Listening to Ben Hobbs' excellent interview with a 6-time Ironman World Champion recently made me smile. Granted that most will associate that lofty mantle with Mark Allen is understandable; "The Grip's" sheer grip on triathlon's Holy Grail is a well known and widely rehashed story. But this post is not about Mark. No, it is about a man (self) admittedly far less talented yet so incredibly competitive and driven. In fact, it is perhaps the latter two qualities that wrongly portray Dave Scott as the "bad guy" in all things "Iron War."
Dave Scott is also a six-time Ironman World Champion. His career spans from the pioneering days of the sport right up to the mid-nineties. Sure, the 1989 version of the Hawaii Ironman is perhaps one of the sport's greatest duels. It is just that Dave represents so much more than the guy who was outlasted by Mark on that October day almost three decades ago.
"The Man" first came into my consciousness around 1988 through his book. Given that I was just getting into the sport at the time, "Dave Scott's Triathlon Training" was a timely addition to the local public library. As the title suggests, this book was a veritable encyclopedia on the mechanics of the sport. And, like Dave's athletic longevity, one which really has stood the test of time. Most of the principles hold true to this day, and I say most as one has proved otherwise.
What constitutes a real coach? I would imagine the willingness to continue learning would be right up there. And of course the ability to recognize – and admit – one's mistakes. Hearing Dave's self-humility in acknowledging the flaws in his previously held dietary beliefs was as refreshing as his embracing a new approach to nutrition. He even went on to list various health professionals that he follows on air, crediting them with his refreshed perspective on diet and health in general. I'm not too sure whether many of his fellow coaches would openly admit there faults and shortcomings on a public forum.
Then there is Dave's evergreen desire to exercise and to compete, something that has perhaps been incorrectly portrayed as obsessive and compulsive over the years. What is wrong with wanting to compete, to get the best out of oneself? Knowing what one is passionate about in life is a gift – some people never find that.
And what about Dave's ability to continually reinvent himself as the sport of triathlon became more competitive and technologically advanced? He was the first guy to break 3 hours in the marathon leg, then 2:50 and then 2:48. Remember that all of these running performances were after a 180km bike leg on a steel steed sans aerobars or disc wheels, out front and on his own.
Which makes Dave's second Hawaii comeback in 1996 possibly his greatest performance ever. Having come out of retirement at age 40 two years earlier, Dave spent much of 1995 race fit while not actually racing. He missed out on Kona that year due to injury, incidentally Mark Allen's final victory on the Big Island. But the following year was different, with Dave returning to Hawaii in arguably better shape than ever before. This was the time of change in triathlon as a whole, with a whole new breed of European speedsters taking the bike leg to a new level. Totally out of contention by the time the marathon leg came around, Dave was hovering in an uncharacteristic thirty-something position. Yet he "wanted to see what he could do," a mantra that has defined his athletic career right the way back from his high school waterpolo days. You see, it would have too easy to give up, to call it a day, to blame is advancing years, to give in to the new kids on the block. A fifth place finish at the age of 42 after a 2:46 marathon culminating in a sub-8:30 finish might not have felt the same as his six victories. But it felt pretty good to Dave, who has been quoted that that performance is the one that he is most proud of.
So it's important not to forget that Dave really put "The Man" in Ironman (cliche intended). I highly recommend that athletes and coaches alike take a listen to his recent interview on TRS Radio.
Be careful, though.
You might learn something!
