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September 13, 2005
Section: features
Edition: BRADENTON
Page: 26E
FOR PROFESSIONAL TRIATHLETE, IT'S ABOUT HAVING FUN
Scott Lockwood, Special to The Herald
BRADENTON --- Heather Gollnick of Bradenton has always been an energetic and
motivating person.
Triathlons are her way of expressing those qualities.
Gollnick, 35, began competing in triathlon events in 1992. As an employee of a
General Electric corporate fitness center, she was given the task of leading and
motivating people to participate in the corporate challenge, which was a triathlon.
She ended up competing in the triathlon herself.
In her first triathlon --- in Waukesha, Wis. --- Gollnick admitted she "really had no
idea" what she was doing. She competed on a mountain bike and took several
minutes between stages --- versus the seconds it took the more experienced
athletes to change gear.
"I was very beginner, but I loved every minute of it," Gollnick said. "The next
summer I did more, and the following summer I did even more. Then, four years
ago, I realized I had talent at it and turned professional and made it my career."
There are several different types of these grueling triathlon events. Among them
are sprint, Olympic distance, half ironman and Ironman. Gollnick specializes in the
Ironman, which consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile
marathon. Of the three events in an Ironman competition, Gollnick enjoys cycling
the most.
"I love the bike," she said. "I love just being out there and going fast."
Gollnick has won three Ironman events. She was the winner of Ironman Wisconsin
in 2002 and 2003 and was the 2003 champion of the Ironman USA Coeur d'Alene
(Idaho). Last year, in the World Championship in Hawaii, Gollnick was the highest
finishing American woman. She has also competed in numerous events in France,
Switzerland, Great Britain, Canada and several U.S. cities.
"I've definitely gotten to travel where I think I never would have had a reason to go
to all these places," she said.
It takes a lot of physical training to stay in shape to be competitive in Ironman
events. For cardiovascular training, Gollnick will spend anywhere from 30 minutes
to three hours running. She'll also spend time on the bike, ranging from a one- to
five-hour ride. Weight training and core conditioning are also part her training
regimen.
Before moving to Bradenton from Hartford, Wis., earlier this year, Gollnick visited
the area to train with other triathletes. In the World Championships last year, she
struggled with Hawaii's October heat and believes living and training full time in
Florida will help her combat that problem when she returns there in six weeks.
"Now living here and being able to train here, hopefully I'll feel better in the heat,"
Gollnick said.
One of the triathletes with whom Gollnick trained on her trips to Florida is Bob
Hammond, 45, of Sarasota. They met through mutual friends in the triathlon
community and discovered they have similar abilities, according to Hammond. They
have been training together ever since.
"She's got an unbelievable work ethic," Hammond says. "We've done long bike
rides of over 100 miles and 20 mile runs.
"She just keeps going, and she's very tough."
Gollnick and Hammond typically train together at least twice a week --- more if their
schedules allow. They bike from Lakewood Ranch to Parrish, and they use the
trails at Myakka State Park.
Regardless of the length of the workouts, Hammond says he keeps his guard up
because he never knows if Gollnick is going to extend the sessions.
"If she says she's feeling good, she'll turn a 40-mile bike ride into an 80- or
100-mile ride," Hammond said. "Or sometimes she says that she wants to run for
an hour, but I may have to be prepared to run for two."
"It's very inspirational to train with Heather."
Gollnick's professional career hinges on her ability to attract the sponsorship
necessary to pay travel expenses and entry fees. The Village Bike Shop in
Lakewood Ranch is one of her sponsors. Store owner Ed Levins, 56, also is an
experienced triathlete who met Gollnick six years ago during a training session.
"It initially started with us helping her out with equipment," Levins said. "It then
reached a point to where we started doing clinics together. As all these things
come together, we started giving her some financial step up."
Levins and Gollnick already have hosted one swim clinic and are also working on a
five-day training camp in February. The camp is geared toward athletes in the
north to give them an opportunity to escape the cold and train in Sarasota.
The camp will include swimming, biking, run-gain analysis and bike fit.
It was the swim clinic where Gollnick really impressed Levins.
"At the swim clinic with her, it was just amazing," Levins said. "All the equipment she
had and how organized we were. It went off like clockwork, and so we wanted to
schedule another one right away."
"It has actually been a real joy to work with her."
Gollnick has been fortunate enough to turn something she loves into a career. To
her, it beats anything that a regular 9-to-5 job could offer.
"I have a lot of energy, so I wouldn't be able to sit at a desk all day," Gollnick said.
"I get to be outside, swimming, biking and running. When I go with my friends to the
gym, for me, I'm working and having fun."
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