Ficker Tri-es her hand at marathon

Desiree Ficker, a near Ironman world champion, plans to begin an unprecedented journey at the ING New York City Marathon on November 1. The 2006 runner-up at the Kona Ironman World Championships is scheduled to gather with the other elite female runners at the starting line of the race on the Verrazano Bridge, and hopes to become the first Ironman world championship podium finisher to complete the race.

Ficker, who owns a personal best 2:40:28 in the event, will be happy to finish in the mid 2:30s and in the top 10. It’s not a major career move; rather, personal hardship compelled her to switch focus from competing in the Ironman world championships earlier this month to running in New York.

“The two can go hand in hand,” she said by phone earlier this week. “But the timing needs to be right.”

The Ironman tirathlon world championships in Kona, Hawaii is held around mid-October, making it difficult for the elite athletes competing in the event to also take part in a fall marathon. This year, a family tragedy made the timing right for Ficker.

In July her self-described best friend, her mother Annette, died at the age of 70 from colon and lung cancer that was first diagnosed in April 2007.  Ficker had planned to compete in the Kona Ironman this year, but time caring for her mother in her final weeks prevented Ficker from training properly for the event.

Ficker struggled in the 2007 and 2008 Kona Ironman races from illness and the emotional affects of her mother’s cancer. It was more convenient for Ficker to run during and after the trying times rather than bike and swim, and by mid-summer she realized she was more fit for a marathon than an ironman triathlon this fall.

“My therapy was to run,” she said. “I could feel close to her when I ran. I was running some high mileage and thought that I’ll put it to good use and run in New York.”

Ficker logged a few 110 mile weeks, about 40 miles more than her peak weeks when training for an Ironman and admits she feels very fit. She managed to complete three half ironman triathlons in 2009, finishing second once and third twice.

Her appearance in New York will satisfy an invitation first made by New York City Marathon Chief Executive Mary Wittenberg in 2007 a few months after Ficker finished second in the 2006 Ironman.

“I’ve always watched New York on television,” she said. “I really admire Paula Radcliffe and her racing style. And I admire her as a person. She’s so gracious and humble and kind, despite how well she’s run. I’m healthy, I haven’t gotten sick. All things are good to go. I’ll just try not to get the flu.”

Ficker, 32, has been an elite athletics competitor since her preteen years. Her father Robin helped fuel her passion for the sport. Desiree watched Robin win master’s 4x400 relay races at the Penn Relays. The Fickers trained in their Potomac, Md. back yard on a wooden, banked track built to replicate the Millrose Games indoor track.

She competed in the 1,500m, 800m, 400m and long jump in junior meets in the U.S. and took part in the Junior Olympics. She also completed her first triathlon at age 14. While running track at the University of Alabama on scholarship she suffered burn out from the sport and then graduated to more triathlon events.

“For the most part, I really enjoyed [track and field],” she said. “I’m grateful for it. It taught me how to persevere. I developed my cardio capacity at such a young age and that has helped my triathlon career.”

Ficker ran her first marathon in 1999 by accident when she traveled to the Walt Disney Marathon to support her mother in the race. Ficker entered the race herself after she met an injured runner at the race expo who sold Ficker her number. She finished in about 3:10.

“My longest run before that was about 12-15 miles,” she said. “I started at 6:30 pace and fell off the last six miles. I thought if I actually trained for the distance, I could do pretty well at it.”

Ficker has run five marathons, clocking a personal best 2:40:28 and finishing second at the 2007 Austin Marathon. In April 2008 she entered the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon “in really good shape”, she said, but struggled after completing the first half in about 1:15. She's run a 1:14.07 personal best in the half marathon.

The New York City Marathon will be Ficker’s first 26.2 mile race since the trials. “My goal is to go through the first half more conservative and run a faster second half,” she says.

Ficker will also display a selfless goal in the race. She will wear a blue colon cancer ribbon in honor of her mother, also known endearingly by her friends as “Ma Ficker”.  It’s the first step toward creating Teammaficker, an idea prompted by Annette Ficker. Teammaficker will encourage triathletes to raise money for colon cancer research. Desiree hopes the team will be formed soon after the New York City Marathon.

“Racing can seem selfish at times, can seem unfulfilling,” says Ficker. “I’ve been searching for more motivation other than setting records for myself. It’s so close to my heart.”