Adam Greene: Captain, Ironman
By Army Sgt. Daniel Holmes, JMRC Public Affairs
Photo Credit: FinisherPix
HOHENFELS, Germany-- Adam Greene fills lots of shoes, whether his boots as a captain in the U.S. Army, as a husband and father of two children, or running shoes for the 26 marathons and ultra marathons he has run. For the average person this would probably be more than enough foot wear, but Greene has added at least two more items to his shoe closet, now, he is not only a marathon runner, Adam is a triathlete. More than that, after completing the Ironman race in Regensburg on June 17th, Greene is an Ironman.
Adam’s journey to becoming an Ironman began like many others. He started running cross country in high school at his hometown of Black Mountain, North Carolina. One day he told a coach he wanted to run the Black Mountain Marathon and Mount Mitchell Challenge. A 40 mile trek through Western North Carolina’s Black Mountains, it is said to be one of the ultimate ultra marathons. The course takes runners from an elevation of 2,360 ft. up to Mount Mitchell at 6,684 ft., the highest peak in the Eastern United States. The weather at that altitude is brutal in late February, and newcomers to the challenge are often in for a chilling surprise, as the temperature can differ up to 30 degrees between the start point and the highest peak.
“I have run that race seven times… it’s tough because sometimes you will run through two feet of snow and ice most of the way,” said Greene.
Photo Credit: FinisherPix
After high school, Adam attended North Georgia College and State University. He continued running, and eventually participated in an Olympian Triathlon.
Greene says, “Swimming is my weakest event,” after running so long he could focus on improving swimming more without worrying so much about the marathon.
Now, with eight years of military service and a family, Adam hasn’t missed a step. Since joining the military he has completed a 100-mile race in the hot and humid weather of Bandera, Texas. He also won a 24 hour timed race at Fort Benning, Georgia, running 95 miles and finishing 9 miles ahead of the next runner.
The Ironman race is different though. In the Regensburg Ironman race, Greene traveled a total distance of 140.6 miles. Beginning with a 2.4 mile swim in Lake Guggenberger then biking 112 miles, Adam finished the race running a 26.2 mile marathon. He finished it all in under 12 and a half hours.
“This race was different than those I have done in the States; none of the participants would say a word during the race here in Europe.” Greene added it’s easy to hear encouragement or even small talk during races like this in the U.S.
Only two Ironman competitions take place in Germany this year: the European Championship in Frankfurt, and the Regensburg Ironman race. Ironman is an internationally held event that takes place in 15 different countries and on 5 different continents. It’s a grueling test of any athlete’s mental and physical strength.
“I was a little surprised by my swim time,” said Greene. To improve his weakest event, Adam would drive an hour away on some days during his training, to swim in a pool and better his time. “When you swim in open water, during a race, it’s hard sometimes to even see where you are going, so you watch for big landmarks, and hope the guys at the front of the pack are going in the right direction.”
Even after all this running and swimming and biking, Adam’s wife has been supportive, but “she says she thinks I’m crazy.” Why do it though? “It became a challenge to me, to push myself farther.” Greene has already pushed himself farther than most. “I’m very ambitious, I continually get myself into races I’m not ready for…” He might not always be ready for them, but this Ironman hasn’t started a race he didn’t finish.
Photo Credit: FinisherPix
