Strider of the Month: Kent Robison
By John Trent (2/1/2008)

From the beginnings of the Running Boom to the formation of the Silver State Striders to a high-level competitive career that spans four decades, the world champion triathlete reflects on what has been, and what is still to come. 

The road that has led Kent Robison to where he is today as an athlete has been long, filled with more than a couple unexpected twists and turns, and has been paved with a good portion of commonsense, hard work and good humor.

At age 60, Robison, a Reno attorney for more than 30 years, has reached the pinnacle of his two sporting passions – triathlon and XTERRA. In 2007, Robison notched yet another World XTERRA age group title and perhaps even more impressively, won the world championship for the 60 to 64 age group at the most prestigious triathlon in the world, the Ironman World Championship on Oct. 13, 2007, in Kona, Hawaii.

The Ironman title holds special significance for Robison: after years of trying, his 12-minute victory in 11 hours, 7 minutes and 22 seconds meant that he had finally broken through and had won the one race that had always seemed to elude him.

What follows is a question-and-answer interview with Robison. In it, he discusses his role in the formation of the Striders back in the late 1970s as the first Running Boom was cresting, how he first got into running in the first place, as well as some of his secrets for the versatility and longevity that his competitive career has come to represent.

You will also note that there is no small amount of self-deprecating humor in his responses; this is an attorney and triathlete who has always been very good at what he does, whether it has been in the courtroom or in the lava fields of Kona.

In formulating his responses to my Q&A, Kent noted, “You and the local runners should understand that in Hawaii I was a victim of incredible good luck and good fortune. So many things go wrong in that race. It was my seventh Ironman. I finally developed a friendship with the event and the course.”

This is typical of a man who doesn’t like to toot his own horn.

Yet, as anyone who competes can also attest, good races and good performances are indeed the product of good luck and good fortune – luck and fortune that is often forged through single-minded preparation and an ability to mentally and physically adjust on the day of competition to the notoriously fickle whim and winds of a race.

On that front, Kent did a masterful job in 2007.

On a personal note, I can remember racing against Kent 30 years ago, when I was 15 years old. He probably doesn’t remember the race, but I do. After hanging tough with him for about three miles of a five-miler, he pulled away over the final 10 minutes. Our finishing time was a hair above 30 minutes.

Without any prompting, he turned to me and complimented me on my race. “Next time I’m going to have a hard time staying ahead of you,” he said. The words have always stayed with me, simply because of the way they were delivered, with a smile and an encouraging pat on the back. At the time, it seemed invaluable to know that I was going to continue to improve as a runner.

I know there are dozens others like me who have received similar encouraging words from Kent. He is certainly a fierce and determined competitor, particularly in multi-events such as triathlon and XTERRA.

But once the race is over, there isn’t anyone in our area who can revel in the successes of others as well as Kent. For that reason – as well as a couple of world championships in 2007 – Kent Robison is our February Strider of the Month.

Question: You had a banner year in 2007, winning XTERRA and Ironman World Championships. Which one holds more meaning for you?

Kent Robison: Hawaii Ironman has more significance by a factor of 10. It is truly an international event. While I love XTERRA, at my age the mountain bike is something that most geezers avoid, so the number of quality triathletes over 55 diminishes significantly in XTERRA’s. At Ironman, the numbers are huge and the qualification process is one that really does exclude pretenders. Of the five podium finishers at Hawaii this year, only two were from the USA and that is two more than usual.

Question: You’ve always been known as an optimistic, upbeat person, one who knows who to enjoy a good success. Do you think this is one of the reasons why your longevity in the sport has been notable?

K.R.: Thanks for the “upbeat” compliment. Enjoying success is actually something that can not be shared. Unfortunately “success” has to be personal and quietly contained. Over the years I have noticed that success breeds as much resentment and jealousy as it does respect. It’s more important than ever to simply let the results speak for themselves, and avoid any accolade that incorporates the words “me” or “I” is an imperative. But, internally, I find myself re-living the experiences in my mind with a huge smile on my face.

Question: At age 60, you seem to be training and racing as well as you ever have. Any secrets as to why that is so?

K.R.: At age 60, the “baby” factor became more important than before. I have a window of 11 months before at least two other athletes age up, both of whom are superior. This year I wanted to take a shot at being on the podium in the “big five.” They are: USAT national championships (third); XTERRA national championships (first); Hawaii Ironman (first); XTERRA world championships (first) and the 70.3 1/2 Ironman World Championship (DNF).

So, I hired two coaches. I learned more about myself, about hydration, about nutrition, about the value of rest and the mental aspects of endurance events. In the last eight months I learned more than in the entire 30 past years of competition. My conclusion: Can’t be done without good coach coaching and huge doses of luck.

Question: One of the limiting factors for any person desiring to train for triathlons is the overwhelming amount of time it supposedly takes. But with a family and a successful law practice, you seem to be the exception to this rule. How do find time for everything?

K.R.: I brokered a deal with my family. They deserve more credit than I. I eliminated a lot of wasted time in my workouts. I stayed with the game plan of having a limited number of trials this past year in my work. Trials, whether court or jury, are so stressful that they kill the training. It worked. I’ll pay for it this year.

Question: You’ve long been a top competitor in multi-sport events. Why do you think you have such an aptitude for triathlon?

K.R.: Great question. I have never been really good at any one thing. However, I have always been pretty good at things I like to do. I have studied the sport of triathlon and every aspect of it as though I were taking the bar exam. I study the sport as much or more than I have studied the law. And then there is the gene factor. It’s not as though I am endowed with impressive athleticism; rather, I have been injury-free for the most part. I think luck, no kidding, has also been a huge factor.

