Barring an unexpected setback, Jeff Fairbanks will spend most of June on the road – and in the water.
The 37-year-old Central Beach resident is finalizing plans to complete 21 half-Ironman courses in 21 days, traveling the east coast from Florida to Maine to film a documentary he hopes will engage the triathlon community, explain why people subject themselves to the three-pronged challenge and inspire others to embrace the sport.
In addition to testing his own endurance limits, he said he wants to gather personal stories about what brought other triathletes to a demanding sport that consists of long-distance swimming, bicycling and running.
“I want to be the bridge that connects all these people and show others why we do this,” said Fairbanks, a surfer who dabbled in mixed martial arts and motocross before attempting his first triathlon 2 1/2 years ago.
“Not only am I hoping to use media coverage to invite others to join me out there – for just one leg or all three in each location – but there’s a community component to all this, too,” he continued. “I want to hear their stories. I want to know why they do this and how it has changed their lives.
“I also want to promote healthy living, inspire others to challenge themselves in their lives and, if possible, create more triathletes,” he added. “It’s going to be brutal, but I wanted to do something so off-kilter that it catches people’s attention.”
Fairbanks plans to embark on his journey, which he has titled, “The Triumph Project,” on June 9 and make stops in 11 states before concluding the trek Aug. 16 in Vero Beach. He said he will select 21 cities from a list of 30.
Cities under consideration include: Miami, Atlanta, Charlotte, Charleston, South Carolina; Williamsburg, Virginia; Philadelphia, Atlantic City, New Jersey; Lake Placid, New York; Narragansett, Rhode Island; Middlebury, Connecticut; Gilford, New Hampshire; and Old Orchard Beach, Maine.
To complete a half-Ironman course, Fairbanks must swim 1.2 miles, bike 56 miles and run 13.1 miles for a combined total of 70.3 miles, a distance he plans to cover every day for three weeks.
Though he will not be competing in scheduled races, he said he will try to use courses on which previous Ironman events have been held.
“I’m not entering races,” Fairbanks said. “I’m doing this on my own. I hope other triathletes come out and join me – that’s why I’m looking for publicity – but these aren’t going to be Ironman events.
“I’m going to have the courses mapped out in advance, then try to get the word out,” he added. “I don’t like doing it alone.”
Fairbanks, who works in the compliance department for Seattle-based Group Health Cooperative, said he has stockpiled vacation time and that his wife, Talia, and their two young children will travel with him in a rented motor home.
He is self-funding the trip, which he called his “dream,” and hopes to recover some of the costs through showing a “Why We Tri” documentary at small theaters, film festivals and through digital platforms.
He said he hopes to have the film ready for release by Oct. 1 and will use social media to promote its availability.
“I’m not nervous about physically being able to do it,” said Fairbanks, who, along with his wife, has owned a home in Vero Beach since 2006, left in 2009 and returned four months ago to be closer to his in-laws on South Beach. “The hardest part is going to be running 13 miles a day for 21 days.”
Unlike most triathletes, Fairbanks wasn’t a swimmer, or a bicyclist, or a runner. He entered his first event – the Seattle-area’s Clear Lake Triathlon in July 2013 – on a whim. He had tried running a marathon, but found it boring.
His first triathlon, however, was only a “sprint” that consisted of a one-third-of-a-mile swim, followed by a 14.8-mile bike ride, then a 4-mile run. And because the distances were significantly shorter than the Ironman events seen on TV, Fairbanks didn’t do much in the way of training.
He swam no laps in the pool, and used an ill-fitted borrowed bike.
“I don’t remember exactly where I finished,” Fairbanks said. “I was just happy to make it across the line.”
But he found what he was seeking.
“Surfing is a very solitary sport,” Fairbanks said. “The triathlon is such a crowd thing. People are constantly yelling, ‘Good job!” and cheering for you. People clap as much for the person who finishes last as they do for the person who finishes first.
“It was very cool to see,” he added, “and it really motivated me.”
