Philly man places 3rd at Ironman World Championship

Each year, there are over twenty Ironman competitions held around the world. Yet, none compares to the annual World Championship race that takes place in Kona, Hawaii. In its 36th-year, this grueling event is considered the most prestigious Ironman race.

On October 11, Barry Lewis, a local spin instructor at Body Cycle Studio and SWEAT Fitness finished the demanding 140.6-mile race and reached the age group podium, placing third in his group of males ages 55-59.

This year, more than 2,000 competitors hit the starting line, representing 68 countries and territories. The race consists of a 2.4-mile open-water swim, 112 miles of cycling and 26.2-mile run that must be completed within the 17-hour cutoff to be considered an official finisher.

Lewis, 55, finished with an official time of 10 hours, 13 minutes and 23 seconds, 18 minutes behind 55-year-old Kevin Fergusson of Australia who took first place and a mere 49 seconds behind second place age grouper 57-year-old Chuck Sperazza of Utah.

That means, right here in Philly, we have the No. 3 male triathlete age grouper in the world. (Do you see the picture I am painting here, people?)

This was Lewis' fourth time at Kona. In 2009, he debuted in the world championships and placed 12th in his age group at 50 years old. This year, however, was the first time Lewis reached the podium at Kona.

"Just to get to that starting line is a huge accomplishment and I'm so respectful of that," said Lewis. "Then, to be on the podium there, well that's just a dream come true."

The kicker, though, is that Lewis wasn't even planning (or training!) to go to Kona this year. Instead, he had his sights set on the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Mont-Tremblant, Canada, which took place in early September.

In order to compete at Mont-Tremblant, athletes must first qualify by placing in the top 3 spots in their age group at another 70.3-sanctioned event. Lewis did this at the 2013 Timberman 70.3 in Gilford, New Hampshire, where he won his age group.

Then, in June, Lewis won his age group at the Eagleman 70.3 in Cambridge, Maryland. Eagleman is one of the few races that offers qualifying slots for Kona. It was his performance here, finishing in 4 hours and 29 minutes, that earned him a spot in the Ironman World Championships.

"My preparation was certainly not ideal going into Kona but I wanted to give it my best shot," said Lewis. "The opportunity to get there is a rare privileged, and I think you kind of diss it if you don't take it."

This year, Kona's conditions proved to be the toughest yet.

"It was a tough day from the get-go. The water was rough and choppy and I got smacked around a lot.  Then, we hit a horrific headwind about 30 miles into the bike or so, and at that point, you're just thinking, it is way to early to be hit with this," Lewis recalled.

Lewis finished the swim in an hour and 10 minutes, and the bike in 5 hours and 19 minutes.

"Running is my strength; that's where I start picking people off and making up my time," said Lewis.

Coming off the bike leg, Lewis knew he was in a position to podium. For the duration of the marathon, Lewis trailed behind a fellow competitor, just far enough to set his sights on passing him.

"As a competitor, that's one of the fun parts of the race," said Lewis. "I knew if I was going to pass him, I had to pass him with authority and make it stick. At the end of the race, I saw him afterwards and congratulated him for hanging tough!"

Lewis finished the run in 3 hours and 34 minutes. Coincidentally, when he crossed the finish line, Mike Reilly, the famed Ironman announcer, shared that Lewis was one of the finishers whose run was a Boston Marathon qualifying time. (Male runners 55-59 need a time of 3:40 to qualify for Boston this year.)

Though running is Lewis' strong suit, you have to succeed at all of the pieces of the race to reach the podium.

"You can't really separate it; you to have to make your run, bike and swim all work together," said Lewis. "The race comes down to being an equation of your effort, how that impacts you and, then ultimately, what results you get."

As one might expect, training for an ultra-distance triathlon takes a toll on the body.

"A real critical piece of this is not the work you're doing, but the recovery you're doing," said Lewis. "You have to be able to recognize that you're work is only going to make you better if you allow that work to recover properly."

In fact, Lewis did battle an injury during training, but he credits one man with his recovery: physiotherapist Rob Mahon of Philadelphia.

"I owe Rob a big thanks for getting me back to full recovery," said Lewis. "He's just an uber body worker who has straightened my years of dysfunction from ultrarunning."

When it comes to training for a 140.6-mile race, preparation truly is key.

"The longer the event is, the more you need to prepare," said Lewis. "You have to have a pacing and nutrition plan and you have to stick with your plan. You can't get caught up in the competition, you have to focus on the variables that you can control."

Yet, at endurance event like the Ironman, it's not just about the work you do in the months leading up to the event.

"The honest answer is that I've been training for 35 years; it's a cumulative effect," said Lewis. "Racing isn't my job, it's the fun part that comes along with having this kind of active lifestyle."

At Kona this year, that effect finally came full circle as Lewis stood on the podium as an Ironman.

"I've taken inspiration from all of the friends, family and clients that have supported me over the years and it was really rewarding to get the opportunity to be in the seat of inspiration at Kona."

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