In this episode, we hear from a non-traditional track athlete. During his time at the University of Norte Dame, Denes Veres threw shot putt. At one particular event, he threw a distance of 18.57 meters which earned him the school’s record. That record held from the time he graduated in 2011 with a degree in Finance until April 2021.
We spend a few minutes talking about the sport of Shot Putt. Denes explains that it is a 16 lb. steel ball. He clarifies the requirement for the windup. He educates me on how the measurement is taken. And we talk about what the record was before he set it and what it is now that it’s been broken.
Denes shares how it transitioned from a shot putter to Ironman. Several years ago, while living in Wisconsin it was announced that “Ironman was coming to town.” After learning that there was no chance of getting Robert Downey Jr’s autograph, Denes signed up to volunteer for the late shift at the finish line in Capitol Square. It was there that 260 lb. Denes decided that he was too competitive not to try the sport of triathlon.
Denes quickly learns that he will need a few things before getting started. His wife points out that he will need a bike and to learn to swim. Having been an assistant coach on a track team 2 years out of college he is reminded of something that he learned through that program, “Just showing up and doing the workouts will make your better.”
We spend a few talking about the discipline that Denes has made recent progress in. Denes shares his recent Marathon finishing times, and he confesses that he is looking forward to seeing how his faster run translates to his overall race experience.
Being someone how loves to analyze data, we talk about some technology that provides real-time feedback. And we compare recent swim start experiences. We eventually get around to talking bike and Denes makes a strong recommendation on a piece of equipment that can affect overall comfort on a long ride.