– Dr. David Minkoff, celebrates his best-ever Ironman result at Ironman Arizona, Tempe.
Clearwater, FL — Dr. David Minkoff, alternative healthcare expert, educator and triathlete, completed his 36th Ironman race at Ironman Arizona, in Tempe, November 2009. Competing in a very strong 60-64 age-group, Dr. Minkoff achieved his best placing in an Ironman, claiming 7th place in a time of 12:48. Shaving 25 minutes off his previous marathon time, Dr. Minkoff attributes his fast pace to some words of advice from six-time Ironman World Champion, Dave Scott. “Dave told me to increase my speed on the run if I started to feel tired. I had never tried that before, but it worked!” he said.
Attracting competitors from around the world, Ironman Arizona is one of the last events on the 2009 triathlon calendar and is noted for its great atmosphere. However, the 63-degree water temperature made wet-suits a must for the opening leg of the race and Dr. David Minkoff was not alone in being offered medical assistance when he came out of the water, but he kept on going. “It took me ten minutes to get my socks on but after that the race was fine,” he said. “I will definitely race there again next year.”
Reflecting on his 36th race, Dr. Minkoff recalls the day when the sport was virtually unknown to him. In 1982, Dr. Minkoff watched the ABC sports coverage of the Hawaii Ironman race. He saw the dramatic finish of Julie Moss crawling across the finish line to claim second place. Her courage and determination were inspiring and Dr. Minkoff was hit by Ironman fever. The next morning, Dr. Minkoff found a used racing bike in the want ads, went to the nearby YMCA and joined the pool to start swim training. Eight months later he was at the starting line in Kona, Hawaii, at the Ironman World
Championship, and during his run, he recalls seeing Dave Scott crossing the finish line to claim his second world title.
Ironman races are known as the elite and toughest of all triathlon races. Triathlons themselves are grueling and a full Ironman consists of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride and a 26.2 mile run. It takes a very special kind of athlete to become involved in the sport and most find it compelling. As Dr. Minkoff says, “I like the lifestyle and the training. I like having my body feel fit, in shape and healthy. I love the challenge of pushing myself to do my best.”
Dr. Minkoff spends some of his time as an educator of his fellow athletes, addressing their questions about nutrition. In fact, a segment of the clinic he founded, LifeWorks Wellness Center (http://www.lifeworkswellnesscenter.com), specializes in sports nutrition. The clinic works with some of the top professional cyclists, NASCAR drivers, baseball players, football players, triathletes, and motor-cross racers, with great success.
To reach his current record of 36 Ironman races, Dr. Minkoff competes in full Ironman races once or twice a year and a couple half Ironman and Olympic distance Triathlons a couple of times a year.
David I. Minkoff M.D. currently devotes time to research and writing, including two weekly newsletters, The Optimum Health Report and The BodyHealth Fitness Newsletter. For more information about Dr. David Minkoff and to read more of his work visit https://www.drminkoff.com.