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found one in his childhood friendJoseph Kibunja.Of Wanyoike’s story, DeNomarecalls thinking, “If he can overcomeblindness, I can overcome laziness.”So he signed up for the New ZealandIronman and hired a trainer. Fort h o s e w h o a r e u n f a m i l i a r w i t hIronman triathlons, these races area far cry from a 10-kilometer footrace. Ironman competitions consistof a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bikeride, and a full marathon. No smallfeat for anyone, particularly someonewho was not particularly good atswimming and had not cycled for overthirty years.PERSEVERANCE AND GUMPTIONLaughing, DeNoma explains that, atfirst, he was a difficult project for histrainer. “He asked me my marathontime and I told him I’d never run one,and he said ‘So you’re a cyclist,’ and Isaid not since I was a kid … and thenhe asked about swimming, and I said‘That’s my worst [event].’”B u t w h a t D e N o m a l a c k e d i ne x p e r i e n c e, h e m a d e u p f o r i nperseverance and gumption. Byh i s o w n a c c o u n t, D e N o m a d i d“horribly” in his first competition, asmall triathlon leading up to the NewZealand Ironman. He recalls goinginto the swimming portion of thatrace in sixtieth place and coming outof it at 120th; sixty people had passedhim in twelve laps. But he knew hecouldn’t throw in his towel, especiallywith his kids watching. He explains,“The point I wanted to show [mykids] was that most people give up atstuff in life if they’re not good at it…If you’re willing to be a beginner …you can achieve it, but that requiresbeing a beginner, and being a beginneris hard. Most people don’t like to benot good at something.”Give up he did not, and DeNomahas since gone on to complete not onlythe New Zealand Ironman but alsothe Furnace Creek 508 in California,a 508-mile bike ride in which cyclistsrace across the Mojave Desert andDeath Valley as well as ten mountainranges; the Sahara des SablesUltramarathon; a Kaohsiung to Taipeirace; and, of course, the Brazil 135,among others.KEYS TO SUCCESSSo what are the secrets toDeNoma’s success? He says arrivingat the starting line healthy is half thebattle. He was lucky to find a coachwho paced his training to ensure thathe did not over-train and was at fullfitness on the day of the race.Getting the proper hydration andnutrition is also key. During a race,DeNoma hydrates every fifteenminutes. He also keeps his bloodsugar constant by avoiding anythingwith sugar and taking a combinationof Perpetuem, a energy supplementthat is about 30% protein, andEndurolyte, an electrolyte replacementsupplement.Pacers — people who run alongside the competitor — are anotherrace essential. He explains, “Thereason you want a pacer in a racelike [the Brazil 135] is because it’sdangerous … You’re out of it, you’rehallucinating …You go into thebathroom then come out and run thewrong way. If you fall, you could diefrom exposure.” In Brazil, DeNoma’sson and daughter both served aspacers for portions of the race. Theykept him on track and upbeat.And staying upbeat is no easy feat.It’s all about ignoring the negativeleft side of your brain that tells youto stop, and staying in the moment,says DeNoma. He remembers aparticularly grueling section of theFurnace Creek 508 when he was readyto abandon the race. He imaginedhimself in thirty-plus years and how,as an old man, he would give anythingto be where he was at that moment, inthe desert of California, riding a bike.DeNoma’s fundraising effortsalso serve as motivation to keepmoving. All along the way, he hasraised money for charity. For theBrazil 135 alone, DeNoma raisedUS$80,000 for Chinatrust’s Light Upa Life Charity, an organization thathelps underprivileged and orphanedchildren throughout Taiwan. Intotal, DeNoma has raised aboutUS$650,000 through racing.DeNoma has been fortunate to seethe best of human generosity both onwww.communitycenter.org.tw march 201223