Academy officer picked for top triathlon

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Raymond Hoy
  • U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFNS) --  Forget about who's crazy enough to participate in a triathlon. Who was crazy enough to come up with the over-the-top race in the first place? Believe it or not, it was a Sailor.

In 1978, following a foot race on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, participants argued about who were the best overall athletes: swimmers, runners or something else altogether. Among those involved in the discussion were then Navy Cdr. John Collins and his wife Judy.

To find the answer, they combined three existing Hawaiian races to be completed in succession: the Waikiki Roughwater Swim (2.4 miles), the Around-Oahu Bike Race (112 miles, originally a two-day event) and the Honolulu Marathon (26.2 miles).

More than 30 years later, Mr. Collins will light the military torch prior to the race and hand it to Maj. Scott Poteet, the adviser for Air Force Academy Cadet Squadron 02, when the major competes alongside nearly 1,800 participants Oct. 9 at the 2010 Ford Ironman Triathlon in Kona, Hawaii.

Major Poteet, a former Thunderbird pilot with combat experience in Kosovo and the Middle East, was chosen to represent the Air Force alongside Capt. Jamie Turner, a C-17 Globemaster III pilot, at this year's competition. Each military service sends a male and female participant to compete in the race.

"There's been military representation at this race since the beginning, and it's great to have the opportunity to carry on that tradition," Major Poteet said. "Representing the Air Force actually makes me a little more nervous than I typically would be. There's a lot on the line, and I just want to make everyone proud."

A runner while at the University of New Hampshire, Major Poteet gradually built his repertoire to include biking and swimming. He took up triathlons shortly after commissioning in the Air Force more than 14 years ago, eventually improving enough to compete in Ironman competitions, including races in Switzerland, Austria, Canada and the U.S. This year's race will be his 10th and his second trip to Kona for the world championship.

And it's that experience that has helped him get better as the years have gone by.

"This is an older, more experienced race" he said. "The people who win this are not the young pups. It's about experience; knowing how much your body can take. You're never going to go out there and feel great the entire race. The important part is having the experience to know to relax; the strength will eventually come back."

His last trip to Kona was in 2004. After joining the Thunderbirds, Major Poteet had a hard time finding the time required to maintain his competition endurance level and went on hiatus for a couple of years. But since arriving at the Academy in March 2009, he's kicked his training in to high gear and prepared himself to perform at a professional level once again.

"Typically in your first Ironman, you just want to finish," he said. "From there, you want to continue to progress and qualify for the world championship. There are not too many other sports out there where you have an opportunity to compete with the pros. And I typically finish in the middle of the pros."

While experience is integral, Major Poteet wouldn't be able to complete such a grueling race without months of training three to four hours per day.

"On a typical week, I'll swim three to four times per week and each of those swims will be roughly 3,000 to 3,500 yards," he said. "I commute to work on my bike 8 miles each way to go along with the time I put in on my trainer at home that I ride before sunrise and after the kids go to bed. I also run anywhere from 10 to 24 miles on the weekends with an interval training session on Wednesdays that equates to roughly 10 to 15 miles. Then I do supplemental runs throughout the week."

All this equals to about 10,000 to 15,000 yards of swimming, 300 to 350 miles on the bike and 40 to 60 miles of running per week.

"To be able to compete at this level, there's a certain amount of training volume you need to accomplish," he said. "And to be able to do that day in and day out, that's what's difficult. When it's cold out, when it's windy and raining, you've still got to get out there. That's the hard part."

Despite his competitive nature and his desire to do well at this year's race, Major Poteet understands he doesn't have the personal time to set aside required to finish at the top with some of the best; his responsibilities lie elsewhere.

"My obligation and my duty is to the military," he said. "The pros typically train, nap, train, nap, eat, train and nap. And I just don't have the time or desire to do that."

Regardless, he trains hard and spends a lot of time doing it. And while triathlons are a solo sport, Major Poteet understands he wouldn't be able to do it without the support of his wife Kristin.

"I just try to encourage him to keep his spirits up whether he is injured or not feeling so well," Mrs. Poteet said. "I just truly believe in him as an athlete and competitor and never doubt his success, which makes it easy for me to encourage him."No matter how much support the major has from his family, it will come down to him and his determination to finish. Nobody can carry him across the finish line.

"It is a lifestyle," he said. "It's a passion to do this day in and day out. The race itself is not that healthy though. Out of the nine races I competed in, I've ended up in the medical tent in seven of them after the race."

Despite the race-day fatigue, Major Poteet said he spends much of his time helping others work on their fitness and adopt the lifestyle. It's something that sticks with him even more than his time as a Thunderbird.

"You have more impact as a Thunderbird with the flight suit and the aircraft than on a personal level," he said. "Whether it's the sport or the lifestyle, it's contagious. If you live it and have a passion for it, people see that and want to replicate it. It inspires and motivates them. It's not something I'm intentionally trying to do, but I've seen it throughout my entire career. And that's a good feeling. That, to me, is just as meaningful as my experiences with the Thunderbirds."

Ultimately, Major Poteet is proud to carry on the military Ironman tradition. He will pick up the torch first lit by Mr. Collins and carry it alongside nine other servicemembers across more than 140 miles of lava-encrusted coastline and proudly call himself an Ironman.