Sharing the journey of friend and fellow Race Director Dave McGillivray. Dave directs the “Big Boy” races, including the Boston Marathon. His message of fitness vs. health is a must-read for all. From his extraordinary run across the U.S. to benefit the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in 1978 to serving as technical director then race director of the BAA Boston Marathon since the 1980s, McGillivray has helped organize more than 900 mass participatory events since founding DMSE, Inc. in 1981, while raising millions for worthy causes close to his heart. Literally. He was diagnosed with coronary heart disease last fall. He has spoken openly about the disease and encourages others to get healthy and go in for heart tests, even if they think they are healthy and in shape. Since last fall, he has lost 27 pounds, dropped his cholesterol level by over 100 points and has been following a very strict, healthy diet and now feels he is in his best shape in 15 years. Oh yeah, he will be racing in the Hawaii Ironman triathlon this weekend. This will be his ninth race in Kona, a return to the starting line there after a 25-year hiatus. –Dr. Mark
Kona Bound: “Racing to the Starting Line”
by Dave McGillivray.
I first heard about the “Ironman” when reading the May, 1979 issue of Sports Illustrated. I had just run across the United States the year before so, of course, I felt anything was possible. Even though I didn’t know how to swim well or even own a bike at the time, I decided right then that this event was right up my alley so I went ahead and registered for the 1980 race. I think the entry fee was around $100…somewhat affordable.
I finished 14th that year out of 108 competitors, making me about the 35th person ever to have finished an Ironman. For me, it was a slugfest. No finesse, just bump and grind. I had no idea what I was doing (still don’t actually). I couldn’t get enough so I went back seven more times in the 80s, my last one being in 1989, exactly 25 years ago. I always had it in the back of my head to do it “just one more time” but with having five children and building a business initially focused on producing triathlons, the time was never just right…until just now.
On October 9, 2013, I was diagnosed with “severe coronary artery disease.” I was having difficulty breathing during exercise and decided to have it checked out. At first, they found nothing. Knowing something was wrong, I persisted and asked to have the “big boy tests”. A CAT scan was done followed by an angiogram. The results were ugly. This was due partly to genetics and partly self-inflicted I’m embarrassed to say. I vividly recall lying on the operating table looking at the monitor and seeing my heart and arteries and asking myself…how did I get myself into this mess? I’m sure lack of sleep (I always said sleep was overrated) and “stress” played a role in all of this, too, especially this past year following the bombings at the Boston Marathon.
It took 59 years but I finally learned that being fit did not necessarily mean being healthy. I always thought it did as I am sure many others do, too. I asked my doctor if this was reversible and he said it depends on the person. I said, “well, you are talking to him” and he said, “then, YES”. I didn’t need a second opinion. That very second I went into action…changing my diet, taking supplements, eliminating stress and cross-training. One of the very first things I did was to set a few goals – I needed something to go after, a big target, a magnet. The Ironman was it.
Unfortunately, time has been my enemy. As focused as I have been on this mission, trying to balance family and business and training has been the biggest challenge, as it is for most folks my age. I wanted to train much more and still do. If only someone would invent the 36-hour day. This summer I did five triathlons – three sprints, one Olympic distance and one half Ironman. Getting re-acquainted with the sport I built my business on has been quite interesting. In fact, for the first time in my life I actually tried on a wetsuit and used it in some races. What an experience just getting the darn thing on and off. I’ve been amazed at how this sport has changed since I last competed and even since I last directed a race. I’ve directed over 150 triathlons including the ITU Triathlon World Championships, ITU World Cup races, the Goodwill Games Triathlon and have managed some of the sport’s greatest athletes. I was even inducted into the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame – can you believe that – but I feel like such a novice getting back into the sport right now.
So many are asking me – what is my goal? That is simple and perhaps very different than most of the other 2,000+ triathletes in the race. My goal has been just to get to the starting line. Of course, I want to reach the finish line, too, but reaching the start for me is what it has all been about. Starting is the goal, finishing the reward. Race day will be a year and two days since I was diagnosed with this health issue and since I made the change. Amazingly, it was only a year ago I was lying on an operating table at Mass General Hospital looking at my heart and arteries on a monitor and the thought of how much time I might have left entered my mind. Now I’m going back to the Ironman. I was determined to live by what I preach and turn a negative into a positive.
