Bowden still has Ironman passion

For years, Lori Bowden was a somewhat anonymous finisher at Ironman triathlons, often placing high enough to earn a snazzy medal for top fives in her age group but rarely drawing much attention.

That was just fine with her.

“I was just a cocky young kid and back then you don’t even think you have to train for these events even though the distances are so overwhelming,” Bowden said. “My first race was Ironman Canada (in 1989). I placed in the top three of my age group so I was pretty psyched. I was just happy to be close to the people who were actually winning races.”

Years later it was Bowden who was winning races, prestigious races, world-class races. Her breakthrough was a victory at the 1997 Ironman Canada and her resume has blossomed to be among the best ever in the sport.

And that’s just fine with her, too, mainly because she has maintained the same attitude she had back as an Ironman neophyte.

“When I won my first Ironman in Penticton my friends and I had always laughed before that we were so in awe of others winning races. We thought we’d never finish in the top 50,” said Bowden, who will compete in Sunday’s Ironman USA Coeur d’Alene. “I still really enjoy it and it’s nice now that I’m at a point where I don’t have to do part-time jobs to support myself. I really enjoy the lifestyle and the people involved in the sport. It’s not like I’m out there just to win races.”

If you doubt her sincerity, ask her to list her top times.

“Eight (hours), 53 (minutes) or 8:54,” she guesses. “I’m not sure really.”

She’s close. Her best time was 8:51:22, just 29 seconds behind Ironman queen Paula Newby-Fraser’s all-time record. Bowden also has an 8:55:08, eight seconds slower than Newby-Fraser’s third-fastest time in history.

Bowden has won 12 Ironman titles, third-most ever. The 36-year-old from Victoria, B.C., is a two-time Ironman world champion, which puts her in select company in the event’s 25-year history. She has posted three sub-9-hour Ironmans, one of only eight females who have broken that magical barrier.

“She has the steady personality it requires to remain unflappable during long events and she always has things in perspective,” Newby-Fraser said. “I think she is the most laid-back and relaxed of the top athletes today in the sport. She gets out and works hard when she has to and doesn’t make a big deal out of it. Her greatest asset is her ability to get out there and hold her pace during the whole day. She is the energizer bunny.”

With a fuzzy memory.

“When people ask me what my fastest split times or races are, I have a general idea but I don’t know specifically,” she said. “You have to enjoy what you’re doing. When you look at the people in this sport for a long time, that’s what they have in common.”

Bowden ran cross country as a youngster and became interested in triathlons through her parents. Her mother has completed an Ironman and her father also competed.

“I thought it was incredible to see what they and their friends were doing,” Bowden recalled. “I was pretty envious, but I thought it was something I could never do, especially if you don’t really know how to swim.”

Bowden’s devotion to Ironman increased in 1996 after she had success in international races. She elevated her training. Improved results soon followed.

“I think people would be surprised to know how long she’s been in the sport,” said Murphy Reinschreiber, agent for Bowden and her ex-husband, Peter Reid, both of whom are reigning world champions. “Only recently did she get serious about it. Maybe she figured out she’s good at it.”

Bowden’s credentials make her an obvious favorite in Coeur d’Alene, but her training is geared for the world championships in Kona in October.

“There are a whole bunch of reasons I’m competing in Coeur d’Alene,” she said. “It’s one of the Ironman North America events and they always put on top-notch races. Coeur d’Alene is close to home and it’s nice to race almost in your backyard compared to traveling to Germany, Austria, France, Switzerland. And seeing the coverage of last year’s event, Coeur d’Alene seemed quite beautiful.”

Bowden’s 2004 season started ominously. She felt poorly at the Florida Half-Ironman and “it was a matter of dragging my body through the race,” she said. “Mainly it was a day of survival.”

Thankfully, most days aren’t like that for Bowden. She feels her best days are in front of her and she expects to be involved in Ironman for years to come.

“You go through the ups and downs, but that’s part of the fun of the sport,” Bowden said. “I’m still doing well and still enjoying it. I’ll definitely remain involved in the sport. It might be fun 10 years down the road to show up at a local road race or something.”