The iron principal

When most people think of their grade-school principals, they picture a well-dressed man in charge, perhaps balding and even a little overweight.

But Joe Colburn, principal of Gaskill Prep School, adds a new perspective to administrative positions – that of an endurance athlete.

Colburn, who graduated from UB with a master's degree in educational administration, has raced in over 50 triathlons. Of those, two have been full distance Ironman events – one of the most demanding experiences any athlete could ever face. The event entails a 2.4-mile swim and a 112-mile bike ride, followed by a full 26.2-mile marathon with no breaks in between events.

'I can't think of anything in my life that comes close to being as physically challenging,' Colburn said. 'I've hiked, climbed and played a lot of [different] sports, but you're talking about an hour swim, six hours on a bike, then you run a full marathon. For me, I know it's the most difficult and challenging thing physically that I have ever done and I really can't compare it to anything. You are just absolutely, totally spent.'

Colburn started participating in triathlons in 2004 after hearing about them from his brother and nephew. He was looking for a way to balance work and play and was also seeking a healthy amount of exercise.

When Colburn first started triathlons, he, like many others, had the most difficulty with the first leg of the event – swimming.

'I just wasn't a good swimmer,' Colburn said. 'I was kind of teaching myself to swim and it was always the one I was most nervous about.'

Many people fear the swim for a variety of reasons, Colburn says. Of those reasons, massive starts – when everybody who is competing in the triathlon starts at the same time – top the list.

At the 2009 Lake Placid Ironman, 2,200 people rushed towards the first buoy at the sound of a cannon. Elbows, ankles and bodies collided, causing goggles to sink and throwing swimmers off their rhythm.

The calm water turns frantic, like thousands of crazed fish trying to escape the clutches of a predator – only they're not fish, but a mix of world-class athletes and everyday people who have trained for years trying to get to the front of the pack. It is this scene where racers start what will be an exhausting, grueling and mentally challenging day.

'They tell you that it takes your body months to fully recover from an Ironman,' Colburn said. 'You feel tired for a week or two after the race.'

Colburn adds that his favorite part of being an active triathlete is the training and the feeling he gets after a really long workout. He also said that training and racing have made a noticeable effect on his work performance – he feels more focused, energetic and able to get more done.

Racing in a triathlon is not the only challenge endurance athletes face. Rich Clark, who has raced in over 100 triathlons around the world, has come across something more mentally exhausting than he thought any Ironman could ever be – setting up for and organizing race day.

Clark is the vice president of a race timing and managing company known as Score This!!! The company is responsible for timing and managing multiple types of endurance events such as triathlons, duathlons, open-water swimming and running races.

Clark is also a full time science teacher for grades 7 to 8, and says setting up races and planning classes can get hectic.

'It gets very stressful; I usually wake up pretty early and go to bed late,' Clark said. 'I always look forward to the end of September because [by that time] I have started my job full time back at school, and September is the busiest month of races.'

Most races managed by Score This!!! donate much of their proceeds to charity. The company has contributed over $650,000 to various local charities in the past four years, according to Clark.

Charities that have benefitted from the races include the Girl Scouts of America, Mary M. Gooley Hemophilia Center of Rochester, Yates County American Red Cross, American Cancer Society, Children's Hospital and the Farnham Volunteer Fire Department, Clark said.

In addition to a rigorous training schedule, both Clark and Colburn say that the most important thing for success is a supportive family. Between the countless hours dedicated to training and an equal amount of time recovering, a supportive family is essential to help pick up the slack of a training athlete.

'Triathlon takes a commitment from the athlete, but it really is a commitment from the whole family,' Colburn said. 'When you're at the peak of training 20 hours per week, there is no time to grocery shop, I don't have time to cut the grass … After [training], all I can do is lay on the couch. [Family] is the most important part. There may only be one racer, but the entire family is involved.'

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