Provost Jerald Ainsworth conquers Ironman Chattanooga

Provost Jerald Ainsworth swam 2.4 miles in the Tennessee River, rode his bike 116 miles, and ran 26.2 miles in thirteen hours and four minutes in Ironman Chattanooga because he wanted to challenge himself and cross an item off his bucket list.

“I’ve been involved in triathlons for over 25 years. I’ve done a lot of 70.3 races, a half Ironman, and they aren’t that difficult to train for.  I knew this event would be all consuming.  But I liked that this was the inaugural race in Chattanooga and I had the opportunity to do it at home,” Ainsworth explained.

He’s competed in half triathlons for 25 years, but Ainsworth had never participated in a full Ironman competition because of the time commitment.  He liked the idea of entering the inaugural Chattanooga event, but he knew it would be “all consuming.”

Intense training began September 1, 2013, and continued until the event on September 27, 2014.  About a month in, Ainsworth hired a coach, who looked at his nutritional intake, got him focused primarily on the bike portion of the race, and interspersed running and swimming, at the Hixson YMCA and the Chickamauga Dam.

Sixteen weeks before the race, Ainsworth had a bad wreck with his bike by taking a turn too fast.  He stopped swimming and running for six weeks, but he was able to return quickly to cycling despite a muscle tear in his back.  Ten weeks before the race, he decided he had improved enough to go through with Ironman Chattanooga.

Ainsworth, 60 years old, has been a runner for 47 years.  Problematic knee caps prevented him from running more than 13 miles at a time for the last 20 years, and even in training for the Ironman, he never ran more than that.  His days often began at 3:30 a.m. to get a long bike ride in before arriving at work at 7:45 a.m. On pool mornings, his day began at 4 a.m. and on the weekends, he only had time to train and go to church. He was able to recover by taking one or two days off from training each week.

He confessed he was never sure he could finish the Ironman competition, right up until the moment he jumped into the river.  Then everything clicked when he began to race.

“I never had a single negative thought the entire 13 hours,” Ainsworth said.  “And I had some things that went wrong, but I was told to expect some ups and downs, so I didn’t dwell on the problems.  It was the amazing thing about the day.  I knew it was going to be hard, but it was never negative.  I had a pretty good plan.”

He adjusted his running time and walked through the aid stations, something he had practiced to pace himself.  He still managed 12 minute miles.

Careful attention to nutrition on race day proved extremely beneficial. Ainsworth woke up at 2:45 a.m. and by 3:30 a.m., he had eaten a large, carb-heavy breakfast.  An electrolyte drink and a banana 30 minutes before the race gave him another boost before the swimming portion began.

After he swam, the “moving buffet” began.  He decided to take in liquid nutrition during odd hours of the cycling competition, and on even hours he drank and ate.  Like competitors in the Tour de France, Ainsworth made his own rice cakes.  They sound yummy:  small bars made of sticky jasmine rice, scrambled eggs, onion, bell pepper and cheese.  Ainsworth also used a special liquid mixture to help him take in an optimal 70-75 grams of carbohydrates each hour, based upon his weight.  His careful intake of salt and fluid spared him of cramps—he did not have any during the entire race.

He was allowed to place four bags strategically throughout the course.  Ainsworth changed his clothes for each event and after 55 miles, he got into his special needs bag.  He amped up the nutrition and had a little treat, some peanut hard-shell candy to ward off sugar fatigue.

“I even had a toothbrush so I could brush my teeth and rinse with water.  It cleans everything and you’re ready to go again,” he explained.

Crossing the finish line in an Ironman competition could be compared to earning a degree in higher education, Ainsworth observed.

“It takes persistence and determination.  In education, change doesn’t happen quickly.  You bite off a little at a time. It’s tough, but you make little steps.  That’s kind of what you do with the Ironman.  You don’t start with five hours of training.  You start with one hour, you build to an hour and a half, and then two hours.  You also learn to deal with the curveballs when things don’t go your way,” Ainsworth said.

Although some people jump right into an Ironman competition, Ainsworth cautions against that because there is a lot of stress on the body.  He advises those who are interested in competition to build up strength slowly and enter smaller races first.

Triathlons are an Ainsworth family tradition.  Over the years, the Provost and his two sons have entered many races.  His younger son Aaron has competed in two Ironman events and older son Avery will compete in the upcoming New York City Marathon.  Both of his sons came to Ironman Chattanooga to support their dad.

They liked what they saw, and both Aaron and Avery want to compete in our scenic city in the 2016 Ironman event.  Will Ainsworth be with them?

“I’m not really sure.  After a year off, I may want to do it—the only reason I would is to compete in the same race with my sons,” Ainsworth said.  “It would be a special moment for us.”