Late starter, but great finisher

During 35 years as a first- and second-grade teacher in his native Wisconsin, Dave Kies’ athletic endeavors were fairly conventional, including weekend basketball, frequent walks with his wife Sherry and long bicycle rides. That all changed — in a big way — after retirement for the Maricopa resident, who moved to town earlier this year after living several years in the Valley.

He began running.

“I went from working with seven- and eight-year-olds to 70- and 80-year-olds,” Kies, 68, who left the classroom to work with a social assistance program that required a great deal of computer work that led eventually to weight gain.

He moved from the treadmill to extensive walking and shorter runs, participating in a 5K at age 55.

“I just wanted to go out and run,” he said. “I got second place in my age division, had fun and really enjoyed the people I was with.”
With his wife’s support and encouragement, the late starter kept running — to bigger and longer challenges.

UNLIKELY DESTINATION

Kies increased his distances over time, but never thought he go longer than a half-marathon. Eventually, however, he ran fast enough at an Arizona race to qualify for the 2014 Boston Marathon — the ultimate goal for many long-distance runners. He decided to take a shot at the prestigious race.

His trip to Boston came one year after two terrorists set off homemade bombs during the April 15, 2013 race. Three people died and hundreds were injured in a tragedy that shook the city and the nation.

“That was probably the highlight of anything I’ve done,” Kies said. “Anyplace you went, people were thanking you for coming back. On the subway, they would announce, ‘We have a marathon runner on board,’ and people would clap. They treated us so nicely.”

Sherry, who waited for her husband about six blocks from the finish line, vividly recalls the crowd chanting, “Take back our city. Take back our race.”

People always line the route with “cool signs” but there was a special aura that year with runners thanking and paying tribute to military and first-responders throughout the race.

Dave traversed the hilly 26.2-mile course in 3:54.07 to finish 308th in his 60-64 age group, an impressive finish that was secondary to the “emotional experience” and the joy of taking part in such a special event, he said. He ran a couple more marathons and again qualified for Boston, but he never went back.

“Something was missing (in the subsequent races),” he recalled. “I said at the time, ‘I don’t think we can ever recreate that. I don’t want to lose that.’”

Still, he sought new challenges — and so began a march toward longer distances.

He started with a half-triathlon (1.2-mile swim, 54-mile bike ride and 13.1-mile run) before deciding to give it a shot in a full Ironman (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run) in November 2019 in Tempe, site of the Arizona Ironman.

Kies said he went all in on the Ironman despite “not being a very good swimmer” and having much to learn about the sport.

He finished the event in 15:12:58 (1:42.46 swim, 7:26.38 ride and 5:25.12 run), good enough for 11th in his age group.

Along the way, he was cheered on by family members volunteering at a water station.

‘TOTAL EUPHORIA’

Family is important to Kies. While planning for the Arizona Ironman in 2018, his daughter was involved in a life-threatening mountain climbing accident. He calls his daughter “an inspiration” as she continues to battle back from the accident and other medical challenges.

Sherry is there with him throughout the training and competitions. He trained for the Arizona Ironman for eight months.

“I’ve never had a coach,” Kies said. “I learned through trial and error, reading on the internet and picking things up from other people.”

Although he has not competed in another full Ironman, his “addiction,” as Sherry calls it, has changed his life. These days, his minimum exercise session is 100 laps in the pool, a six-mile run or a 30-mile bike ride.

“It’s total euphoria, no matter what race you are in,” Kies said. “The camaraderie with other runners — people telling each other ‘Great job. Keep it up’ — is special.”

The Kieses enjoy many special experiences together, including trips to 41 countries. He lists Peru and Morocco among his favorites; Sherry, a middle school teacher before her retirement, cites Russia as a most interesting location.

Meanwhile, they are thrilled to call Maricopa home while continuing their travels and supporting their grandchildren in Colorado.
And living the healthy life.