Wife inspires Golding to become ‘Ironman’

Fort Frances OPP Cst. Mike Golding always had wondered what finishing an Ironman Triathlon would be like.
Now he’s just wondering why the calendar won’t move quicker so he can take part in the next one.
Competing in the men’s 30-34 age group, the local lawman pushed his body to its physical limits—and beyond—as he successfully completed the Subaru Ironman Canada triathlon in Penticton, B.C. last month in a time of 15:56.37.
The motivation to take part in one of the most gruelling challenges known to mankind differs for each participant. In Golding’s case, he had to look no further than his better half, Cathy Kowal-Golding.
“Cathy and I sat down before we got married and drew up a list of 10 life goals,” recalled Golding, who has been with the Fort Frances OPP detachment for five years.
“We both put down on the list to do a triathlon.”
Golding had followed Cathy around the triathlon circuit for some time, and had done some smaller competitions himself. But the Ironman event is its own intimidating, muscle-wracking beast.
Last year, he watched his spouse put herself through the torture test that included a 3.86-km swim, a 180.2-km bike ride, and a 42.2-km run. And that was enough to get Golding more serious about his training than ever before.
“Your days are just taken over by training,” said Golding, who was putting in anywhere up to 18 hours per week preparing for the Ironman. “You can’t just go for a 15-minute bike ride. You have to go for a five-hour bike ride.”
< *c>Experience pays
When Golding arrived in Penticton, he was more than glad he had been part of the experience the previous year.
“It made a big difference having already been there,” he explained. “To get there and know the whole set-up of the course ahead of time, it took a lot of pressure off.”
Golding’s confidence was aided by the fact his strongest event—the swimming portion—led off the triathlon. He wasn’t completely ready, though, for the human mob scene that would ensue at the start of the race.
“With 2,100 people all going in at once, it got crowded in a hurry,” he laughed. “There was lots of punching and kicking going on. It’s a good thing I outweigh the average triathlete by about 40 pounds.”
Carving his way through the water, Golding felt he was making good time, but he wasn’t expecting what would happen when he hit the beach after posting a time of 1:13 in the swim portion.
“I was getting out of the water at the same time as some of the pros that were there,” recalled Golding. “I couldn’t believe I was hanging in with these guys.”
After five minutes in the transition area, Golding mounted his bicycle to embark on the middle part of his journey—only to have disaster strike soon after.
“When I hit the first hill, my bicycle shoe broke and the three bolts at the bottom fell out,” he recalled. “ I sat on the hill and watched what felt like 300 people pass me.
“Luckily, a tech [technical support] van was close by and they helped tighten two of the three bolts. I couldn’t find the other one.”
After a 20-minute delay, Golding was back pedalling when he ran into another hurdle—namely, the formidable Okanagan mountain range.
“One part was an 11-km uphill climb,” he described. “At this point, everyone and their dog went past me, including a 73-year-old nun. She was in her 30th Ironman race.”
< *c>Fire witness
Golding also had the opportunity to experience the massive grip the raging fires were having on the Kelowna region.
“We must have rode through about six miles of heavy smoke,” he noted. “The fire had actually gone across the highway that we were biking on. They had considered cancelling the race beforehand because of it.”
At the 160-km mark of the cycling section, the exertion of Golding’s physical task overwhelmed his body.
“I experienced complete muscle failure and wiped out,” he remembered with a grimace. “I never considered quitting the race, but it was the first time I had ever experienced that.
“I couldn’t straighten my legs because it hurt, and I couldn’t bend them because then they would cramp,” he said. “It was the first time I had stopped [since the shoe incident] and the heat really hit me.
“But I got back on and just told myself I had to keep going.”
Spurred on by well-wishers at the top of the final hill, Golding finished his ride in 7:53—only to stare a daunting run square in the face.
“When I got off the bike, I could barely walk,” he said. “I was wondering how the hell I was going to do. But I just got in a heel-toe kind of saunter and kept going.”
With the 17-hour mark looming, which was the time limit for participants to be deemed “official” finishers of the Ironman, Golding got a shot in the arm when he needed it most—courtesy of his wife.
“Cathy joined me for a good part of the marathon,” said Golding, who also credited the course layout for helping him to his final destination.
“The running section usually took you outside the town limits, so that you would be out on the road somewhere by yourself,” noted Golding. “But this year, they laid the course out so it just weaved its way through town three different times.
“There was so many people on hand to encourage you.”
< *c>Happy ending
When he spotted the finish line, Golding had what he called “an epiphany” because of the increased volume of the cheering spectators. Then, out of nowhere, he added another sidekick to his entourage—his mother, Annabel Moffatt.
The trio crossed the line together triumphantly and Golding had proven his Ironman capabilities. “When I hit the tape, my first thought was, ‘Holy [expletive], I did it,’” he chuckled.
The next morning, when he went for a massage, he spotted a familiar face in the line to register for next year’s race.
“Cathy was already there, signing us up for next year,” grinned Golding, who plans to run in the 2004 event as part of a group of about 70 police officers that will be trying to raise $500,000 for the “Cops for Cancer” charity.
Golding said his wife is considering participating in the 100-km Ultra Marathon next month in Minneapolis. As for himself, he’s certain of one decision in regards to his beverage menu for the time being.
“If I see another bottle of Gatorade, I’ll snap,” he vowed with a grin.
Coverage of this year’s Subaru Ironman Canada event will be shown on Rogers Sportsnet (Ch. 21) on Nov. 16 at 3:30 p.m. local time.