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Tri-athlete Hansen puts coaching words to action in training for Ironman competition
Sally Sexton
sports@weatherforddemocrat.com
Weatherford High School coach and teacher John Hansen can say he’s done something most people have not.
On Nov. 29, Hansen competed in the Ford Ironman Cozumel triathlon in Mexico.
“Another coach signed me up for a triathlon two years ago in Benbrook,” Hansen said. “I wasn’t much of a runner, but I competed and found out that I loved it.”
Two years and countless hours of training later, Hansen finished the trio of swimming, running and biking stages in 15 hours, 52 minutes.
The grueling race, chronicled as the pinnacle of triathlons, was comprised of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile cycling segment and 26.2-mile run. Hansen competed in the Males 30-34 category, along with 2,000 other non-professional athletes in the race.
“As a coach, you preach about dedication and preparation. It’s a mental state where you have to make a decision and follow through with it,” Hansen said. “There were lots of times when it just wasn’t fun, but my girlfriend and family were great about it, and it makes it so much easier when you have supportive people around you.”
Hansen, an assistant football coach, head track coach and economics teacher, began preparing for the event seven months prior, practicing seven days a week for approximately 25 hours.
“It’s basically like having a part-time job,” Hansen said. “With training on top of coaching football, its both challenging and interesting to balance the two.”
The Weatherford coach would wake up most mornings around 3 a.m. and either run 20 miles, swim in Benbrook, or bike.
“There was one morning where I woke up and it was absolutely pouring outside,” Hansen said. “So I got my keys and went up to the high school and ran 20 miles through the hallways.”
Hansen did at least two events per day, and sometimes three. He said his biggest challenge was the running phase.
“I had a running partner sometimes, and that made it a little easier,” Hansen said. “If I could do it all over again, I would do everything I could to find someone to train with me.
“When you’re training by yourself, it’s so much harder to stay motivated.”
The trip to Cozumel was the second for Hansen.
“It’s such a beautiful city, and the people there are amazing,” he said. “There were tons of people who had no affiliations to the event, standing on the sides just cheering you on.
“It’s the first major triathlon they’ve ever had, and it was a big deal for the city.”
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Site: Bearcat Stadium
1000 Bailey Ranch Road
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