Ex-Smoker Now Ironman Triathlete

Her Magazine
By Maureen O’Halloran Clark
April 2006

“Even if you have previously abused or neglected your body, if you start any exercise, in a short time you will notice progress.” — Mariana Phipps, Ironman Triathlete

From the time she was 18 years old until she was 42, Mariana Phipps smoked one to two packs of cigarettes a day. When she was 42, she quit smoking. However, she started gaining weight and needed something to take the place of her cigarette addiction. Since she had been a swimmer as a pre-teen, she began swimming.

Almost 20 years later, on October 15, 2005, Phipps set a world record for the women’s 60-64 age division at the World Championship Ironman Triathlon in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. An Ironman triathlon involves a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride and a 26.2 mile run! She finished in an incredible 12 hours and 34 minutes.

To qualify for the World Championship Ironman, she needed to place in her age division in one of the designated triathlons held earlier in the year. Almost 2000 competitors came to Kona from around the world.

Phipps has been persistent. She has qualified for this Ironman race every year since 2000, placing 2nd in her division four times.

Very few men or women of any age will strive to compete in such a grueling race. However, Phipps has encouragement for the many folks who are out of shape and would be thrilled to improve their health.

She advises people who have been inactive to first check with their doctor. Then she cautions them to start with “baby steps” and not push themselves too hard. She said that during her first attempts at swimming after being a heavy smoker and inactive for more than 20 years she found herself thinking, “I can’t do this. I’m too fatigued. I’m out of breath. I’m too slow.”

She tells beginners to keep exercise logs. “The wonderful thing about the human body is that even if you have previously abused or neglected it, if you start any exercise, in a short time you will notice progress.”

“Improvement won’t come overnight, but it will come faster than what you think it will.”

In response to the argument that it is hard for people to find the time to exercise, she quips, “Ask them how much time they spend watching TV!”

When she first started swimming, her three children were still at home and she worked full-time at Nebraska Furniture Mart. At first she swam three days a week, but quickly went to five.

To those who argue that they are too tired. Phipps says, “Energy begets energy.” During perimenopause, she noticed that if she exercised, she fell asleep sooner, slept better, and woke up more refreshed. In addition, she has several friends who exercise as a stress relief for very demanding careers.

Phipps encourages mature women to weight lift. Women shouldn’t worry about getting “bunchy” muscles. Rather it helps counteract the natural tendency to lose muscle mass and helps fight osteoporosis. She herself lifts two or three times a week for a half hour. “It will make you look better and stand up straighter.”

She advises women to schedule one or two rest days a week for other exercise programs. She explains that the recovery time is when muscles are built.

“Any exercise is so good for you, not only for physical health, but for mental health as well. You feel better about yourself and if it improves the way you look that also makes you feel more confident.”

When Phipps first started swimming, she swam alone. Later, she jumped into the Masters Swim program at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She is very enthusiastic about the program. The term “Masters” refers to post-high school and not to a level of proficiency. Many participants are not competitive swimmers, but swim for fitness. She notes that women do not have to look great in a swimsuit to participate; swimmers come in all shapes and sizes. They also are all ages. One lady joined after learning to swim at the age of 70.

The coach of Mav-Rec Masters UNO Adult Swim Program is Eric Shanks. He explains that people can try a couple of sessions for free. Participants pay a fee which entitles them to come to any of the scheduled one-hour sessions. They can even mix and match sessions throughout the week. Each session has lanes with all levels of abilities. The different levels have different workouts. For more information call 554-2539. The College of St. Mary’s offers a 6:00 am Masters Swim session. Todd Samland coaches that session and can be reached at 554-2346.

Phipps met swimmers who also were runners. She began running and entering races. Eventually she added biking and entered triathlons.

She stressed the importance of exercising with others and joining groups, not only for motivation, but also because it is so much fun.

Another group she enjoys is the Omaha Running Club’s women’s group which meets once a month for 40 minutes of either running or fast walking. A potluck follows. The group meets in the evening, thus the name “Ladies of the Evening.” Their schedule is posted on the running club’s Web site.

For bicyclists, she suggests the Omaha Pedalers Club which schedules numerous rides for various levels of cyclists. She also noted that the Trek Bicycle Store on 72nd and Jones (across the street from Nebraska Furniture Mart) has a Saturday morning women-only bicycle ride for all abilities. They meet at 9:45 and afterwards go out for coffee.

Phipps is excited about the transformation that has taken place in her own life and wants others to know that they too can make improvements physically, mentally and socially.

Phipps says she sometimes is shocked to think she is 61 because she feels so much younger. Exercise has given her a younger mind-set and helps her keep up with her grandchildren. She is not the only one who is amazed.

Last year, Phipps was cycling in BRAN (Bicycle Ride Across Nebraska) when a 16-year-old boy asked, “Can I draft?” She said “sure” and so he followed very closely behind her. When later she increased her pace, he panted, “I don’t think I can keep up with you. And you’re old enough to be my mother!”

She replied, “Honey, I’m old enough to be your grandmother!”

Article Text © copyright 2006 Maureen O'Halloran Clark. All rights reserved.