Plattsburgh dentist leaves tomorrow for the Ironman World Championship
PLATTSBURGH -- Bob Heins may be a dentist, but his passion is senior fitness.
The man who once climbed mountains, now, at 69, competes regularly in Ironman triathlons.
At the Lake Placid Ironman this past summer, Heins won his age category of 65 to 69 -- he leaves Thursday for Kona, Hawaii, to compete in the Ironman World Championship. The one-day, Oct. 11 event consists of a 2.4-mile ocean swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile marathon.
"When I turned 60, I started climbing mountains. We did a climb on Mount Rainier in Washington for Operation Smile -- it was a group of physicians and dentists that raised money for children with cleft palettes.
"Then I decided that I wanted to try to climb ... the highest peaks on each continent."
He managed to reach the summit of five of the seven and all 46 Adirondack peaks before frostbite brought the hobby to a chilling halt.
Living here, he said, is a big reason he climbed for eight years.
"The beautiful mountains give us something to do in the summer, fall and winter."
SENIOR ROLE MODEL
It was Dr. Linda Shephard, a colleague of Heins's, who half heartily suggested that he should try out for the Iron Man competition.
She knew his interest in senior fitness.
"The joke was that she said, Just kill yourself on land and not on a mountain,'" Heins said, laughing. "That sort of got me thinking about it, so I jumped in with both feet." He likes the idea of being a role model for other senior citizens.
"I think if I weren't a dentist, I would try to promote senior-citizen fitness. I'm so happy when I go into the gym and I see a group of seniors swimming or biking. In my own small way, being 69 going to 70, I'm able to promote senior health, both from an athletic point and a nutritional point, and I think that is part of why I do this."
Besides the Lake Placid triathlon, Heins participated in Tempe, Ariz., earlier this year.
He really enjoys the camaraderie.
"Doing the Iron Man, I have found that we are all like brothers and sisters."
He doesn't expect to win in Hawaii.
With a smile, he said, "My goal is just to finish."
E-mail Kevin Couture at:
kcountry@primelink1.net
Lifestyles
Related Photos
-
Staff Photo/Michael Betts
Discussion
ALSO NOTE: Derisive name-calling of an individual or group will result in the entire comment being deleted. This includes the terms "stupid" and "idiot" and similar references.
Welcome to our new online comments feature. Before you can join the discussion, you must first register with Disqus and verify your email address.
Once you do, your comments will post after they have been reviewed by a moderator.
We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including unpopular ones. We ask only that you keep the conversation civil and clean.
Not all comments are deemed printable. Some are disqualified, at the newspaper’s discretion, for a number of reasons. Here are some typical practices to avoid in trying to get your comment printed:
There is a 150 word maximum for comments. All comments greater than 150 words in length will be deleted in their entirety.
Don’t state as a fact something that is unsubstantiated or that our editors wouldn't know to be true.
Don’t presume someone’s guilt in a case when it hasn't been established by a court.
Don’t assail or impugn an identifiable individual or group. If you have that kind of criticism, sign your name and submit it as a Letter to the Editor. (There is some leeway on this in connection with public officials, but it is not unconditional.)
Don’t use profanity. This includes the term “tea bagger.”
Don’t be incendiary or tasteless. Those qualities are subjective, of course, and our editors will be the arbiters.
Do not identify yourself in the main content area of the article content form. Only by enforcing this rule can the moderators prevent unscrupulous commenters from falsely identifying themselves as someone they are not.
Don't type in all caps. It is considered the Internet equivalent of shouting.
In sports articles, do not criticize officiating.
Remember, moderators are not allowed to edit any article comments. If an article comment fails any of the above criteria, the entire comment will be deleted.
We monitor comments Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Approval of comments outside these times may be delayed.
Senior fitness: Heins jumps in with both feet
- Recent Featured Story
-
-
Parents Night Out offers fun for kids and parents, too
Plattsburgh Church of the Nazarene offers special event as community service the first Friday of every month.
Continued ...
-
Parents Night Out offers fun for kids and parents, too
- Monday: Home & Garden
-
-
Antique dolls a link to childhood history
Antique dolls from Europe are especially prized by collectors, Julie Robinson Robards writes.
Continued ... - Home and Garden Briefs: Jan. 6, 2012
-
- Home & Gardening Tips:
-
-
Protect your indoor plants from gnats
The best way to deal with fungus gnats is to try to avoid their build-up in the first place, expert Amy Ivy writes.
Continued ...
-
- Tuesday: Health
-
-
Nicaragua students tour North Country health-care facilities
A pair of 20-year-old medical students from Nicaragua have toured several health-care facilities. They are especially impressed with the physician-patient relationship in America, along with the advanced technology.
Continued ... -
Meeting of the minds on fake pot
Students were among those who spoke up at a session in Essex County, helping to make a plan to combat the dangers of synthetic marijuana.
Continued ... - WIC Program offering educational shopping tours for clients
-
- Health Tips:
-
-
Tackling the perfect bench press
The bench press is one of the most widely used exercises in the gym, yet many are unaware of the important safety considerations that should accompany it, Ted Santaniello writes.
Continued ...
-
- Ask Dr. K
- Wednesday: Seniors
-
-
Seniors click toward computer literacy
The Clinton County Senior Computer Club is a great way for seniors to learn computer basics at the Senior Center.
Continued ...
-
- Senior Thoughts
-
-
Yearly trip yields fun family times, enlightenment
Susan Tobias speaks about her experiences on her yearly cross-coutnry trip to visit relatives with her husband, Toby.
Continued ... -
When you leave the North Country for a winter trip, be prepared for anything
Susan Tobias and her husband, Toby, enjoyed family times in Indiana and Colorado, and a challenging blizzard on their driving trip for the holidays.
Continued ... -
Rethink your New Year's plan
This year, ask yourself, "What did they do before they had ... ?" The answer may surprise you, Susan Tobias writes.
Continued ...
-
