Beyond the Bike
With the support of other Members, Jonathan Kushner is preparing to take the triathlon plunge this summer.
Not only can I not swim, but I really hate the smell of the pool.” That might seem an odd statement from someone who plans to swim 1.5 kilometers as part of a triathlon this summer.
The fact is Jonathan Kushner is more of a cyclist. The Club Member took up long-distance cycling a decade ago when he lived in Singapore, where he would embark on 180-kilometer, early-morning excursions around the island.
The 46-year-old now completes 320-kilometer rides. Leaving Tokyo before dawn, he follows the Arakawa River into Saitama, crossing the mountain pass at Karuizawa, in Nagano, and finishing in time to catch the next sunrise aboard the bullet train back from Niigata.
“We call it the sea-to-sea stupidity ride,” says Kushner, breaking into a laugh. August’s 40-kilometer ride in the Kisarazu Triathlon shouldn’t present too much of a challenge then.
A recent recruit to the newly formed TAC Triathlon Club, the father of two sampled his first triathlon in 2014. When Ernesto A’ de lima, one of the founders of the Triathlon Club, backed out of the Izu Oshima Triathlon relay event, he asked Kushner to complete the cycling leg in his place.
In 2015, A’ de lima again drafted Kushner, this time for the 90-kilometer bike section of a half Ironman race in Thailand. With enough notice for proper training, Kushner racked up the hours on the Fitness Center’s indoor bikes.
Kushner admits that while completing a full triathlon always held an appeal, he was intimidated by the open water swim component. A’ de lima assured him that swim coach Lisa Miyasugi had helped wannabe triathletes with similar hang-ups.
“Everyone I’ve talked to in the group says, ‘You know, you can do it,’” says Kushner. “So I am going to give it a shot.”
According to the International Triathlon Union, race participation has grown annually since 2007, and today there are more than 2 million active triathletes worldwide. Japan has the second highest number of triathletes, next to the United States, and more than 1,000 triathlon clubs. The sport is booming in China as well, with the country’s richest man, Wang Jianlin, recently purchasing the organizer of the Ironman triathlon events for $650 million.
Kushner admits he was anxious about his first swim session earlier this year. After four lessons with Miyasugi at the Sky Pool, he says he is close to being able to swim the necessary 1.5 kilometers. He is also confident he can complete all three legs of the Kisarazu Olympic-distance triathlon, including a 10-kilometer run, alongside his fellow TAC Triathlon Club members.
“Having a goal for your training is very motivational,” says Kushner. “I can go out and run 10K or cycle 150 kilometers and not be too worried about it, but I have never been able to swim any distance.
If I can do that, then I will feel like I have accomplished something.”
The TAC Triathlon Club hosts weekly training sessions.
Words: Nick Narigon
Image: Cédric Diradourian
