Utah couple heads to World Triathlon

MURRAY — Even though Stan and Marti Davis have been married for 41 years and have grandkids, they act like newlyweds.

After their early morning workouts at the Murray Sports Mall, Stan calls Marti out of the locker room to kiss her goodbye every day before leaving for work. For years they have hit the pool or tracks daily by 5 a.m. while the rest of their family was still sleeping. There was no let-up even during the hard and cold winter mornings.

In a sport seen largely as recreational, they go on challenging the limits. Tomorrow, they take on another challenge — the 2006 Lausanne ITU Triathlon World Championships at Lausanne, Switzerland.

The couple has had an amazing journey together. In the past 20 years, Stan and Marti each have competed in more than 150 triathlons. Marti started 1 1/2 years after Stan.

"I was tired of watching and decided to compete," she said. "It's such a healthy lifestyle."

They do seven to 15 triathlons a year and are always excited to try new ones. The U.S. Nationals at Kansas City on July 1 was their 10th this year. The competition at the U.S. Nationals was tough. The couple vied with top athletes across the nation to secure a berth on Team USA at the Triathlon World Championship in their respective age categories. Stan, 59, competes in the 60-64 age group while Marti, 57, is in the 55-59. Bri Klug of Park City, in the 35-39 age group, was the only other Utahn to qualify.

The Kansas City triathlon course was difficult, too. The 1.5K swim had to be done without a wetsuit due to low water levels and warm water temperature. The 40K bike and 10K run courses were hilly and challenging.

"The heat and humidity was something different for us to deal with," Stan said.

For the world triathlon race at Lausanne, the couple followed a training schedule with a focus on long distance training, speed work and recoveries.

"We had to make sure that we don't overtrain and that we pay attention to rest and recovery," Stan said. "Running will be our main focus because you can make up more time in that event than any of the other events."

They got a coach and modified their training a little bit.

"They had this amazing regimen. They work out five-six days a week," said Luke Anderson, friend and fellow triathlete. "They ride around 80 miles a week in the winter."