Martin Caron didn鈥檛 run. Sports with the word 鈥渆ndurance鈥� never crossed his mind.聽
He did play tennis. Growing up in a small town northeast of Montreal, Caron also picked up clubs and headed for the greens, or laced up his skates at the hockey rink.聽
鈥淚 used to play bowling at a professional level,鈥� the 麻豆社国产resident of three years shyly adds.聽
But running? Running was entirely something else.聽
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 run five kilometres.鈥�
That all changed four years ago, when the 鈥渘ever say never鈥� idiom came nipping at his heals.聽
鈥淚 was invited on a camping trip to Penticton to watch Ironman Canada.鈥�
As Caron stood in the dark and cheered on racers who had slogged their way through the course for 12 hours, something sparked inside him. The competitors crawled, hobbled and winced their way to the crowning moment 鈥� the finish line. Besides being exhausted from leaving every ounce of energy they had in the race, they all shared another thing in common. They were smiling.聽
鈥淚t was very inspiring,鈥� Caron says, adding to his surprise, the event left him with tears in his eyes. 鈥淚 started to think, 鈥業 can do that too.鈥欌��
A year later, Kevin Pickard was in Caron鈥檚 shoes. In his youth, Pickard had landed a swimming scholarship with the University of Illinois in Chicago. The 麻豆社国产resident also hit the mats in martial arts. But cycling was a sport completely foreign to him.聽
鈥淚t鈥檚 a weakness,鈥� Pickard says, noting as a child, he had only a push-scooter.
Pickard found himself among the crowd at the finish line of the Whistler Ironman, experiencing the sights that had moved Caron a year before. And Caron was among the racers giving it their all. It was midway through the night, the time when people鈥檚 hearts and souls truly shine as they鈥檇 plugged on through the dawn and into the dusk, Pickard recalls. Like Caron, Pickard鈥檚 eyes watered as he watched the human spirit on display.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just so amazing,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 difficult to describe.鈥�
Now training partners, the two are on a journey of which they had only dreamed.
鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of a bucket-list thing,鈥� Pickard says.聽
This summer, they both qualified in their age groups at the Whistler Ironman to compete in Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. Having been on a training schedule since last February, Caron and Pickard crushed the Sea to Sky course with a time of 10:03:17 and 10:25:00 consecutively. Caron was the second person to cross the line in his division 鈥� ages 35 to 39 鈥� and 26th overall. Pickard came sixth in this division 鈥� ages 40 to 44聽 鈥� and was 53rd overall.
Kona is a very different beast, they both know. All competitors have to qualify for the race, and the conditions are infamously hot and windy. The race starts with a 3.86-kilometre ocean swim, followed by a 180.25-kilometre cycle up mountains and past endless kilometres of black lava fields, and pushing on through often relentless headwinds, the final feat is a 42.2-kilometre run.
鈥淚t is probably going to be one of the hardest runs,鈥� Pickard predicts. 鈥淚t will be like running in an oven.鈥�
The race takes place on Oct. 10. The trainer partners have a heavy schedule of running, cycling and swimming building up to the championships. Both admit they are excited, but also nervous. They know they鈥檙e headed for a 鈥渨orld of pain.鈥澛�
Pickard hopes to flirt with the 10-hour mark.聽
Caron also has a goal in mind.聽
鈥淲e don鈥檛 really care about position because we have no idea. I would like to break the 10 hour mark,鈥� Caron says.
Beyond the times, they agree this will be an experience of a lifetime.
鈥淭his is something you read about and hear about. Now we鈥檙e in it,鈥� Pickard says.
