Utah Resident Jeff Basham Gears Up For Ironman 70.3 Debut With Help From Local Bike Shop

A St. George local is running the Ironman race for the first time and has been given a bike on loan for the race by IBB Cyclery to help with the endeavor.  

Jeff Basham is a St. George local and employee of Townsquare Media who reached out to IBB Cyclery for this collaboration. Basham has been training for the Ironman 70.3 for six months with the local bike shop's help. He will continue to train up until May when the triathlon takes place.  

Basham has been an athlete all his life and has competed in spartan races and other competitions. However, Ironman always seemed a bit far-fetched until now, he said.  

“I've always looked at Ironman as like that unattainable thing,” Basham said. “It just wasn't something that I thought I could do. And then the opportunity at the station came up and they were looking for somebody to do the Ironman so that we could highlight it and say’ hey, there's local people doing this, it's not just for out-of-towners.” 

Just this week Basham is doing 20 hours of training including aerobics and strength training. He has slowly been ramping up his training over the last few months to prepare for the Ironman. This includes “rest weeks” and having a healthy diet plus plenty of sleep.  

How He Started His Ironman Journey: 

Basham began by talking to people about what he would need to do to prepare for the race, including Kirk Nelson from IBB Cyclery.  

Nelson said that the first step is just recreationally enjoying the sport of cycling and having the right bike fit is key. IBB Cyclery specializes in finding the right bike for each customer and their needs. Nelson has seen about a 50/50 split between customers who come into their shop of competitive athletes and recreational riders.  

As the time for Ironman draws nearer, Basham has used his newfound knowledge to train and prepare for the race. One of his biggest challenges is going to be the open water race, he said.  

Basham also wants to showcase that this race isn’t just for those who regularly compete in triathlons but for anyone who has a desire to compete.  

Look out for Jeff Basham at this year's Ironman in St. George!