Profession: Former Major League Baseball Player

Adventure Sport: Ironman

In South Florida Adventures’ November/December 2007 issue we broke the news that 17-year Major League Baseball player Jeff Conine, “Mr. Marlin,” was retiring so he could compete in Ironman Hawaii. That article on Conine is still available at SouthFloridaAdventures.com.

But just a few weeks after publishing that article Conine was cycling in Weston when his bike and a car crashed into each other. Conine shattered his collarbone. Erol Yoldas, SFA’s medical columnist and the Marlins’ orthopaedic surgeon who years earlier had operated on Conine, went into action.

Conine returned to training the first week of March and still plans on competing in Hawaii on Oct. 11. He received a special invitation due to his compelling background.

South Florida Adventures: How did the accident happen?
Conine: A car pulled in front of me so I slammed on my brakes, locked up the wheels and flew over the handlebars, landing on the pavement. In 2004 Erol Yoldas repaired the ligaments that hold my collarbone down. That held but this time the bone broke. It kept me out of action for pretty much a month and a half.

SFA: How do you feel now?
C: Fine, 100 percent.

SFA: Do you know of any other pro athletes who became Ironman competitors?
C: Not really. One guy I heard played in the NFL and became a successful triathlete. But I don’t know of any others.

SFA: What are your competitions prior to Hawaii?
C: I did the St. Anthony’s (Triathlon) recently in St. Petersburg. I did well. I wanted to do it under three hours and did. It was a relatively short race compared with what I’m going to do. Next I’m doing the half Ironman at Disney (May 18) and a half Ironman in New Hampshire in August. That will probably be my final before Hawaii.

SFA: How did you create your training schedule?
C: I’m doing everything online with Mark Allen. He’s a six-time winner of Ironman.

SFA: What is your training?
C: I do three swims a week that vary from 2,000 meters to 3,500. I time everything but that’s not really the concern. I’m trying to do the mileage now. The approximate pace I’m doing right now is 11 to 12 minutes per 500 meters. I swim mainly in a pool. I also do a little lake swimming, which is nice because there are not so many turns.

I also do three bikes a week. The shortest is 1.5 hours and the longest is three hours right now. I still do it mainly outdoors, although to mix it up I’ll bike inside a little bit. It’s all time and heart rate for biking (not distance).

For runs, three of those also. The shortest is one hour and longest is two hours. I do a speed run and speed bike during the week, the speed run on a track.

Thursday, Friday, Sunday I’m doing two workouts per day. Thursday I bike and run and Friday and Sunday I run and swim.

SFA: What’s your favorite leg of triathlons?
C: I really enjoy all the running and biking, not so much the swimming. Years ago I did some running races and biathlons as they were called back then—now they’re called duathlons. I could see myself having done stuff like this if I hadn’t played baseball.

SFA: Do you lift weights?
C: I have a couple of workouts per week with a trainer at the YMCA in Weston, at the Ultimate Sports Institute. We do short 45-minute workouts focusing on core and legs. Stretch the legs to get used to that run.

SFA: When did you start Ironman training?
C: The third week of October I started training. After baseball I wanted to get right into it. I thought I’d give myself a year after retiring to train for this race.

SFA: How has your body changed from baseball to Ironman training?
C: I definitely lost weight. Lost muscle, too, because doing really long distances your body wants to shed excess baggage. I probably lost 20 pounds since the end of the season.

SFA: You’re 41. Does age affect your training?
C: The earlier you start the better because by your 40s you’ve built a substantial fitness base, but it’s remarkable how many Ironman finishers are in their 40s or 50s. All’s going pretty well for me, discounting the mishap on the bike.

SFA: What’s your diet?
C: I take a few things like vitamins and omega-3s, antioxidant things to cut down on the wear and tear. I do organic as much as I can, going to Whole Foods a lot. And I have to be smart about it, especially when I’m preparing for a race. I love the sweets so I try to cut them out, focus on quality proteins and complex carbs.