On April 12, I had the opportunity and privilege to meet and talk with Dave Scott, who is [arguably] the most recognized athlete and coach in the sport of triathlon. Dave is a six-time Ironman World Champion and the first inductee into the Ironman Hall of Fame.
Photo: Dave Scott running (from davescottinc.com)
In an event sponsored by Accelerade, Dave spoke to a group of triathletes at the Conte’s store in Arlington. He fielded all kinds of questions but most had to do with nutrition - how many calories, what kind of calories, replacing sodium loss from sweating, etc. He was an articulate speaker and provided several rules of thumb and pieces of advice that I found helpful and applicable to my own Ironman-distance training and racing such as: (1) When racing, replace 25-33% of total calories used and (2) Set 4-8 oz. of your own sports drink for the end of the bike to ease stomach transition from bike to run.
From Dave’s talk, I also took away a great quote that I believe is one of the key factors to achieving personal success in triathlon: “Do what you can do at the moment.” In other words, focus on the “here and now” without dwelling on the past or future. In my own experiences with Ironman racing, I have to break the total race down into small pieces without thinking too far ahead; otherwise, the race becomes overwhelming.
I had a chance to speak to Dave both before and after the event (I even gave him a signed copy of my book: Full-Time and Sub-Nine). Dave was very approachable and interested in my own story about cancer leading into Ironman triathlon racing. Heck, he may even come out do participate in our new event: SavageMan Triathlon at Deep Creek Lake, MD on September 16, 2007.
Here is a link to video of Dave’s famous battle with Mark Allen at the 1989 Hawaii Ironman.
More about Dave Scott from his Website:
Dave’s career in triathlon began with the inception of the sport in 1976. He won his first Hawaii Ironman in 1980 and went on to win again in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986 and 1987. In 1993, he was honored for his accomplishments in the sport and became the first inductee into the Ironman Hall of Fame. To celebrate, Dave came out of retirement and at the age of forty, after a five year absence from competition, decided to race again. In a stunning and memorable performance, beating out an impressive field of professional athletes – many of whom were in the twenties – Dave placed second overall. This incredible physical and mental feat earned Dave a new nickname among the triathlon community and he has since been known as “The Man”.
Cheers,
David
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David B. Glover
Experiential Writer, Elite Athlete, Coach and Race Director
Author of Full Time and Sub-Nine
Personal Web: www.davidglover.net
Business Web: www.enduranceworks.net
©2007 David B. Glover