For me, this has always been more about the journey than it has been about the destination. It’s a race to the start and the process in getting there. It’s not really a dream come true like for many others. I’ve been here plenty of times before and well before perhaps anyone else in this year’s race. However, most importantly, the presence of the Ironman as a serious goal has actually helped save my life already. And, interestingly, it has not only helped save my life but has indirectly saved many others as I constantly get emails and calls from fit athletes all over the country telling me that when they heard about my story they went and got a check-up themselves and discovered they had a similar condition. Their words, “you helped save my life” will stay with me for the rest of mine. They, like me, got a second chance. I know at least a half dozen fit friends who went out for a run one day and never came home – they didn’t get the same second chance.
I’ll perform only to the level of time invested which is less than most but enough for me in maintaining my priorities and trying to balance everything else I have going on in my life. I will only be competitive with myself. There may be 2,000 other triathletes participating but I’ll just be focused on one of them – me. The best I’ve done in Hawaii is 10 hours, 38 minutes. Now, I’ll gladly take 13 or more hours …although that is a long time to be in the water and on the road! I just want to be done before Thanksgiving! I have no unrealistic expectations. I’m not racing to the finish line, I’m racing to the starting line. At least I’ll get my monies worth.
The lure of doing Ironman again has helped me make a life changing transformation. I have lost over 25 pounds, lowered my cholesterol level by almost 100 points and have been running better than I have in the past 20 years.
I completed my 60-mile birthday run in August with relative ease and have been racing in almost every event my company, DMSE Sports, has managed this year. I tell people I am “mall fit”, meaning I know I am more fit than 99.9% of the people walking around shopping malls in America these days but I’m not sure I am as Ironman fit, meaning as fit as the other triathletes in the race! They are all amazing. Everything is relative, eh? I recently had a 10-month follow up angiogram and was told I reversed my condition by almost 40% in less than a year so the plan is working and I’m almost half way through my own race!
But, it has not been all smiles. As I was leaving the hospital after my latest angiogram, I suddenly developed a huge “hematoma” on my right wrist where they went in with the scope, rushed back into the hospital and was admitted and kept overnight. It still hasn’t completely healed. And, only a few days ago I got in a bike crash and fractured my rib. Since then it has been painful just to take deep breaths. Of course, two days after the crash I had my follow up stress test at Mass General Hospital in Dr. Baggish’s lab. This was to be the go (to Kona) or no go from my doctor. He has been my mentor and savior the entire journey. It was all on the line. I had trouble just getting out of bed that morning…ugh. I came clean and told Dr. Baggish what had happened and was told that there was not much I could do about it but to allow time to heal it, but how much time? My physical therapist said it is now all about “pain management.” Wonderful. I still went through with the stress test and fortunately exceeded my last test by a long shot and got the green light to go to Kona, pending of course how my ribs heal between now and the race. To complicate matters, this just ate into the precious training time I thought I had left and desperately needed. I suppose on the bright side, “it could have been worse” as they say. Now I’ve been training simply to experience the pain and try to learn to tolerate it. The bike is what caused it and was my weak event and now it is what hurts the least of the three disciplines. Go figure. What a turn of events.
All year long, I have also been running in memory of little Martin Richard who died in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. I will dedicate my return to Kona to Martin and his family and hope to again raise funds for the Martin Richard Charitable Foundation.
I’ve always felt, too, that there is no such thing as an individual achievement. Since I re-entered the sport, so many people have been so supportive and kind from superstar athletes to corporate sponsors like Specialized Bicycles (and many others listed below) to the kindness of so many friends and, of course, my amazingly supportive family, especially Katie and the kids. I want to do this for them as much as for myself.
NBC will be covering me a bit during the race – no pressure there! If this can help encourage people to listen to their bodies and get checked out, I can handle a few cameras documenting my somewhat pedestrian performance. But, as I’ve always said, “pressure is a privilege.” I’m just happy to be returning to the place and to the event that is helping to add years to my life. I’m just still trying desperately get to the starting line with my body fully intact!
Boston Strong. Kona Strong!
