Sisters woman takes on Ironman

Robin Buckles truly competed with the "best of the best" at the Ironman World Championship 70.3, held November 14 in Clearwater, Florida.

"I'm sure in my lifetime I'll get to do many exciting things, but this will be forever ingrained in my brain and so far the single most amazing thing I've done," she told The Nugget.

This was a by-qualification-only event, and to be invited a participant must have placed in the top three of their age group at a qualifying Half-Ironman event.

"My qualifying race was at Lake Stevens in Everett, Washington," Buckles said. "My husband, Scott, and I both qualified there after training for a year."

All smiles and satisfaction, proudly sporting her sleek black "Ironman" track jacket after returning from a triumphant showing in Florida, Buckles explained the rigors and rewards of the experience.

"There were 47 women in my age group at Lake Stevens, and only three of us got to go. It was a 1.2-mile open-water swim, a 56-mile bike ride, and a 13.1-mile run. I went with the expectations that I'd do well but not necessarily place," she said.

"When you're sitting there, and they call you down on stage and hand you a certificate with your Ironman ID, you realize you are one of only 1,800 people invited to compete at the championships."

Buckles was a familiar sight during her training at Sisters Athletic Club every night.

"I was always the last person to leave, my car the only one in the parking lot," she said. "It takes total passion, discipline, and dedication but it ultimately paid off. The reward was a million times more than what I put in."

Buckles and her husband arrived in Florida for the event three days early and were greeted by the blustery remains of a downgraded Hurricane Ida. Steady rain and 30-mph winds dampened their spirits.

The swim portion of the race was to be held in the Gulf of Mexico and red flags dotted the beach.

"There were eight-foot waves out there," Buckles said. "The ocean was so angry and violent. I'd never done an ocean swim, all my racing was done in lakes. I thought there was no way in hell I was going in that water."

On Friday, the race officials thankfully declared the swim portion would be moved to the calmer waters of Tampa Bay.

"I was so happy," Buckles said. "Scott told me everything would be okay, and he was right."

The weather on race day was sunny and 80 degrees.

"The stars were out when I got up at 4 a.m. and the palm trees were calm," Buckles said. "You couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. It was like a dream."

Buckles did her swim portion first, then hopped on the bike, averaging 22 mph on the 56-mile course, which she took in 2 hours, 40 minutes. Next, she ran 13 miles over a double-loop on the main streets around Clearwater toward Tampa.

"There were thousands of spectators clapping and cheering. They funnel you into a chute toward the finish line with all these people screaming as they announce your name while you pass beneath the big Ironman logo.

It was amazing. I got my photo proofs back and I have a big smile on my face in all the shots."

Buckles finished with an excellent time of 5 hours, 53 minutes, a full 40 minutes faster than her qualifying race in Everett.

"In these types of endurance events, anything can happen," she said. "You can get a flat tire, crash, dehydrate, or cramp up. But it all lined up for me that day, and I had a fabulous race."

Her husband, Scott, also had an excellent race and completed it in respectable time.

"To be in Florida, and with all these incredible athletes, walking around the expo was so fun," Robin said. "They treat you like royalty there, like you are a pro athlete. You hear all these different languages: Dutch, Spanish, French, Japanese. The energy was so amazing, I was in complete awe."

Wide World of Sports filmed the race and will televise it sometime next month.

The Buckles' plan on moving to Maui on December 16 and will continue to train and do all the things they love.

"It feels like the right time in our lives to do something new," Robin said. "We've been vacationing there for 20 years.

"Leaving Sisters and all our lifelong friends here feels very sad.

"It's been so much more than just a place to live," she said.

But with a lifelong dream accomplished, she's leaving on a high note.