SGM(R) George Gurrola has been competing in half and full triathlons, including Ironman competitions, for 17 years and said he has no plans of stopping.
"Triathlons are addictive," said the 42-year-old. "Once you start, you can't stop."
Gurrola focuses on training the majority of the year, but between May and November, Gurrola will compete in two full-length and one half-Ironman triathlons, two sprint triathlons and an Olympic-distance triathlon. To prepare for competitions, Gurrola trains before and after work and during his lunch hour to include a training regiment of swimming six miles, cycling 200 miles and running 50 miles a week.
Of the three events, swimming is the hardest, Gurrola said.
"It's challenging to admit a weakness, but it's the only way you can improve on anything," he said.
Gurrola trains as much as he can to prepare for races, but there are some factors triathletes can't train for, such as the weather. In the early months of training, the weather outside is cold, but if he competes in a race in the middle of summer, his body will work differently in the heat, he said. Another thing he can't train for is the conditions in the water.
"You always have to expect the unexpected," Gurrola said. "You have to be open-minded when you get there. Have a plan, but always know it might change and don't get upset if it does."
The triathlete became interested in cycling when he was stationed in Vicenza, Italy, in the mid-1980s. In the mid-90s, Gurrola was stationed at Fort Benning as a Ranger instructor, where he met triathlete LTC(R) Terry Hemminger. Because of Hemminger, Gurrola started racing.
Hemminger, 58, and Gurrola still race together. They will both race in Ironman Florida in November.
Gurrola is passionate about triathlons, Hemminger said.
"He expects a lot out of himself and he has the talent," Hemminger said. "He works very hard to get to the speed or the race pace he desires and he won't accept anything less than that."
Gurrola's end goal - make it to the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, which he considers "the Super Bowl of triathlons." In order to qualify, he has to be in the top three of his class.
In the meantime, he'll continue to train and prepare for upcoming triathlons.
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NAME: SGM(R) George Gurrola
SKILL: Triathlete
AGE: 42
EXPERIENCE: 17 years
PERSONAL BEST: Full Ironman in Austria, 1999. 11 hours, 47 minutes
RETIRED: at Fort Benning and now works at the Soldier Requirements Division.
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Did you know' Full Ironmans consist of 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of cycling and a marathon run. The difference between an Ironman triathlon and a regular triathlon is the Ironman is sanctioned and hosted by World Triathlon Corporation and is always the same distance, whereas regular triathlons can vary in distance from race to race and are hosted by other organizations.
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