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1* \<iK 22 - I'LAINDKAI.EH - FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1983 I m ' • 4mm ,4 ormer softball player finds the ultimate Wants to challenge the Iron Man By Mike Lamb What is the ultimate sporting activity? Is it biking? Maybe swimming? or maybe wrestling? or football? Well, it took Tom Spasojevich 45 years, but the McHenry resident now feels he has found it. He has been an athlete all his life. After a heavy sporting life Last. May, Spasoievich traveled to Atlanta with his family and competed in his first triathelon. He covered the course in three hours and 39 minutes. He finished fourth in his age group (45-49). That inspired him more than ever. "It was an exhausting race," said Spasojevich. "From the of the swin sport ever. Every muscle is used, every ounce of energy is drained out of you. After Muncie, it took me recover. a week to Tom Spasojevich is preparing for upcoming triathelon's with a streneous training schedule. He begins his at 5:30 a.m. swimming in the Crystal Lake YAACA pool. After work, at about 4:X STAFF PHOT OS /W A YNf GAYlOftD p.m., Spasojevich bikes until supper. Three hours after supper, he does his running. The above photos where taken during a workout last Monday. won't use his legs. Biking is all legs. In running, you are still using your legs, but a different type of muscles. The transition from biking to running is the toughest I mink." Linda Usrey first .woman finisher in Muncie Endurathon By Mike Lamb Tom Spasojevich isn't the only McHenry resident competing in the ultimate sport. A McHenry High School East Campus librarian also competed in the Muncie Endurathon. Linda Usrey was the first woman to cross the finish line for the second straight time. She competed in the Endurathon last year. This year's Endurathon was lengthen from the previous year, so Usrey holds two women's records. She completed the course in five hours and 32 minutes to finish 18th overall out of -140 participants. What made the Muncie event attractive to Usrey is her family. Her mother, father and other family members live in Muncie. It gave her the chance to visit them. Considering the 91 degree heat, Usrey was happy with her time. "The heat was devastating for the men, for some reason, than for the women. I finished fourth or fifth in the running, while Tom (Spasojevich) was an hour behind me." Usrey said her time in the running part was down from the previous year, but she improved in the biking and swimming. "My swimming was faster, which surprised me. I'm biking better." She wasn't sure why she swam better, but she contributed the biking to her new bike she bought. Usrey did have one unfortunate occurnace. During the biking, her shoestring got tangled up with the chain. This happened to her before, so she knew exactly what to do. While still riding the bike, she bent down and broke the shoe string and tuck the remaining string inside the shoe, and kept on going. By triathelon in Racine earlier in the summer. She would like to compete in the Iron Man in Hawaii, but her job at the high school library prohibits her. Although, she hasn't entirely overruled it. Old Bridge-Buss ford sweeps fourth straigfit, Little John's Old Bridge-Buss Ford swept its fourth straight Park and Recreation fall softball league victory, defeating Little John's 14-1. it was Little John's first loss in five games. The Old Bridge win leaves both teams with 4-1 records. Dan McAuliffe's double and Brad Patt's triple were the big hits in the Old Bridge four-run first inning. Steve Mai's hit a three-run homer in the second inning, and Dave Colberg's homerun brought in three more runs in the fifth. Mark Dehn's second hit of the contest, a lead-off triple, was the big hit in the final inning. In other games, Cullom Knoll Tavern whitewashed McHenry Torque 14-0, slamming out 18 hits. Philly's Inn swept its second straight victory to stay within a game of first place at 3- 2 with a 4-1 win over Jepsen Tire. "It's a tremendous outlet for frustrated athletes, there is nodody to point too. You did it and there is no alibi's." What has been most effected by his quest to conquer the triathelon, is his family life. He against the clock and the other, has four sons, one of which is participants. four-y ears-old. "In swimming, you use the "You can't always think of upper bodv. A good swimmer yourself. It's tough to keep on a in high school," Spasoievich 8taft u,c continued His athletic ambition "do* tee running, it was a race by playing softball for 20 years. At the age of 45-years-old, when most people curtail their sporting activities to golf or bowling, Spasojevich is training for, ana competing in triathelons. What is a triathelon? A triathelon is a marathon of sorts that is divided between running, biking and swimming. There is no timeouts and it uses just about every muscle there is in the body. That is what is so appealing to Spasojevich. "I've always been interested in sports," explained Spasojevich. "I played team sports all my life. But, I wanted a challenge for myself. , Something I would be responsible for how well I did. "I was watching T.V. and the Iron Man in Hawaii was on (the ultimate triathelon in the United States), and I watched a girl named Julie Moss collapse just before the finish line and she crawled across the finish line. To me that was one of the most dramatic scenes and it inspired me." It inspired Spasojevich enough, that he requestea for an entry blank for the next Iron Man. But when it came in the mail, he was informed that there was qualifications to be met. One of those qualifications was to have competed in a previous Iron Man, and another was to have competed in a previous major triathelon. Well, Spasojevich never even competed in a triathelon before. The only other alternative was to send in the entry blank. There was a drawing of names, for all those with no qualifications. Spasojevich's name was not pick. swimming, to the »ur-y< "Yw If. It's tough to keec training schedule. You just can't do it all the time. If it wasn't for my wife, I wouldn't be able to do it. My four-year-old-son sometimes is waiting at the door when I come home and he wants "I played team sports all my life. But, I wanted a challenge for myself. Something I would be responsible for how well I did.' Hie fourth place at Atlanta to wrestle or play. I can't always gualified him for the United say no. S t a t e s T - f - i a 4 ^ I ' t f l . t r y i n g t o c o r p o r a t e m y championships at Bass Lake in family in the training," said California. Spasojevich. He took his family on the trips to Atlanta, Indiana California. Spasojevich continued his training. His schedule consisted of dimming at 5:30 in the morning before work. After work, at about 4:30 in the afternoon, he would go biking until supper. Three hours after supper, ne would do his running. In June, he competed in the Crystal Lake Triathelon, where he placed second. Next was the Chicago Triathelon where placed third in his age group in three hours and 19 minutes. The Muncie, Ind. Endurathon in September was next. He placed 65th overall on a 70-mile course. The lattest was the U.S. triathelon championship in California two weeks ago. He placed eighth and covered the 35 mile course in three hours and 43 minutes. Contestants had to swim 1.2 miles, bike 25 miles That did not stop him. For the and 11111 9 4 m^es- K^Tw«Sg" With a summer full of experience, Spasojevich now knows what it feels like to use your body to the fullest extent. "This is the hardest physical and California and enjoyed them as vacations. "My friends think I'm crazy. TTiey say that's great, but I think you're nuts." Now Spasoievich has his set on the Iron Man. He have to sit and watch this year's Iron Man on television. The 140 mile triathelon is scheduled for Oct. 22. The swimming part is 2.4 miles, biking is 112 miles and 26.2 miles is running. "In my own mind, I have made all the qualifications, but I won't know until I get the entry blank. "I'm going to give myself two years. Put if this way, fm going to Hawaii in 1984. 1 don't care what place I come in. "This is somethio do once. It's nothing at work building up his creditials to be elgible fo^r the Iron Man. He took swimming lessons, bought a new bike, subscribed to Running World magazine, Triathelon magaizine and joined as many 10 kilometer races as he could. Hat pi "This is something I want to like chasing the end of the rainbow. I have no aspirations for first. That's out of reach. You just can't compete against youth. If I would to set a hour figure, I would like to finish less than 14 hours. Then I'll be happy. 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