By Abby Jordan/Daily News staff
MetroWest Daily News
Posted Dec 24, 2008 @ 08:31 PM
MARLBOROUGH —
Kevin Brown had a busy November, jetting off to warm locales in Arizona and Florida for some swimming, biking and running.
The trips were no day at the beach though, as the Marlborough resident completed two Ford Ironman competitions just three weeks apart in Tempe, Ariz. and Panama City Beach, Fla.
Each race involves a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run.
In Florida, Brown, 48, put mind over matter during the swimming portion when he thought he saw a shark lurking beneath the surface of the water.
"I convinced myself it was Flipper the dolphin," Brown said. "Once I got out of the water I wanted to kiss the sand."
After the bike ride, he was plagued by an achilles tendon injury that flared up as he began the marathon portion. Seven miles into the run, Brown slowed to a walk, and considered giving up.
"I really did," he said. "I'm not a walker."
But Brown's wife, Jennifer, found him near mile 13, and told him he wasn't giving up. She walked the rest of the course with him, and he crossed the finish line in 16 hours and six minutes.
"She kept pressing me, telling me to take it one mile at a time," he said. "She was a trooper."
With just three weeks between that race and the Ironman in Arizona, Brown spent time resting his body and getting therapy for his achilles tendon.
"I was ready," he said.
Arizona, where Brown completed his first Ironman in April in 15:19, was much kinder to Brown, and he clocked a personal best time of 14:04.
After taking a break this month, Brown will be back at the gym training for the four Ironman events he's signed up for in 2009, in June, July, August and September.
Brown and Keith Kober, who also completed the Ironman races in Arizona and Florida, have set a lofty goal of finishing six races in one year.
"If you really love Ironman you do two in a year," Brown said. "I guess we're a little crazy trying to do six."
Brown hasn't always been an athlete. He battled drug and alcohol addiction from ages 12 to 25, but has been sober for 23 years after seeking help from the Addiction Referral Center (ARC) in Marlborough.
Brown hasn't forgotten the help he got at ARC, and now raises money for it and other organizations, fundraising through an Ironman Web site.
His efforts for the November Ironman events raised $5,300 for ARC, $13,000 for Right Turn in Arlington and $5,800 for Jane Lane's Kids in San Diego, Calif.
"At the end of the day it's about helping our fellow human beings," Brown said.
To do that, Brown and a small group of supporters have started a for-profit business for charity, with plans to donate proceeds to organizations, including ARC.
The name, What R U Nutz? was coined by Bill Beers, the company's CEO. The group will be selling T-shirts, water bottles and other apparel at Ironman races, and its Web site, http://www.lifeisnutz.com.
"I'm really excited about it," Brown said. "I feel like we've found a good opportunity."
(Abby Jordan can be reached at 50... or ajordan@cnc.com.)
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