Square in Their Sights

in Their

By Marianne Hamilton

About the Author

Marianne L. Hamilton is a veteran journalist and marketing writer whose work appears in regional and national publications. When not race walking, hiking, or teaching water aerobics, she is Board Chair of Art Around the Corner and the Special Events Manager for DOCUTAH. She and her husband, Doug, are also co-administrators of the St. George Wine Club and race directors for the Huntsman World Senior Games and National Senior Games. Marianne was crowned Ms. Senior Italy Universe 2019–2020 and the Senior Pageants Group’s 2020–2021 Senior Games Ambassador. She is a proud breast cancer survivor.

As competitors in the 2021 IRONMAN®70.3 World Champ- The IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship logo ionship sprint, limp, or crawl across welcomes visitors heading north on Main Street. the finish line in September, a very special sight will come into view: The iconic IRONMAN M-Dot logo, glistening in the sunlight, will welcome them at the roundabout at Main and Tabernacle in Historic Downtown St. George. Since its installation in March 2021, the thirteen-foot, nearly 6,000-pound metal sculpture has prompted countless photos, videos, and selfies. And this fall, the monument is sure to become known around the globe.

When St. George successfully contracted to bring the 70.3 contest to town, the Greater Zion Convention & Tourism Office and St. George City staff knew it would be important to have world-class artwork in place for the world-class race. “We live in a land of endurance, and we host one of the most scenic and challenging endurance races on earth,” said Kevin Lewis, Director of the Greater Zion Convention & Tourism Office. “Across the globe, this race showcases the characteristics of the area and the enduring qualities of people who live here. This new work of art is a symbol of all that this event means to our community and a tribute to what our community inspires in race participants all over the world. In securing the World Championship, we’re truly being recognized as an IRONMAN destination worldwide, and this piece celebrates that.”

To find the right artist (or artists) to craft the sculpture, Greater Zion and the City of St. George turned to the Art Around the Corner Foundation (AACF), the nonprofit organization that has brought quality public art to St. George for the past seventeen years. AACF was tapped to write a Request for Proposal, which was then distributed to the organization’s network of Utah-based artists. Said Marc Mortensen, City of St. George Support Services Director, “We felt it was appropriate to limit the proposals to artists who reside in our state since our goal is to show off the very best that Utah has to offer during IRONMAN. With the high concentration of creative talent in Utah, we were confident that we’d find the perfect concept.”

The bet paid off: A proposal from father-and-son metal artists Richard Prazen, a professor of metal arts at Salt Lake Community College, and Josh Prazen caught the eye of the Greater Zion and City teams, who each contributed $30,000 to commission the work. The Prazens envisioned a four-sided cube, three of which would feature the athletic competitions in the event—swimming, cycling, and running—with the fourth side emblazoned with the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship logo.

“As soon as we saw the preliminary drawing that Rick and Josh submitted and read their description of the piece, we knew it would be a winner,” said Mortensen. “The Prazens planned to use rusted steel to represent our red rocks and mountains, with contrasting stainless steel depicting the athletes and the sky. It was a big,

Iconic Sculpture Will Greet Ironman 70.3 World Championship Finishers

bold concept, and it really captured the new brand for Greater Zion, ‘the Land of Endurance.’”

The M-Dot sculpture was hefted into place during AACF’s installation of its 2021-2022 Outdoor Sculpture Gallery. (Richard Prazen also crafted Think Green, the large, friendly frog sitting on a bench near the Square’s splash-pad, along with Bad to the Bone, the heavy-metal rocker strumming his guitar in front of Wells Fargo Bank.) Sara Otto, Greater Zion Marketing Manager, said the installation of the M-Dot in the Main/Tabernacle roundabout was purposeful.

“With the finish line along Main Street and the Transition Area (T2) along Tabernacle, the athletes will pass the sculpture four times on the route,” Otto noted. “It’s a tribute to their training and dedication to this endurance sport. And at the true center of town, it’ll be at the crossroads of many IRONMAN Week events and conveys the large, positive impact IRONMAN has had on St. George and Greater Zion.”

