The hobby of running track and cross-country began for Zach Collins in high school at Blue Valley North. It is a hobby he has pursued throughout his life and continues in his forties. He uses running to burn off energy after school and work. Zach graduated from the University of Kansas with his bachelor’s degree and completed medical school there. He went on to do residency at KU and fellowships in Atlanta, Georgia and Tampa, Florida. He is now Associate Professor of Radiology and Section Head of Interventional Radiology for the University of Kansas Health System.
“My wife, Meghan, and I ran a half marathon in 2018,” he explains. “I started having stress fractures in my feet, and I needed some balance, so we signed up for the Kansas City Triathlon. When you show up to an event like that, it’s intimidating! They all have the best bikes and equipment. We had a lot of fun, so I decided I wanted to do an Ironman.”
That same year Zach ran a half Ironman in Arizona. He told himself that if he completed the half and still had energy he would set his sights on doing a full Ironman in Panama City, Florida the next year.
The Ironman triathlon originated in Hawaii in 1978. It is a three-sport competition that combines swimming, biking, and running. Participants swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and then run 26.2 miles all back-to-back in less than 17 hours.
“I realized to do this I needed to work out a minimum of 15 hours a week. With a full-time job, a wife, and three kids I still wanted to be present for my family, so I took one day a week off work to go crazy and really push myself,” he says. “Basically, I knew what I needed to do based on the half [Ironman], so I rotated swimming, biking, and running. Your legs get fatigued, so on the swim days you go a lot lighter.”
In November 2019, Zach finished his first full Ironman in 13 hours and 30 minutes. The weather was perfect, and he was able to complete it well under the 17-hour window.
The ultimate goal of any Ironman athlete is to go to Kona, Hawaii and race in the World Championship. It has a deep history with triathlon racing, and the spots to race are deeply coveted. To qualify with your racing, you must complete a full Ironman in under nine hours. Since this would mean Zach would need to cut his time by more than 4 hours, he decided to obtain a spot by racing for Team Zero, an awareness group to help end prostate cancer. Certain charities, like Team Zero, are given slots for racers. Racers agree to raise $50,000 for this charity partner to participate in Kona.
“Ironman partners with charities, and anyone who raises enough money [for the charity sponsoring them] gets a slot,” he says and smiles. “My goal is to raise $50,000, and I am currently at $45,000 for Team Zero. The race is October 9, 2021.”
Zach has partnered with Josh Wolf, a local triathlete and trainer who did Kona two years ago. Josh has helped set up a training plan to prepare for the brutal weather in Kona, where the seas are choppy, and the heat index reaches 110 degrees with 60-mile-an-hour crosswinds.
“Hydration is very important,” Zach says. “One of the things is to heat train, so I bought an infrared space heater, and I sweat it out in my basement on the bike and treadmill.
Zach, Meghan, and their three children Charles, 13, Anna, 11, and Zoe, 9, will travel to Hawaii in October for a week to acclimate to the weather.
“Competing has given me drive and determination that carries into my life,” Zach explains. “When I have a long shift, I keep grinding and plugging away. That’s the only way you can get things done.”