming, biking, or endurance running background, so I had no expectations other than finish it, which I did. I don’t recall how I placed.
Q: Describe your athletic life before triathlon as an ex-bike racer (road and track) who also excelled in track &field (sprints/hurdles) in college. Was swimming the hardest to master?
Before getting into triathlons, I did short distance sports including football and track and field in high school, and then track and field in college at the University of Michigan. My main events included hurdles and sprints. I ran two years at Michigan and then messed up my Achilles tendon. I decided to concentrate on finishing my degree (BS in Chem Eng.) and getting a good job and did not go back to track and field after my injury healed.
After college, I did some running for Chevron’s corporate relay team and then started doing more distance running. I was working at Chevron in the Bay Area prior to graduate school. I did my first 10K in a slow time, but kept running because I enjoyed it. I was also getting faster as I did more distance running. After doing the Poulsbo triathlon in 1986, I decided to give bike racing a try in 1987 because I realized that I was riding my way into first place on the bike, even after a slow swim. I was not a good swimmer, but managed to muscle my way through that leg of the race. I was doing a masters group at the time, and that helped considerably.
I started bike racing in 1987 and quickly found it was very different and humbling. I kept at it and got better, moving up into the elite amateur level (Cat. 1,2) on the road. I was considered a road sprinter at the time, which made sense in view of my running background. I had fun bike racing – really tough sport. I got into Velodrome racing in the early 90s and raced at the Marymoor Velodrome in the Seattle area. My specialty was the kilometer time trial, where I excelled at a National level. A coworker of mine talked me into getting back into triathlon around 1997 or 1998. I was taking a break from bike racing at the time. Getting back in the pool was really hard. I had lost my upper body strength due to all the cycling – all legs at that point. I did triathlons and some bike racing for many years, and then took a break for a couple years. I started back up somewhere around 2005 and have been active ever since. I don’t do any bike racing now.
Q: Last year’s Kona Ironman was your first World Championships. Was it anything like you expected?
The 2018 Ironman World Championship was my second (ever) Ironman distance triathlon. I knew coming into the race that I was woefully undertrained for a number of reasons. What surprised me was how rough the swim was for pretty much the entire swim. What also really surprised me was the pervasive drafting on the bike. Very large packs of riders. A bit disappointing. I think that I went too hard in portions of the bike because I was really cooked at the end of the bike – cramps and such. Had a tough run. Walked tons.
Q: Training for an Ironman can often be considered a full time job. What do some of your big training weeks look like and what aspect of training do you enjoy most?
Ironman training is taxing and takes loads of time. I can’t say that I have a typical week because my goal is to build while avoiding injury. Accordingly, I do adjust workouts based on how I feel. Ideally, I will swim 5-6 times a week, bike 3-4 times a week, and I run 3-times a week. I find that I need extra time to recover from running sessions when compared to when I was younger. Ideally, I ride to Hawi once a week and get in a long run once a week. The long run may be from 12 to 20 miles, depending on how my legs feel. My pace tends to build during my runs. Lately, I have really enjoyed running the most, even in the heat. For some reason, running has become easier this summer.
Q: What advice would you give to someone who is competing in their first Ironman?
Stick to your plan and don’t get caught up in all the pre-race hype. Swim comfortably. Ride comfortably. Run easy the first part. Hydrate! Eat!
Q: What will crossing the finish line mean to you?
Finishing my second Kona Ironman will mean a lot to me because of all the work I have put into getting ready this past summer. I am hoping to have a good run this year in contrast to walking so much of the run last year.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Ironman is not for everyone. I get that. If you just want to finish, the commitment is manageable. If you want to be competitive, then be prepared to clear the decks and be all consumed with training.
Coming Up
Saturday: Hawaii Cycling Club presents the Kua Bay Training Time Trial. Start time is 7 a.m. for the 12.2-mile event that begins on the shoulder of Queen Kaahumanu Highway (just south of Waikoloa Beach Road), with riders heading south to finish at Veteran’s Cemetery. Registration begins from 6:20 – 6:40 a.m. behind Bike Works Beach &Sports in the Queens Marketplace. For more information visit hawaiicyclingclub.com.
Saturday: LavaKids will host their free Family Fun Runs on the Queen’s Lei Path of Ane Keohokalole Hwy fronting the West Hawaii Civic Center parking lot. Start time is 7:45 a.m. for the Keiki Dash followed by the 1-mile, 2-mile and 5K walk/runs. On-site registration will begin at 7 a.m. for both Keiki and Adults. For more information or to pre-register online visit lavakids.org.
Saturday: O Kau Kakou presents the 6th Annual Kau Coffee Trail Run ½-marathon, 10K &5K trail runs at the Kau Coffee Mill in Pahala. Start time is 7:00 a.m. with morning registration/packet pickup available from 6:00 – 6:30 a.m. For more information and registration fees visit www.okaukakou.org.