For many people, 26.2 miles is plenty long for an endurance event. But for the elite group of men and women who call themselves IRONMAN triathletes, a marathon is just one third of a race. Consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike, and a full marathon, the IRONMAN might very well be the ultimate test of raw human endurance and athleticism, pushing competitors to their physical and mental limits.
The toll on their bodies is tremendous. Male athletes typically burn more than 10,000 calories during the course of a 12-hour race, according to a study at the University of Guelph, in Canada. Female triathletes, meanwhile, torch no less than 8,500 calories. By the time they cross the finish line, competitors can also lose more than three pounds of lean mass, mostly from the depletion of muscle glycogen (the stored form of glucose, the body’s go-to energy source), according to a study by Swiss researchers. And all of that comes on top of the physical tax of training 30-plus hours a week, including an average of seven miles of swimming, 225 miles of cycling, and 48 miles of running (not to mention hours of cross-training with weights, yoga, and other activities).
As a result, and perhaps to a greater degree than in almost any other sport, performance nutrition is critical to success. That’s why Beachbody Performance is proud to be not only the official sports nutrition supplement of IRONMAN North America, but also the official sponsor of the eight IRONMAN athletes listed below. Read their stories. Heed their training, nutrition, and racing advice. And allow their journeys to inspire you. At the end of the day, these moms, dads, husbands, wives, coaches, animal lovers, and foodies are no different from the rest of us. They’re just ordinary folks with the audacity and determination to pursue extraordinary athletic dreams.
MICHELLIE “MJ” JONES
One of the winningest athletes in triathlon history, Australian Michellie “MJ” Jones has left her mark on each of triathlon’s distances and disciplines. Her 175-plus career victories include the IRONMAN World Championship (2006), the XTERRA World Championship (1996), and two International Triathlon Union (ITU) world titles (1992 and 1993). Jones also made history as the first Olympic triathlon silver medalist when the sport debuted at the Sydney Games in 2000, and went on to earn gold in the 2016 Paralympic Games as a guide to paratriathlete Katie Kelly. Although no longer racing professionally, Jones—a resident of Carlsbad, California—still competes whenever possible, and has added dressage (an equestrian sport) to her athletic repertoire. (Her collection of equestrian ribbons now rivals that of her triathlon medals.) She also coaches an impressive roster of athletes, including husband and fellow triathlete Robin Barsantee, and her identical twin sister, Gabrielle Jones. We have it on good authority that the twins never disagree.
Go-To Supplement: “I love Beachbody Performance Energize. It’s great pre-race, as well as during those afternoon or evening workouts when you need a little pick me up.”
Photo by Robin Barsantee
LEON GRIFFIN
Since bursting onto the professional sport scene with a win at the 2006 ITU World Duathlon Championship, Leon Griffin has become an IRONMAN 70.3 podium regular. Splitting his time between his home in Bendigo, Australia, and his training grounds in Boulder, Colorado, the 36-year-old aims to build on that 70.3 foundation with an equally successful 140.6 career, and has the 2017 IRONMAN World Championship firmly in his sights. Known variously as “Griff,” “Griffo,” and “Mudguts” (a nickname that honors his voracious appetite) on the racing circuit, he answers to “daddy” at home, where he and wife Merridee are the parents of two children, the youngest of which was born in 2016. With a dad like Griffin, we’re willing to bet those kids will be swimming, cycling, and running soon enough, making their childhood much more active than their father’s. A self-described “chubby little computer games geek” as a kid, Griffin eventually embraced fitness to lose weight, and entered his first triathlon as a teenager. “I don’t think I’ve played a [computer] game in the last 20 years!” he says without a hint of regret. With a racing schedule like his, who has time anyway?
Favorite training tip: “Do a little research about the course you’ll be racing [and the weather you’ll be racing in], especially if it’s one of your goal events. If it’s going to be hilly, overemphasize hills in your preparation. If it’ll be cold, train early in the AM. If it’ll be hot, train midday. You don’t want any surprises on race day.”
MATT LIETO
The Bend, Oregon-based triathlete was a latecomer to the sport, entering his first triathlon at the age of 22 after shedding 80 pounds. (At his heaviest, he weighed 240 pounds.) The upside to that arduous weight-loss journey: “I have a good perspective on what it takes to become a great athlete from nothing,” says Lieto. The downside: “I would lose most six-pack competitions against my fellow pros.” Known equally for his cycling prowess, his media personality as a commentator on the IRONMAN circuit, and his journalistic chops, Lieto recently added a USA Duathlon National Championship win to his collection of top 10 IRONMAN finishes and IRONMAN 70.3 podiums. During the off-season, Lieto has been known to model for the spoof-laden “Men of Triathlon” calendar, a fundraising initiative to support the Movember Foundation.
Go-to Supplement: “I simply don’t work out unless I have a bottle of Beachbody Performance Hydrate nearby. It gives me all the electrolytes I need, as well as some key nutrients to keep me feeling fresh and going strong ‘til the finish!”
