TrainingPeaks member profile: Bob Seemuth, Ironman with D3 Multisport
3 November 2008
Bob Seemuth is a very unique Ironman: he has raised over $2 million for charity through his racing, and all after first starting to train in his early fifties. When asked why he started training, he admits that he was basically bored. “I had to do something! When you are 53, porky and grouchy, a frustrated Type A, action steps must be taken. I remembered Julie Moss of 1982 Kona fame, had a neighbor involved with Ironman, and had an underused membership to an athletic club; this left me wondering – ‘Could I do IT?’”
Bob did more than just do it – since first starting to train he has raced in 8 Ironmans, including Hawaii. Right from the start, he took a systematic approach to his training, searching online for a coach to guide him. “An internet search in Oct 2001 led me to Mike Ricci [of D3 Multisport]… Now, I had no background in swim, bike or run and Mike thought I was nuts (but was polite about it) – I guess he needed some clients back then. The goal: Go in 13 months from absolutely nothing to a successful Ironman in Florida in Nov 2002.”
Bob’s experience working with Mike has been excellent. “Mike was patient with me, guided me with small steps, organized weekly workouts and goals, kept steady encouragement, stayed flexible, and even was present at IM FL 2002. My 13:26:59 surprised us all. That time would never be seen by me again…”
It was there, at his first race, that Bob discovered the Janus Charity Challenge. “The Janus Charity Challenge is so generous and easy to work with. Any athlete could pick any Charity; raise a small minimum amount and get awarded at least $750 to that Charity. Placing 1st thru 5th in fundraising (not speed!!!) meant an award of $2k to $10K to the Charity. Amazing! Now with the Janus Charity Challenge there was a deeper reason to do this crazy and fun thing called Ironman.”
Since discovering the Janus Charity Challenge, Bob has been fundraising with them at all of his races. “2002 thru 2008; all 8 IM’s I have been in. It took a year for the Charities to understand the JCC and trust how it worked. After that, fundraising went very well. In 2006 Janus allowed an athlete to have 2 charities. In 2007 it became unlimited per athlete. Why not help more people? To date my total raised is $2,341,014; Janus has added to that thru their awards a total of $94,500. As I said, Janus is VERY generous. And who says you have to be a professional to bring some bacon in?”
Bob has chosen to focus his fundraising efforts on organizations that assist individuals in need, from single mothers to widows and orphans. “Over the years it has been 2 Educational Pro-Life Foundations, ‘Justice for All’ and ‘The Center for Bio-ethical Reform’; Also ‘Options 360 Pregnancy Resource Center’, ‘The Blazeman Foundation’, ‘FreewheelchairMission.org’, and ‘The United Warriors Survivors Fund’. They all value life from the smallest to the oldest; disabled or terminal, widows and orphans. It has been very satisfying to partner with them.”
Aside from his work with Janus, Bob has a long history of generosity in his life. “I have shared my Dental skills in India, the Amazon basin, Haiti, and various Central American countries. The common linkage to Ironman is planning in advance, staying in the present, being flexible to changing conditions, having the ability to think on the go, accepting being uncomfortable, and helping others around you.”
Combining fundraising with racing has given Bob the inspiration to keep both efforts up. “I’ll never be fast. Why not try to excel in the fundraising? (Although a funny thing happened at IM Louisville this year – I came in 4th in my age group. HA!)”
In addition to his finish in Louisville, Bob has many fond memories of racing. When asked about his favorite, he has trouble deciding. “That is hard to answer. Let’s see…. The wind to and from Hawi Town, the last 3 miles and the finishers chute in Kona (2007); podium times for Janus (2003 – 2008); the beauty of IM WI (2004); and I must say negative splits on the bike and run this past IM L (2008) and passing many on the bike. That’s never happened with me before.”
Fitting in his training between his job as a full-time dentist and being director of a charity, manager of his group practice, a husband, and the father of two high school age boys can be challenging for Bob, but with his coach’s help he somehow manages to do it. “This is a testament to you, Mike, your training works. I just checked all the past years, can you believe I averaged 27 weeks of training before an IM with only 10.84 hours per week. I haven’t been a very good student, eh coach?”
Bob attributes much of his success not only to his coach but also to the precise analysis offered by TrainingPeaks software. “Nothing works without good metrics and measurements. TrainingPeaks and D3 make that possible. Add GPS, Computrainers, and other technology… heck, we run out of excuses for NOT doing an Ironman!”
Read more about Bob on the D3 Multisport Newsletter!
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