Ironman - Mastalir completes third major triathlon

Last Fall we had the privilege of meeting Mark and had a really cool session with him and his bike. Here is a recent article about his latest triathlon.

Way to go mark !



The inaugural Ford Ironman competition was held in Louisville, Ky., on Aug. 26, with a local triathlete at the starting line. Mark Mastalir, of Menomonie, entered the race with hopes to snag his third finisher medal, having done two Ironman triathlons previously in Madison.

“I felt it was a reasonable goal, based on my previous triathlon experiences, and the weather predictions were in the high 70s to 80s,” said Mastalir.

The weather changed and delivered 90 degrees, with a fair amount of humidity. The water temperature was 86 degrees, which was too warm to swim in wetsuits.

Mastalir said, “I went into the event with a first-timer attitude, because of the new terrain and high temps. I’ve learned each race delivers a new challenge. Experience helps, but you have to listen to your body and adapt. We actually got lucky; the previous days were in the higher 90s, with heat factors at 105.”

Year-�round training paid off, as Mastalir completed the race in 14 hours, seven minutes, placing 1,063rd out of 2,100 competitiors.


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“Just finishing is great for me, and the placing I got was a nice surprise,” said Mastalir, “I thought I was falling behind in the heat, and it was discouraging, as I watched some athletes quit or get pulled from the race because of medical problems.”

The Ironman Triathlon is considered one of the world’s most challenging endurance races. Athetes start with a 2.4-mile swim in the Ohio River, followed by a 112-mile bike course in the hilly Kentucky horse country, and then a 26.2-mile (marathon) run through the historic district of Louisville, and ended in downtown center, known as Fourth Street Live. All events are completed in succession with a start time of 7 a.m., The finish closes at midnight.

Mastalir uses a variety of sources for his training, including pools at Menomonie High School, UW-Stout, The University of MinnesotaS and Bodyworks Athletic Club. He is also a member of the newly-formed Overdrive Cycling Club.

** Article is copied from Dunn County News