Page 41 - Flathead Living // Spring 2015

SCOTT GAISER // 52 // COLUMBIA FALLS
A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK of a superhero when they hear the word Ironman. They prob- ably don’t think of Scott Gaiser, but maybe they should: unassuming high school principal by day, wetsuit-cloaked Ironman by night.
Over his 26 years in the Columbia Falls school district, Gaiser has become a recognizable face in his community. His face is just as recognizable in Montana’s ever-growing commu- nity of endurance athletes. Now in his 50s, he doesn’t show any signs of slowing down, even coming off a 2014 that was plagued by painful plantar fasciitis.
The plantar fasciitis kept Gaiser out of races and eventually shut him down. But he’s not one to treat injuries as burdens or deterrents. Instead, he has interpreted his nagging foot pain as a chance to rethink his training approach and running style. This year is shaping up to be a return to form.
In the past, Gaiser found a way to squeeze 20 or more hours of training per week into a busy school schedule, working out at 4:30 a.m., late at night, whenever he could. Those 20 hours only included time spent actually engaged in Ironman’s three disciplines: running, swimming and biking. He spent many more hours lifting weights and doing other exercises such as push-ups and ab workouts.
Ironman competitions consist of swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles and running
WHAT MOTIVATES YOU
“I APPRECIATE PUSHING YOUR BODY TO ITS LIMIT. WHEN YOU’VE PUSHED YOURSELF, THE FEELING YOU GET, BOTH MENTAL AND PHYSICAL, IS A REWARD IN ITSELF. AND I LIKE THE DISCIPLINE OF HAVING A REGIMEN OF TRAINING. I ENJOY HAVING THAT RHYTHM TO LIFE.”
26.2 miles, a full marathon. The world championships are held in Hawaii every October.
Since becoming Columbia Falls High School principal three years ago, how- ever, Gaiser’s busy schedule has gotten busier, and his training windows are even smaller. But his training is evolving as well. He now places greater emphasis on strength workouts, as a response to both his injury and his age. He’s feeling better. He’s finding a way. He might find his way all the way to Hawaii again.
STATS
Four-time Ironman World Cham- pionship qualifier and four-time All World ranking in his age group; two-time Pacific Northwest Triath- lon age group champion; 2013 masters champion in Bangtail 38K, Elkhorn 50K and Bozeman Marathon; 2013 senior masters champion in Le Grizz 50 Mile Ultramarathon
RYDER PANT
MONTANA
122 Central Ave. Whitefish, MT
406-862-2271
30 Commons Way Kalispell, MT
406-755-1500
THE
TOGGERY
SPRING 2015 | FLATHEAD LIVING 39