Morgan Hill – With too many scars to count and a shoulder
undergoing rehabilitation, 58-year-old Morgan Hill resident
Marijane Maples is focused on one thing: victory.
n By Paul Doherty
Staff Writer
Morgan Hill – With too many scars to count and a shoulder undergoing rehabilitation, 58-year-old Morgan Hill resident Marijane Maples is focused on one thing: victory.
Maples has competed in over 80 triahtlons, averaging eight per year, since she started in 1997 thrice qualifying for the prestigious Kona Ironman World Championships and earning spots on U.S.A. Triathlon’s (USAT) Team U.S.A.
A Westchester County, New York native, Maples grew up roller skating the hilly terrain of southeastern New York and body surfing the waves of the Atlantic off the northeastern shores.
Coming to California in 1978 Maples began training for and competing in triathlons and Ironman competitions when after excelling and placing in 10K marathons a friend suggested she give triathlons a go.
“When I first started in my mid-40’s I didn’t know how to swim,” Maples said. “I knew how to body surf but I had never had any formal swim lessons, and I didn’t even know how to ride a bike.”
Being a fierce competitor Maples picked up swimming and biking in no time, and was soon competing at the highest level.
“If you want to get better you have to push the envelope and test your limits,” she said. “I love the sport, but I want to win.”
Maples pushed herself and qualified for the Kona Ironman Championship by winning her age group at the Santa Rosa Vineman Race in 2004.
“My goal for the last five years has been to place in the Kona World Championships,” Maples said. “I qualified for three consecutive years in 2004, 2005, and 2006, and it was the best feeling to place in fifth in 2004 and be able to stand up on that podium.”
With over 100,000 tri-athletes competing to qualify for only 1,800 spots, the Kona race is the “Super Bowl of Ironman competitions,” she said.
Just making it to Kona, which she has done three times now, is winning in its own right for Maples.
After placing fifth in the Kona Ironman, Maples qualified to compete with USAT, and she set her sights towards Team U.S.A. and the International Triathlon Union’s (ITU) world championships.
Maples finished in the top 16 in a USAT event and was the Southwest Regional Champion in 2005, earning a spot on Team U.S.A. where she would compete in the world championships at locations around the world including Australia, Cancun, New Zealand and Portugal.
Now a personal trainer, Maples continues to set new goals and improve aspects of her training.
Her latest focus is to compete at the highest level in the Ironman distance competitions.
“I will analyze the time splits and see what I can do differently for the next race,” Maples said. ” I don’t knock myself over the head though because that’s just self defeating.”
She considers swimming to be her weak link, but she makes up for it with her biking and running.
Maples trains for the swimming part of the Ironman events in the pool at a 24Hour Fitness in San Jose.
“I’m comfortable swimming in the ocean…getting in and out of the surf break is no problem for me, but once you get out on the open water it can be tough,” she said.
“When I’m in the water I don’t think about anything else but swimming because it’s easy for your mind to wander, and get freaked out,” she said.
Maples keeps a cadence of stroke, stroke, breathe – stroke, stroke, breathe when swimming, to keep her mind from wandering.
When biking Maples doesn’t look at the speedometer because she doesn’t want to know how fast she’s going.
“You can look down at the speedometer and watch it go from 45 to 46 to 47 miles per hour, but I won’t do it until after the race because I don’t want to be distracted and hit a pot-hole or something,” she said. “Going that fast on the downhills is such a rush.”
Maples pulverized a bone in her left hand in a bicycle crash while training for the Ironman World Championships in Australia, and has also suffered major knee and shoulder injuries.
“I really don’t care about getting scars,” she said. “Injuries are a part of the sport.”
Maples is currently rehabilitating her left shoulder, and plans on entering competition as soon as it is back to strength.
“I hope to compete in triathlons well into my 60’s,” she said. “It’s hard to imagine not doing them…and it’s really hard to imagine not being competitive.”
