Iron will – Bow triathlete perseveres, reaches Hawaii and world championships

Bow Editor — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 21:52:00 GMT

Rob Ricard was 8 years old when he made the decision.

Twenty-two years later, Ricard made good on it.

On July 22, the Bow native completed his first full Ironman triathlon, earning himself a chance to travel to Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, to compete in the Ironman World Triathlon championship.

“If anyone knows anything about the Ironman triathlons, it’s some memory of seeing the competitors in Hawaii,”
said Ricard with a laugh. “I was 8, and I remember seeing the triathlon on TV and thinking, ‘OK, I’m going to be in Hawaii someday, doing that.’ It’s funny because folks, including me, tend to identify Ironman with those images of Hawaii.”

Traveling to Lake Placid for the triathlon, Ricard placed 38th overall among approximately 2,200 participants, finishing the event in 10 hours, 9 minutes and 54 seconds; Ricard finished the 2.4-mile swim in 1:05.39, the 112-mile bike ride in 5:33.06 and the 26.2-mile run in 3:23.18.

After competing on the track team at Concord High, Ricard ran for the University of New Hampshire. In 2002, he completed his first Boston Marathon, an endurance test that challenged the mid-distance runner who specialized in the 400-meter dash and 800-meter run in high school and college.

Admittedly “burned out on running,” after his second Boston Marathon in 2003, Ricard took up swimming. He then added biking as part of his training after signing up for his first triathlon, a shorter triathlon in Branbury, Vt., three years ago.

Gearing up for his first Ironman appearance in 2006, an injury sidelined Ricard from running in the triathlon, forcing him to compete in the aqua-bike division that year.

“It was tough because running was my strength all those years,” said Ricard. “Training for a triathlon was so different. I wasn’t used to it. It’s a lot slower, and the hard part is doing it for so long. The swimming and biking were great because it was two new sports I hadn’t been doing for 20 years.

“I had no concept of distance, training or what it would take to qualify for something like that,” he continued. “I was 8 and just thought it looked cool to be in Hawaii. I knew that day in Lake Placid, if the day went just right, it would be possible to get there. Not only did the day go great, the way it all worked out … I just hope Hawaii is that way.”

Couple supports cancer research with 200-mile ride

Bow Editor — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 21:31:00 GMT

BY KEVIN SHALVEY

Nancy and Howard Roever came to speed-biking at different times -- he before their marriage and she when the couple started riding in the Pan-Mass Challenge, an annual bike tour to raise money for cancer research.

“He’s always biked. Since the Pan-Mass Challenge, I just got involved and I love it. But, I’m no Lance Armstrong,” said Nancy.

This year, the Bow couple will undertake the two-day, 200-mile bike ride to honor Sammy, an 8-year-old Bow girl who has bone cancer.

Sammy was diagnosed with cancer in July 2006 and, in January 2007, had one of her legs amputated above the knee.

“I have two kids of my own, and I just couldn’t imagine that,” said Howard, who will trek the Pan-Mass Challenge on Aug. 4 and 5.

The two will ride as part of a team for the Aug. 3 and 4 ride from Wellesley, Mass., to Provincetown, Mass., a route for which each participant must raise at least $3,600.

The Roevers started participating in the Pan-Mass Challenge through Nancy’s work at a pharmaceutical sales company.

The company was planning to sponsor the race in some way -- maybe supporting a rest stop -- but Nancy had a different idea.

“There were a lot of people in our district who were athletic, so I said, ‘Let’s ride,’” Nancy said.

And there’s a rest stop on the course dedicated to children with cancer, Nancy said.

“It’s sad because when you’re riding in they have these huge photos on the lawn,” she said.

“It’s a pretty neat ride. It can be tough at times but it’s pretty scenic, especially as you get near the end on the Cape,” said Roever.

Biking isn’t new for Howard Roever, so the 200-mile ride should be no sweat, although it is graded as “more difficult” on www.pmc.org.

“When I was younger, I used to do a lot of touring,” he said.

Now that he’s married with two children, Roever doesn’t get onto the bike as much as he used to. Along with the Pan-Mass Challenges, though, he did participate in a six-day ride across Montana in 2001.

The Roevers ask that anyone who wants to donate to the Pan-Mass Challenge for Sammy do so before Sept. 1. Donors should write a check payable to the Pan-Mass Challenge and mail it to Nancy Roever at 9 Kelso Drive, Bow, NH 03304.

“If everybody in town could give $5, just think of how much we could raise,” Howard said.

Osteosarcoma is the most common type of bone cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. Each year, about 900 Americans of all ages are diagnosed with it. Of those, about 400 are younger than 20 years old.

For more information about the Pan-Mass Challenge, visit www.pmc.org.

Bow News : bicycling

Iron will – Bow triathlete perseveres, reaches Hawaii and world championships

Couple supports cancer research with 200-mile ride