Sammamish man finds success on local race circuit
September 17, 2008
By Christopher Huber
Sammamish resident Drew Magill crosses the finish line at the 2007 Triathlon World Champion-ships in Hamburg, Germany. Photo conributed
Long-time Sammamish resident Drew Magill’s legs — and arms — have taken him all over the world. They’ve carried him through dehydration in Central Oregon’s high desert and the frigid waters of San Francisco Bay.
They didn’t literally take him there, but they were the reason for visiting places like Italy, Hamburg, Germany and Vancouver, B.C., and Prague, Czech Republic.
Magill is a local triathlete who has found great pleasure and fulfillment in the art of bicycle commutes to Renton, 5:30 a.m. swims on Beaver Lake and even earlier morning jogs.
Last month, he won the Whidbey Island Triathlon, adding that victory to another one he earned in May at the Issaquah Triathlon.
In addition to winning locally, Magill competed for Team USA at the Triathlon World Championships in 2007 and 2008. In his seven races this year, Magill has finished in the top five four times.
He’s only been doing triathlons since 2002.
“I was never a great athlete in high school or anything,” Magill said from his Sammamish home. “I was in student government. I was not in sports really. I wasn’t a very good swimmer, I wasn’t very good on the bike, you know, and I was kind of a marginal runner.”
Nowadays that’s not the case for the 43-year-old father of two. Some would think he’s crazy for working out like there’s no tomorrow, but, like most triathletes in this community, he said it makes him feel really good.
In all, he’s completed 51 triathlons since his first Issaquah race, and a handful of marathons.
The triathlete community
Magill is part of a master class — athletes over 40 — that swims three times per week at 5:30 a.m., said triathlete coach Cynthia Krass, of the Pine Lake Club.
From June to October, they swim the length of Beaver Lake. During the cooler months, they take to the club’s pool, she said.
It’s all part of a tight-knit community of dedicated triathletes who work together on technique, nutrition and endurance, Magill and Krass said.
“The community of triathletes is just a great group of people,” Magill said. “You get to know people that you wouldn’t normally know and you probably wouldn’t see a lot of these folks hanging around the neighborhood that are working out. You learn a lot from other people. Everyone kind of has their own sports drink and, sort of, the training regimen they follow, and I think you learn the most from that community of people.”
He said most of the triathletes around Sammamish aren’t out to win every race, but to keep in shape and have a good time in the process.
Training
A substantial part of being a competitive triathlete is the training process, Magill and Krass said.
“The training is really where you learn a lot about everything,” Magill said. “For an Ironman, you’re talking about eight months of training.”
Magill has competed in one Ironman race, which consists of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile marathon. More so than typical triathlons, which are about half that distance, the Ironman race is strategic, he said. Athletes spend 10-11 hours on the course, so it’s important to have the right kind of food and nutrients.
“The biggest thing about the Ironman is that people tend to go out too fast, and then you’re gone,” Magill said. “By the marathon, you just hit the wall.”
Why he does it
Magill said he continues to train, travel and compete for triathlons because it’s a positive lifestyle choice. As marketing director for Boeing, he travels a lot. But it forces him to work out before meetings and in foreign places.
He told a story of a trip to Munich, Germany: he got stuck in a sudden snowstorm while on a six-mile run.
As a family man, his passion for athleticism gives him more excuses to take family vacations, he said. It’s a balancing act.
“You really have to like the lifestyle. You really have to enjoy the process, because if you’re just there for the races, you’ll end up being disappointed.”
He is drawn to the competitive nature of triathlons, as well as the festival atmosphere, he said.
Even deeper, though, he has a spiritual connection with pushing his body’s limits.
“It becomes a spiritual thing,” he said. “You go through this thing in your darkest moment. You can actually feel God’s presence.”
Reporter Christopher Huber can be reached at 392-6434, Ext. 242, or at chuber@isspress.com.
Comments
Got something to say?
Before you comment, please note:
- These comments are moderated.
- Comments should be relevant to the topic at hand and contribute to its discussion.
- Personal attacks and/or excessive profanity will not be tolerated and such comments will not be approved.
- This is not your personal chat room or forum, so please stay on topic.
