La Sierra triathlete proves willpower wins the race

This October the La Sierra University senior and amateur triathlete will push himself to the limit in a coveted world championship race across rough ocean, over mountainous terrain and along a run that climbs a 1,092 feet.

The 22-year-old Redlands resident will join hundreds of other contenders from around the globe in the grueling Xterra World Championship Off-Road Triathlon in Maui, a course that starts with a mile of swimming through pounding surf followed by a 20-mile bike race across the slopes of the West Maui Mountains, finishing up with a 6.1 mile run.

He hopes to once again win his age category as he has in several other triathlons, and aims to nail the overall competition. It is an event he would never have imagined participating in 10 years ago when as a chubby middle schooler he played blocker in flag football at Loma Linda Academy, “because it didn’t require much skill,” he said.

Macomber qualified for the world championships by winning his age group in previous Xterra races this year and will participate in additional competitions prior to the world event.

In July he won his first Xterra race at Snow Valley Mountain Resort in Running Springs. He beat 70 racers for an overall first place finish. “I couldn't believe it,” said Macomber. “I was in the lead for more than one hour and 50 minutes, and suddenly all the worry and pain from going as fast as I could just went away. I started the race thinking I would do well and secretly hoping for a win, but when it actually happened I was just all smiles.”

A former business major-turned-biology major, Macomber trains upwards of 11 hours a week during the school year. During the summer, he increases his training to 17 hours a week while racing. He works out and swims at the Loma Linda University Drayson Center where he works as a lifeguard and practices for biking and running events by joining groups of runners and mountain bikers as they prepare for their own competitions.

Off-road triathlons take place over challenging terrain and require skills and fitness in three areas – swimming, mountain biking and running. The racers battle each other as well as their own inner thoughts, and the unpredictability of weather and circumstances.

“Sometimes the races are hard because they hurt. Sometimes they’re hard because bad things happen to you,” Macomber said. Tires go flat on a trail. Swimmers race madly within inches of each other, punching and dunking their contenders, knocking off goggles.

And like other athletes, they endure injuries. Macomber suffered a broken collarbone two years ago when he crashed his bike. He underwent surgery to repair the break. “I was determined not to let this get me down, so as soon as the surgeon cleared me to swim I was in the pool every day again,” he said.

Over time, Macomber has discovered methods that help him stay focused. “During the races it’s really good to be process oriented and not goal oriented,” he said.  For instance, during the lung-busting, one-mile triathlon swims Macomber says he doesn’t concern himself with the number of racers who are passing him. Instead he focuses on the techniques he’s mastered, on maintaining speed and getting to the next buoy. “It’s little steps at a time,” he said.

His journey began with his desire to better his athletic experience and performance. He began running in high school because he decided he wanted to like running rather than loathe it. He then decided to become a lifeguard at the Drayson Center pool, but orientations proved difficult as he did not have a strong background in swimming.

“I was one of the slowest guards and I couldn’t swim all the different strokes. I hated that,” said Macomber. So he recruited the assistance of another guard who had been on a swim team. “She helped me out a lot. I swam five or six times a week for nearly a year,” he said. “The next summer, I wasn't the slowest guard anymore.”

Around that time another individual who was aware of Macomber’s running and swimming interests offered to loan him a road racing bike if Macomber would agree to try one sprint triathlon. Macomber agreed and began training. He entered his first triathlon in 2011, a sprint event at the Drayson Center. “I thought it was the best thing ever and immediately signed up for six more sprint triathlons,” he said.

Macomber participated in local triathlon events and races and began training with an experienced racer. He competed in his first off road Xterra race in July 2013, “just for kicks,” he said. He finished 6^th out of 110 competitors and came in first in his age group.

“The fun is the process of seeing improvement in training,” Macomber said. Some days are awesome. Other days, it doesn’t matter what you do, it’s the worst thing you can go through. But you can’t think about the pain from yesterday.”

As for his life outside the triathlon course, Macomber is leaning toward a career in research ecology or teaching. He is completing a biology degree with an emphasis in environmental science and plans to pursue a master’s degree. He comes from a long line of La Sierra alums that includes his parents, Tom Macomber and Karen Zirkle, and his grandfather, Robert D. Macomber who served as a Riverside County Superior Court judge.

The lessons Rory Macomber has derived from competitive racing over land and water he has applied to his life.

“Racing has taught me a lot,” he said. “Success isn't overnight for most people, just like most people don’t appear on the podium in their first race. It’s consistency over time that pays off. Doing something even when you don’t feel like it can make a huge difference.”