Chris puts in hard yards for baby son
THE alarm sounds at 3.50am and new dad Chris McKewin steels himself for work, then a lazy 100km bicycle ride through the middle of the day.
It’s a routine the first-time Cairns Ironman 70.3 competitor has observed three times a week for the last six months.
McKewin’s seven-month old son, Kobi, was his inspiration to enter the race … but it doesn’t mean the happy tot is taking it easy on his old man.
“I want him to be proud of what I’ve done,” McKewin says. “But training like this is hard to do on zero sleep.
“There have been a few mornings where I’ve only had an hour’s sleep and I’ve got a massive ride and 10 hours work ahead of me. It’s tough.
“I have to thank my partner though. She does a lot of the night time work.”
The owner-operator of a Cairns gym, McKewin says an Ironman is unlike any physical challenge he’s undertaken.
“I’ve always loved being in the gym but Ironman is such an individual event,” he says.
“I’ve only done a 10km run before this. The 70.3 is a 21km run and then I’ve got three hours of cardio on top of that.”
Personal trainer Renee Ker, who trained McKewin for the big day, says almost anyone can complete an Ironman event, provided they’re willing to put in the work.
She has trained 30 athletes who will be competing in Cairns Ironman events.