Quantico triathlete to compete in Ironman

At the Armed Forced Triathlon Competition in May 2009, she finished second over all females and was the first female Marine in the Olympic distance race consisting of a 1,500-meter swim, 40-kilometer bike ride and a 10-kilometer run.
This year the Ford Ironman World Championship, more commonly known as Kona, opened one male and one female slot per armed service.
Because of her finish at the Armed Forces Championship, Capt. D’Arcy Spiese, project officer of Marine Corps Systems Command, will fill the female Marine slot for the Oct. 10 competition in Hawaii.
Kona began in 1977 in Honolulu, Hawaii, when a group of athletes discussed the idea of an endurance triathlon combining three major events that already existed on the island. John Collins suggested combining them and making it a single-day event. Later that evening, Collins took the stage and announced that the event and “whoever finishes first, we will call him the Ironman.”
It has since become the triathlon’s version of a Super Bowl or World Series.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity,” said Spiese. “I’m eager to participate in such an amazing event.”
Spiese raced in her first triathlon during college, but has been competing and training consistently since being sta-tioned at Quantico and has taken an active interest in the Quantico Triathlon Team.
The only way to be eligible for Kona is to win a spot at one of the qualifying events held around the world or be touched with a stroke of luck in the lottery, a competition specifically run for individuals interested in earning a slot at Kona.
“I like the cross-training aspect of the sport,” said Spiese. “Having three different disciplines keeps workouts interesting.”
Kona is limited to 1,800 triathletes although tens of thousands more competed for slots.
“Her efforts last year and her subsequent improvement this year were the reasons she was
selected for the female slot to Kona,” said Staff Sgt. Brian Geraghty, a member of the Quantico Triathlon team.
“I started training when I [permanently changed stations] to Quantico in 2007,” said Spiese.
“Besides working, triathlon training really takes up majority of my free time,” said Spiese, who married in November 2008.
“My husband and I enjoy camping, hiking and cooking,” said Spiese. “We also spend a lot of time with family in the area. My family is supportive and excited about the racing I’ve been doing.”
Spiese tried out for the All-Marine Triathlon team in January 2008 during a week-long training camp.
“I’ve been training and racing since then,” said Spiese. “My weakest event is cycling; however, I’ve come a long way in the past year. I had a friend make the team a couple of years ago while I was stationed in Lejeune,” said Spiese. “Between deployments I would train with her. It was a lot of fun and I wanted to try out myself.”
Spiese has never competed in an Ironman triathlon before, but said she has put in long hours on her bike, in sneakers and the pool.
“Maybe more importantly, I’ve worked on training my body to take in the calories it will need to compete and finish this kind of race,” said Spiese. “Doing the right training is the best confidence builder.”
“The training is the biggest thing,” said Maj. Paul Hilliard, also a member of the Quantico Triathlon team.
Hilliard and Geraghty both competed alongside Spiese in the Armed Forces Triathlon and spend time training together to prepare for other competitions.
“Long hours on the bike go by faster and are more enjoyable with company,” said Spiese.
“Training as a team instills confidence [and] helps [members] overcome the fear of ‘I can’t,’” said Hilliard. “I get the most training [when] training with the team because they push me physically and mentally.”
Spiese has been preparing for upcoming competitions and calls Kona “one of the most challenging and rewarding events I’ve ever done and probably will ever do.”
Spiese has seven supporting family members traveling with her to Kona.
“I’m honored and excited for this opportunity to race as a Marine,” said Spiese. “I’m grateful for the support of my family and teammates through these months of training.”