Code Hero: Dave Scott

Dave Scott, left, and Mark Allen, right, in the 1989 Ironman Triathlon

2.4 mile swim. 112 mile bike. 26.2 mile run.  The Ironman Triathlon is the world's finest test of physical endurance and mental strength.  The sheer distance and harsh environment can cause athletes to burn through the body's entire reserve of stored energy, glycogen.  It's called "hitting the wall" or "bonking", and the result looks like this:

To most athletes becoming an Ironman means finishing the race.  It is a lifetime achievement to make it through the open water swim, the uphill bike, and the marathon across lava fields, crossing the finish line in one piece.  For Dave Scott, it was about punishing himself, and his rivals, to greatness.
 
Scott won the Ironman 6 times from 1980-1987 and did it in a way no one else at the time knew how to -- running the marathon without taking walking breaks.  Refusing to hit the wall.  His peers nicknamed him "The Man Who Never Walks."  In time they simply called him "The Man".  A master strategist, Scott outlasted his opponents, physically and mentally.  In 1987 he let his rival, a young Mark Allen, take a lead from the bike into the deciding leg, the marathon.  Scott's presence behind him wore Allen down as he slowly stalked his lead over the run, passing him with just 4 miles remaining.  Scott's face remained expressionless through the race, a technique to minimize even the slightest amount of energy consumption from his facial muscles.  His dead and focused gaze intimated opponents and made him a legend.  The video of this is included in yesterday's preview. 

Allen would later push Scott to the brink in the greatest race in the event's history in 1989 .  "The Ironwar" as it was later called, was an epic duel between Scott and Allen for the entire 8.5 hour journey.  Allen pushed him to his limit, pulling away at mile 23 of the marathon and leaving Scott behind.  Scott's time that day was his career record.  It was a passing of the torch, the first of five championships for Allen, and the end of Scott's dominance.  Scott continued to compete in the race, including a second place finish at 40 years old.  He participated his last Ironman 7 years later in 2001.

Dave Scott is a Code Hero because he lived his life on the edge more than any athlete of any sport from of his generation.  He dominated in an era when the race was the toughest: bikes were made of heavier steel with a simple design, not high performance carbon with aerodynamic handlebars.  Sports performance research was just starting to take off.  He pushed his mind and body beyond its limits in a way nobody had seen before.  More importantly he did it with class and grace, as a champion and a runner up.  Scott is a father of three and currently trains the next generation of triathletes as a specialized coach and consultant.