REBEKAH “BEK” KEAT
Australian Rebekah Keat has raced at an elite level ever since winning junior world titles in both the triathlon and duathlon. Now 20 years later, Keat’s achievements include the fifth fastest female time in IRONMAN history (8:39), a number one world long-distance ranking (from 2011 to 2012), multiple long course victories (including six IRONMAN triathlon wins), and two top-six IRONMAN World Championship finishes. She lives, trains, and coaches in Boulder, Colorado, with her wife and fellow Beachbody Performance athlete Siri Lindley. The couple shares their home with no less than three dogs, two horses, and one cat—all rescue animals. “It’s like a zoo at our place!” says Keat.
Top Racing Tip: “Don’t forget to celebrate the finish line! Slow down and take in the atmosphere. Enjoy that incredible moment, which so few people experience. Thank your body for giving you the incredible gift of being able to achieve that feat. Take it all in!”
KELLY WILLIAMSON
A standout teenage athlete, American Kelly Williamson attended the University of Illinois on a swimming scholarship before ultimately adding cycling and running to the mix to become a triathlete. The mantra “Be true to yourself!” has powered Williamson through many years of racing, as well as 10 IRONMAN 70.3 victories and a win at the 2014 IRONMAN Texas. Indeed, the Colorado Springs-based pro and coach (with Durata Training) was fortunate to have discovered her love for the triathlon so early. Had she pursued gymnastics—another childhood passion—things might have turned out differently. Once while attempting a gymnastics maneuver as a kid, she landed on a cactus, for example. Another time, she face-planted into a sidewalk during a front handspring, chipping both front teeth. Endurance sports—and multisport competitions, in particular—come much more naturally to her. “The sport of triathlon has a huge element of unpredictability—I love that,” says Williamson. “I love the unknown, the opportunity to push myself, and the countless things I learn about myself in the process.”
Favorite quote: “Never let a win go to your head, or a loss go to your heart.” – Public Enemy
EMMA-KATE “EK” LIDBURY
Emma-Kate Lidbury, a Boulder-based Brit, discovered the sport of triathlon while working as a journalist in 2005 (her paper, Oxford Mail and Times, wanted a reporter to do the event it was sponsoring). It was love at first race. Since earning her first professional title in 2011, Lidbury has become a podium regular on the IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 circuits, with a collection of IRONMAN 70.3 wins and two top-ten finishes in the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship. A self-professed sports nutrition geek, Lidbury favors fueling up with real food whenever possible. When out on long rides, she often packs hardboiled eggs in her jersey pockets, for example. “I’ve perfected the art of shelling them on the fly,” she says. “A simple ‘tap, tap’ on the bike stem and away you go!” Back home, when hunger strikes late at night, she takes a different tact.
Go-to supplement: “Beachbody Performance Recharge. After a race or a big day’s training when you want to help your body recover, Recharge ticks all the boxes. Its high protein content helps rebuild muscles, and its magical overnight recovery blend with tart cherry powder is a real winner. I never used to sleep very well the night after a race, but I do now after taking Recharge.”
Photo by Ian Osborne
JOE GAMBLES
Born in England, raised in Tasmania, and now a full-time Boulder, Colorado, resident, “Smokin’ Joe” Gambles is a natural-born triathlete. How do we know? Because not only has he been competing at an elite level since the age of 16, but he also won the first IRONMAN in which he ever competed (the 2010 IRONMAN Wisconsin). Other notable accomplishments include a gold at the 2008 ITU Long Distance European Championship, silver at the 2011 ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championship, bronze at the 2013 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, and an unprecedented five IRONMAN 70.3 Boulder victories. Gambles fuels his competitive fire with a strictly vegetarian diet—one of the reasons he’s also known as “Tofu Joe.”
Top training tip: “To stay motivated during a tough workout, I envision myself competing in an upcoming race, and focus on how I want to perform.”
Photo by Competitive Image
SIRI LINDLEY
With more than 14 ITU World Championship and World Cup wins to her name—as well as an Aquathlon World Cup gold medal—it came as a surprise to no one that Siri Lindley was inducted into the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame in 2016. Now retired, the Boulder, Colorado native enjoys sharing her zeal for the triathlon with others through her full-time coaching business, SIRIUS Athletes, Inc. And judging by the success of her clients, that zeal is inspiring—Lindley has coached athletes to Olympic medals, professional and amateur IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship wins, national championship victories, and several number one world rankings. In her free time, Lindley likes to write (her autobiography, Surfacing, was released in October 2016 by VeloPress) and work with her and wife Rebekah Keat’s rescue animals. “I have found that training a horse is so incredibly parallel to training athletes,” says Lindley. “You have to find what makes them tick and learn to read their signs to be able to communicate with them in the most effective way.”
Go-to supplement: “Beachbody Performance Recover. Since I’ve started taking it religiously post-workout, I’ve been recovering much faster and experiencing less muscle soreness. This product does exactly what it promises, and that allows for more consistent training.”
Photo by Erik Isakson
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