‘Ironrookie’ eyes title

The third annual Ford USA Coeur d’Alene Ironman sets up to be a rubber match of sorts between the first two winners.

The problem is there will be at least one wild card in the mix when the athletes splash into Lake Coeur d’Alene early Sunday morning.

Michael Lovato, the inaugural winner, and Chris Legh, the reigning champ, figure to challenge for a second Coeur d’Alene victory. If triathlon veteran but Ironman newcomer Simon Lessing has his way, though, the previous champs will be racing for nothing more than second.

A five-time world champion at shorter distances back in the day, Lessing, who is in his 20th year of triathlons, admittedly is a relative rookie at the longest of triathlon lengths – Ironman.

“It’s all a learning process,” Lessing said of making the transition from the shorter races to Ironman. “I still have a fair way to go in that respect.”

Few athletes who have made the transition have had the immediate success as Lessing has in the sport. The South African-born British athlete who now lives in Boulder, Colo., won his first Ironman, the 2004 race in Lake Placid, N.Y., in dominating fashion.

While he still considers himself an “Ironrookie,” Lessing, 34, is probably the favorite Sunday, when the event kicks off at 7 a.m. He probably will seize the lead early in the swim and through much of the bike course.

“I was kind of fed up with short-course racing and some of the specific rules and regulations,” Lessing said. “I’m opposed to drafting (on bikes), and the short races had sort of made it a two-discipline sport. I was looking for a new challenge.”

And Ironman – which features a 2.4-mile swim and a 112-mile bike ride capped with a 26.2-mile marathon run – more than fit the bill.

“There are so many things that can go wrong in an Ironman,” Lessing explained. “You’ll never feel fantastic all the way through no matter how fit you are.”

It’s the most competitive field for the Coeur d’Alene race for a couple of reasons. Ironman USA has distinguished the race as the U.S. championship by doubling the prize purse to $50,000 and eliminating the women’s pro division. The Lake Placid race has the same distinction for the women as CdA does for the men.

“It is truly now the biggest Ironman race in North America for the male pros in terms of status, potential for earnings and qualifying for Hawaii,” Legh said.

The calendar date also falls in the middle of the Ironman season at least for North American athletes – an ideal opportunity to secure qualification for the October world championship race in Hawaii.

Lovato already secured his trip to Hawaii when he placed second in the Ironman Arizona in early April. That afforded him the ability to tweak the balance of his 2005 schedule, and when the male pro purse was increased for the Coeur d’Alene race Lovato jumped at the opportunity to return to the site of his first Ironman victory after eight previous attempts.

“It’s been a most unique season so far,” Lovato said.

It’s all been motivated by a disappointing end to the 2004 season when Lovato finished 18th at Hawaii after placing ninth the year before.

“I just decided to do things differently this year. Usually I haven’t done an Ironman until now,” Lovato said. “But after Hawaii, I was chomping at the bit to do another Ironman. Doing Ironman Arizona allowed me to get my qualifying (for Hawaii) out of the way and get an Ironman under my belt. It was a jump start to my season.”

Lovato has done a couple of half Ironman-length races since.

“I’m in peak shape right now,” Lovato said. “I’m very excited to test that fitness. I feel like I can go in and race hard.”

Lovato will always hold a particular fondness for Coeur d’Alene since it was his break through race two years ago.

“I’ve got the (course) memorized,” he said.

Legh, too, holds Coeur d’Alene in high esteem. It was, after all, a breakthrough victory of sorts for Legh last year as well after a near fatal incident eight years ago in Hawaii.

Legh was 50 meters from finishing when he collapsed in Kona. His body shut down completely when he was unable to keep down any fluids or food. His body had become so dehydrated that many of his organs stopped working. When he arrived at the hospital, doctors had to operate immediately to save his life.

He trailed Matt Seeley of Polson, Mont., the majority of the race last year. Seeley had set a sizzling pace on the bike. Through the first half of the marathon, Seeley had a 9-minute lead over Legh.

Legh dug down and found more speed in the final 13 miles of the run, finally catching Seeley with 1.2 miles to go.

“It wasn’t my greatest race ever,” Legh recalled Tuesday just before doing a swim in Lake Coeur d’Alene. “I struggled all day mentally, but I just held it together. When you’re 9 minutes down with a half marathon to go, it’s easy to pull the pin and ease off the pressure.

“I learned so much about myself. I just put my head down and kept chasing and chasing and chasing. Mentally it’s one of the toughest days I’ve gone through. I hope I don’t have that kind of deficit to make up (Sunday).”

Lessing, Lovato and Legh all go into the race with mutual respect for each other. They all live in Boulder and frequently train together.

“I’m a little hesitant to predict how it’ll go,” Lessing said. “I’m very respectful of the distance and the athletes I’m going against.”

Lovato said he wouldn’t be surprised if somebody else emerges and challenges.

“Because it’s an Ironman, anything can happen,” Lovato said. “Favorites can crumble. That’s the beauty of the distance. It’s not as cut and dry as the shorter races.”

Said Legh: “Sometimes it’s tougher to get to the starting line than the finish line. Ironman is about not making mistakes and forcing mistakes.”