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Eisenmann on course for the classroom
The starting signal sounds: hundreds of people swim off in a tightly packed group. Everyone tries to set themselves apart from the others. After 3.8 kilometers, the first stage is done. Instead of resting, everyone gets on their bikes. In tropical temperatures of 40 degrees, it's 180 kilometers across the island landscape of Hawaii. The final stage is a run. After a marathon of around 42 kilometers, the athletes reach the finish line of the so-called Ironman. They cover over 226 kilometers, roughly the distance from Kassel to Mainz. This makes it one of the toughest competitions in the world and is the big highlight for top triathletes.
One of them is student teacher Tim Bluhm. When he is not in the lecture hall, he is training for his big goal. "I became enthusiastic about triathlon quite early on. I also tried team sports once and played soccer, for example. I could always blame defeats on others, which is not possible now. If the time isn't right, the fault lies with me. That's how I first got into marathons, then tried my hand at a small triathlon and was hooked straight away."
The Ironman 1978 in Hawaii began at the award ceremony of the team relay race "Oahu Perimeter Relay Run". Some participants were discussing which athletes were the fittest. Are they swimmers, runners or cyclists? To clarify this question, one of the participants suggested a competition. Three existing races in Hawaii were to be combined: The "Waikiki Roughwater Swim", the "Around-Oahu Bike Race" and the "Honolulu Marathon" - thus the Ironman was born. 15 men competed in the first race, 12 reached the finish line.
"It's like a drug, once you start you can't stop," explains Bluhm enthusiastically. "I love the exercise and it's great to do something that not everyone can do. It's often hard and always hard work. But the feeling of constantly improving is the reward." In 2021, the 25-year-old qualified for the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii at the Ironman Frankfurt.
He trains 15-20 hours a week for this, swimming, running, cycling and going to UniFit, the university gym. "After three weeks, I then give myself a rest with just ten hours of training a week," adds Bluhm with a slight smile. "But the best thing about sport is that I can choose which session I do on which day. If I feel more like swimming, I do that, if I prefer running, I do that."
At the same time, Bluhm is studying history, chemistry and sport at university. "The training doesn't have a negative effect on my studies. Sure, I need a few semesters longer than planned. But it also gives me a nice balance." However, going to a bar with fellow students after the lecture is difficult. "I can't just hang out with friends and have a beer. I always notice this on my best friend's birthday in July, the main training time. Sometimes people look at you with irritation because you don't drink and don't stay until the end. But I chose this life for myself. Unfortunately, it's a very selfish sport."
Nevertheless, Bluhm is not alone. "I couldn't do it all without help. My mother is a physiotherapist and supports me together with my coach. My girlfriend supports me at competitions and especially in training. She will be with me during the Ironman in Hawaii - afterwards we will relax for a few days under the palm trees."
Dennis Müller
This text is from publik 2/2022 from June 14, 2022