For most mere mortals, the notion of even signing up for an IRONMAN event—let alone completing it—is beyond comprehension. Only a tiny percentage of athletes have the ability (and sheer strength of will) to attempt three different disciplines in one day, especially given the grueling terrain they will face in Greater Zion. But the City and Greater Zion teams are still hopeful that every member of the community will want to get involved come race week. With district schools scheduling a holiday on September 17 and abundant volunteer opportunities available before, during, and after the competitions, everyone of every age can share in the IRONMAN experience.

Josh & Rick Prazen pose in their SLC studio during the production of the IRONMAN sculpture. The sculpture was unloaded in the Tabernacle parking lot, then trucked over to the roundabout at Main and Tabernacle for installation.

“It takes an entire community to pull off an IRONMAN event well,” Mortensen finished. “The 2021 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship will require every ounce of grit we’ve got as a community, and we encourage everyone to volunteer by going to ironman.greaterzion.com to see how they can lend a hand.”

Below: Diana Bertsch, IRONMAN Senior VP of Global World Championships, is flanked by (L) Kevin Lewis, Director, Greater Zion Convention & Tourism Office; IRONMAN sculptor Richard Prazen, and City of St. George Support Services Director Marc Mortensen.

Strength and size are not synonymous. The goal for athletes when it comes to strength development is to become stronger without adding muscle bulk.

Many believe strength training will slow them down. However, research done on Olympic athletes at the 1970 Olympics in Mexico proved that Olympic weightlifters were faster than 100-meter sprinters in a 30-meter sprint. Others claim that strength training will lead to a decrease in flexibility, but these same Olympic weightlifters were the second most flexible athletes.

Research has revealed that beginning in the early thirties, athletes will lose approximately a half pound of lean muscle per year if they do not engage in intense strength training. This loss will result regardless of the amount of aerobic activity engaged in. To maintain fast twitch muscle fiber strength, which is needed for sprinting and climbing, 75 percent of one repetition max, (which is the most weight you can lift one time) must be used in strength sessions. This equates to the amount you can lift ten to twelve times while keeping proper form.

Functional Strength Training (FST) does not require a large time commitment. Maximal gains in strength and power can be achieved with a small time requirement (two sessions of thirty to fifty minutes per week). These sessions often can be conducted outside the gym.

A year-round strength program is recommended. Many athletes only engage in off-season strength programs. This can lead to less than optimal strength when it counts the most. In six weeks, an athlete can lose 40 percent of strength gains if in-season strength training is not continued. In ten weeks, the loss increases to 70 percent. In-season strength training should consist of one to two sessions per week.

Enhance Sports Performance with Functional Strength Training By Tiffany K. Gust, MS

Functional Strength Training

FST is a method of training that is very specific to the demands of athletic activity. This training can include free weights, cable machines, elastic bands or tubing, stability balls, medicine balls, and balance boards. Functional exercises should be: • Progressive. Start with simple exercises and progress in intensity and difficulty. • Multi-planar. Movement should not restricted to a single direction of movement. • Velocity specific. The exercise duplicates the speed of movement required by the individual sport. • Sports and activity specific. The movement pattern of the exercise duplicates that of swimming, cycling, basketball, running, baseball, etc. • Balance dominated. Increases in stabilization will aid in increasing efficiency and reducing injuries. • Enjoyable. If you don’t enjoy the process, you won’t get the most out of it.

This All Sounds Great, but Where Do I Begin?

First, make a list of the functional tools you have available to you. Next, look at your current strength program (if you have one), and evaluate it for functionality. Then, use the methods outlined here to create a more specific routine. Often, these changes will result in a lowering of the weight or resistance needed to successfully complete the exercise.

Begin by introducing FST into your warm up exercises. Integrate them into your lower intensity sets before making them the primary exercises. If you are still uncertain on how to integrate FST into your training, hire a sports coach or personal trainer who specializes in your specific sport to help you make the gains needed to achieve your fitness goals and peak performance.

Stop by the LiVe Well Center to learn more about how we can help you reach your goals with functional strength training for all ages and levels of fitness.