Question: For runners like myself who literally sink to the bottom of the pool whenever we try to cross-train, any suggestions on how to become a semi-successful swimmer (i.e., at the minimum so we won’t drown?).

K.R.: Swimming is a technique sport. The water provides resistance which is 40 times that of air. Until 1992, I considered swimming to be my weakest event in triathlons. It was not until the run that I would catch proficient swimmers, who of course hate to run. I hired a coach, Naned Rodic. For six straight months I swam with Naned barking orders and expressing disgust at my improper form. He had me swimming 20,000 to 30,000 yards a week. And in six months, not one compliment.

Then, I competed in the Wildflower 1/2 Ironman. My wave started and after 10 minutes of swimming, I looked up and no one was in front of me. I thought I was off course. I looked back only to see all of my age-group competitors struggling to stay in my wake.

Since that time, I have devoted a lot of time to technique drills and my swimming is my strongest event, usually. I was second out of the water at Ironman this year and the technique sessions really pay off. Actually, once a runner learns to swim properly, the rest is downhill. Swimmers are usually worse at running than runners are at swimming, but the run is 30 percent of the event while the swim is 9 to 10 percent. If the leaders are out of sight, they are out of mind and you’re toast (at least that’s my theory).

Learn to properly swim slowly before you try to swim fast. Give me 30 minutes a week with you in the pool, and in three months you’ll be twice as fast.

Question: What are some of your recollections about the founding of the Silver State Striders back in the late 1970s?

K.R.: I think it was 1976. We chartered a bus to the then-Pepsi 20 (now the Clarksburg Country 30K). I was a fan of the Buffalo Chips running club and convinced everybody on the bus that we could be as good or better a club than them. “They” said fine and “go for it” and elected me president for three years … the rest is pleasant history. Starting the Striders is one of the things I have been involved with about which I am most proud. I pushed like hell to name the club “The Sierra Sail Cats” (you know, a cat in the road that has been run over by cars so many times that you can sail it like a Frisbee). I was told if the name were not the Silver State Striders, I would be impeached!

Question: Your running career spans at least three Running Booms. How long have you been a runner, and what first got you interested in the sport?

K.R.: In 1971, I was sitting in the library in law school studying every spare moment I had. Four gallons of coffee a day was making me feel like hell. So, I decided to go to Golden Gate Park so I might feel better. I did, but there was this guy who kept showing up at the same time and would run a pace I couldn’t keep. So every day the race was on. Same place, same time. By the end of the semester I was putting a minute a mile on him. We are still friends and still exchange Christmas cards. After law school, I made the mistake of going out to watch the first Silver State Marathon (in 1976). You know the drill … you tell yourself: “Hell, if they can do that, so can I.” Then, after you’ve done one, you say, “Hell, if I trained a little harder, I could do pretty well at this excruciating, masochistic endeavor.”

Well, that was about 60 marathons and 284 triathlons ago.

Question: I remember being a 14-year-old freshman at Reno High School, and my RHS teammates and I would see you and Skip Houk, Dee Sharp, Ken Adams and others out running, training for marathons and the like, from the old Reno YMCA. At the time, you were probably about 30 years old and the idea of being a runner at 30 seemed ancient to me. Did you expect, 30 years later, to not only still be running, but competing at an extremely high level?

K.R.: Yes. Heroin is no match. I was totally addicted. Then, like now, if I am not moving, I’m dying. This sounds nuts, but one of the most inspirational things you will ever see is when the older (70 to 80 years old) competitors are finishing the Hawaii Ironman, trying to make the 17-hour cutoff. There is not a dry eye among the thousands of spectators cheering them on. Yeah, I hope to be there. Being competitive was really a big part of my lifestyle 30 years ago. Now it is more Zen-like, how well I learn and adapt to the challenge is as good as a “win.”

Question: What’s a typical training week for you?

K.R.: Depends on what “A” race is coming up. If short, i.e., Olympic distance, three weeks before the race, I am in the pool 18,000 to 20,000 yards a week with three 3,000-yard sessions of intensity. 140 to 200 (miles) on the bike with one long ride, one hill ride and one session of intervals. One long (10- to 13-mile) run, at least 10 miles of hills. Intervals are a thing of the past. Injuries are too likely. “Bricks” (bike/run/bike or run/bike/run, back-to-back) are now my favorite. Unfortunately, not much is typical because periodic progressions are the current vogue for triathlon training.

Question: Name at least three important running influences. Why were they important to you?

K.R.: First, Skip Houk. Second, Skip Houk (Houk, of Reno, also now in his 60s was one of the country’s top marathoners in the late 1960s and early 1970s). Inspirational and motivational. It’s undeniable to me that Skip was a really, really good runner. The more I learn about technique, efficiency and mental toughness, the more I am reminded how gifted Skip was (and still is) as a runner. Third is George Hernandez (the former U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier whose 2:27 course record at the Silver State Marathon in the late 1970s remains one of the most imposing endurance efforts in northern Nevada history). Like watching ballet. A more elegant runner I have never seen. Beautiful. Now, I must credit the remarkable Andy Noble (coach) who introduced me to a discipline I have never known. For 11 hours of this year’s Ironman, four of it on the run, I did not know anything about the race except whether my pace was right, my wattage was as planned, my hydration was on and my head was where it was supposed to be. My inner self had to follow his “walk the walk” philosophy. Man, I am impressed with people who are really smart about the biomechanics and the physiology of what we do.

Question: Toughest question of all (and good thing I’m asking you this now and not back in October). Do you plan on defending your Ironman title next fall?

K.R.: No. I have to keep the many promises I have made to a loving family that made 2007 possible.