On Nov. 14, Fresno City College Life Science instructor Dr. Mike Gilbert competed in the Ironman 70.3 Triathlon World Championship in Clearwater, Florida.

The event consisted of a 1.2 mile ocean swim followed by a 56 mile bike run and finished with a 13.1 mile run, equaling 70.3 miles total distance.

Dr. Gilbert finished the triathlon with a time of 4:32:58, which he said was better than he was expecting.  Out of 138 competitors in his 45-49 age group, he placed 36th.

Over 1,800 domestic and international athletes competed in 24 different age groups.  The top 10 female and male qualifiers filled up the 20 professional spots.  The professional athletes competed for a prize of $100,000.  

33 events were held around the world for athletes to qualify for the World Championship.  Dr. Gilbert made his first attempt in June 2008 but was unsuccessful in achieving a qualifying place in his age group.  He again competed in Oceanside, CA this past April finishing in the top ten, securing his place in the 2009 World Championship.

Dr. Gilbert was a Life Science teacher in Great Britain and has lived in the United States teaching for about ten years.  He and his wife, who is also an athlete, have always been involved in athletic competitions.

Dr. Gilbert trained six days a week to prepare for the triathlon.  He divided his training time between biking, running, and swimming.  Of all the events, Dr. Gilbert noted that his least favorite is the swimming.  “I’m not a huge swimmer,” he said.  Even so, extensive training was still needed in preparation for the triathlon.  In an average week did roughly 20-30 miles of running, 80-120 miles of cycling and 3-5 miles of swimming.

“We had a great time in Clearwater.  I had a good race, finished strong,” Dr. Gilbert said reflecting on the competition. “Overall a great experience.”