MKA's Basmajian Achieves Remarkable Results in his First Ironman Triathlon

Congratulations to MKA Upper School Math teacher Alden Basmajian who successfully completed and placed in the NYC Ironman Triathlon earlier this summer. This was Basmajian's first Ironman race, and as he explains, "I have raced in two marathons in the past few years and completed numerous long rides. So last year, when I heard that the NY metro area would be playing host to the Ironman US Championships in August 2012, I jumped at the idea to compete and complete a life-goal in my own backyard." Basmajian managed to prepare for the race in addition to teaching full-time and being father to two very young children. In a remarkable first effort, he finished 14th in his age group and 224th overall out of 2700+ competitors.

Says Basmajian, "Thinking back, I remember watching clips of triathlon races when I was younger and just thinking how cool it would be to do everything. I've always enjoyed riding a bike and running, so it seemed like a logical extension. I just really wanted to see what my body could do and enjoy the experience." In describing the Ironman Triathlon experience, he continues: "The swim was extremely fast because we had the current at our backs. After a quick run through in transition, I was on the bike and ready to go ... The first 56 miles seemed to go pretty quickly, and then the competitors thinned out and mental toughness came into play as much as physical condition. Coming into the second transition, I knew the marathon was going to be difficult ... The best part of the race was running down the finish line and seeing my family. It was truly an indescribable feeling, and it was the perfect way to end the race."

Basmajian finished the Triathlon in a remarkable overall time of ten hours, fifty-two minutes and eleven seconds and is already planning to participate in future events next year.