11-time Ironman ready to volunteer for Memorial Hermann Ironman Texas

THE WOODLANDS, Texas – This Saturday, May 16, the Memorial Hermann IRONMAN North American Championship Texas presented by Waste Management returns to The Woodlands for the fifth year in a row. Athletes from all over the world will be participating to prove their physical and mental toughness during this arduous race, consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run. A local resident, Jim Braden, will participate, but only as a volunteer. He turns 80 this year, and will be giving some “payback” for all the volunteers who supported him when he was in the sport in his 50’s.

Ever since the Memorial Hermann Ironman Texas came to The Woodlands five years ago, Braden has been an active volunteer. He understands the amount of time and effort many volunteers took in helping him, and now he wishes to return the favor.

“How bizarre for me that when I was in the sport in my 50s, I had to qualify at half Ironman events to go to Hawaii because it was the only full Ironman in the country,” said Braden. “Now, Ironman has come to my home. Not just to Texas, but to my hometown!"

From 1987 to 1993, Braden participated in 11 Ironman Triathlons, seven of which were the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. In 1990, Braden won the 55-59 age group. Later, he also won the age group at Ironman Canada and at Ironman Europe.

Braden hadn’t always been an athlete. It all started when he was simply looking for an outlet to relieve stress.

“I was working for a large corporation at the time. I was in my late thirties, and I would come home from work somewhat stressed, so I started walking around the neighborhood to decompress before dinner. After a few weeks of walking, with numerous runners passing by, I asked myself, ‘Do you think you can run down to the corner, Jim?’ I did, and so I became a jogger, and then a runner.”

Eventually becoming deeply involved with running, there was a point where Braden had a serious planter fasciitis problem. To keep his cardio up without having to run, he decided to give cycling a try. Now proficient not only on foot but also on two wheels, a friend asked if he could swim, and so it began: Braden started to compete in triathlons, and just a couple years later, Braden was competing at Kona.

“I had never set out to be a runner, I had no goals to be a runner, and I had no goals as a runner. I never set out to be a triathlete, either. It has all been a journey of self-discovery. It was always an incremental case of ‘I did this, I wonder if I could do THAT?’”

Braden soon had the Ironman bug, competing in an impressive 11 Ironman events in just seven years, continuing to finish at the top of his age group. Then, Braden wanted to push himself even more, and once again, he started to ask himself, “What’s next?”

“The Ironman finishing rate is the same for marathons, at 90%. But some 100-mile ultra runs in the mountains have only a 50+% finishing rate. So I thought it must be more challenging."

Braden saw ultra marathons as his next step, and ended up competing in four of them.

“No awards there,” laughed Braden. “Nearly killed me!”

In 1990, not only did Braden finish the Western States Endurance Run, a 100-mile trail race, but just four months after, he also did the Ironman Kona.

“When you get to the longer distance runs, mental toughness becomes an ever-increasing issue, in addition to managing the body physically. As a competitive athlete, pain becomes a normal ingredient. I have come to learn that injuries will heal, but staying in the game enables you to hold off the degenerative diseases like arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease, slowing down the rate at which you will inexorably decline physically” said Braden.

Now happily retired and living in The Woodlands with his beloved wife, Karen, Braden continues to run daily. He even recently qualified for the 2016 Boston Marathon, which will be his final marathon – at age 80.

“I am still in the game. I will always be a runner until I can no longer run. I have learned that we are all capable of more than we think we are."

Like many have once done for him, Braden will be volunteering on Saturday for the Memorial Hermann Ironman Texas participants.

“I will be energized on Saturday watching the iron men and women doing their best – which makes them all equal.”