Column: Ironmen have earned the name

Why? That’s all I want to know. Why would any human being put himself, or herself, through what can only be described as a mind-boggling form of torture?

Joggers jog. Runners run. Walkers walk, all in the name of physical fitness. For some, clicking the TV remote is exercise enough.

But competing in Ironman triathlons — a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile marathon — is quite a different animal.

Participants, and there were 2,200-plus last weekend at the Ironman competition in Panama City Beach, Fla., endure a rigorous training regimen just so they can compete in one of the world’s most demanding events. They suffer six months of physical punishment for one day of physical brutality.

That’s exactly what three area residents — Andy Meyer, Charles Smitherman and Curt Hammontree — did over the past half year.

Once again, I ask.

Why?

“Well, you’ve got to have a screw loose somewhere,” joked Meyer, a 45-year-old physical therapist. “After the swim, your body is telling you to stop. After the bike ride, your body is saying that’s enough. On every step of the run it’s again telling you to stop, but you keep going, hoping to get in a groove and have a good day.”

Smitherman, a 29-year-old attorney, says training for an Ironman is like taking on a stress-filled part-time job. He does it for a couple of reasons: To stay in shape and get some solitary time to wind down.

Hammontree, who lives in Cohutta, began running six years ago, motivated by his friend Lamar Starks. Hammontree is a 37-year-old developer for Chattanooga-based CBL, a firm that builds and maintains shopping malls all over the country.

He passes along this tidbit to anyone thinking about entering Ironman events.

“The mental aspect of the Ironman is pretty demanding,” Hammontree said. “You have to be sure you want to do this because it takes an unbelievable commitment.”

Ironmen commit to year-round training, with the six months leading up to a competition devoted to little else other than focusing on swimming, biking and running routines. Family life is sacrificed. Wives must be understanding.

The goal of most Ironmen is to finish the three-stage race. Hammontree admitted that during last week’s event — which produced 80 qualifiers for Ironman’s Super Bowl in Hawaii next October — there were “moments of uncertainty” as to whether he could complete the event. After spending so much time away from his family, and all three runners agree that it’s a lifestyle-changing sport, there was no way he wasn’t going to cross the finish line.

Once the event is over, they spend a few days, sometimes a week or more, just recovering.

“Many times,” Meyer said, “my wife has to pull me out of the bed.”

Neither Meyer nor his wife, Karen, and their children will much mind the pain of last week come next October when they’re in Hawaii for the ultimate Ironman competition.

In his third Ironman, Meyer qualified for Hawaii by winning his 45-49 age group over 251 other competitors, with a time of 9 hours, 24 minutes, 57 seconds. He went 11 hours in his first Ironman and whittled off about an hour of that time in the next one. Had he not qualified for Hawaii, last week’s race would have been his last.

Two days after his superb qualifying performance, Meyer went back to work by launching a week-long business trip that took him to California, Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Chicago. He was in Carrollton on Saturday morning to watch his son, A.J., compete in the state cross country meet for Northwest Whitfield High School.

After a two-week break, Meyer will resume his training regimen, all the while with visions of the sandy beaches of Hawaii motivating him.

As for Smitherman and Hammontree, they won’t be in Hawaii, but they will forever have the satisfaction of finishing an Ironman: Smitherman in 12 hours, 50 minutes, 16 seconds, 87th out of 132 runners in the 25-29 age group; Hammontree in 15:23:17, 376th out of 404 runners in the 35-39 division.

Will Hammontree try another Ironman?

“I would,” he said. “I’ll probably wait a couple of years, though. It’s very demanding. Training is long and arduous, but once it’s over there’s a feeling of accomplishment.”

And after enduring a hellacious 140.6 miles of misery, there also comes a huge sigh of relief — in unison — from 2,000-plus athletes.

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