Canadian Real Estate Association president and West Vancouver REALTOR®, Cal Lindberg is doing what few people dare to attempt or even contemplate. He will swim 3.8 kilometres, bike 180 kilometres and run 42.2 kilometres in less than 17 hours. Why would he subject himself to such agony? Well, it turns out Cal is participating in the Subaru Ironman Canada competition on August 24 in Penticton, BC.

Between his daily swim, bike ride, run and core training, he found time to answer a few of our questions about his adventure.  

REALTORLink®: The first question has to be, what the heck are you thinking?
Cal: (chuckles) I get this question a lot. I’ve always been an active person and have done lots of running and biking over the years. I’m now working with a trainer whose philosophy is you have to work toward something, not just flex your muscles a few times a week. She encouraged me to consider the Ironman; she had done it twice and highly recommended it. 

Last year I did the half Ironman in Oliver, BC when it was 37^oC and survived, so I thought I’d do the big one this year.

I’m raising money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

RL: The Ironman is a gruelling race, how are you preparing for it?
Cal: I started training seriously in January. In an average week I’ll swim four kilometres, bike for about seven hours, including rides up Cypress Mountain and out to Steveston and back (from West Vancouver). I’ll run for a few hours, one of my favourite routes is over the Lion’s Gate Bridge and around Stanley Park and back. I’ll also spend a couple of hours working on my core strength. On my day off from training, I take swimming lessons to develop my technique.

RL: You are one of the wonderful singers who make up the Singing Christmas Tree. Has the breathing technique needed for singing helped with your training?
Cal: Yes, it helps me relax. If I’m tense, I have to work harder. The swim is at the beginning, with about 1,500 people starting at once, is my weakest discipline. The heart rate can shoot up and the breathing rate increase, so it has been helpful to have the breathing discipline to get past all that.

RL: But it’s not all about the race. You have another reason for doing the Ironman.
Cal: I’m raising money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Some of my friends have children with the disease and my mother had diabetes. My goal is to raise $20,000.

RL: Imagine you’re almost at the finish line, it has been a long day, anywhere from 12 to 17 hours of racing, and the crowds are cheering as you go by. What’s going through your mind?
Cal: Oh goodness. My friends and family will be there, along with members of the Okanagan Mainland Real Estate Association. Probably relief and pride that I’ve made it and that I can call myself an Ironman.

RL: It’s the next day, you are now an Ironman. The big question – will you get the tattoo?
Cal: (laughs) Who knows?! I don’t have one now, so maybe!

Cal finished the race with a time of 14:30:54, and has raised almost $18,000 for the Juvinile Diabetes Research Foundation.