Last man running

COEUR d'ALENE - Standing at City Beach before the start of the Ford Ironman Coeur d'Alene on Sunday morning, Jeffrey Vanderveer was sure of one thing:

"I knew it was going to be a tough day. That water was really cold and I don't like cold water," he said.

He was right. It was a tough day.

"Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong," Vanderveer said. "But I pulled it together in the end."

Absolutely, he did.

The 40-year-old from Issaquah, Wash., persevered. He overcame bike breakdowns, nutritional issues that left him feeling lousy, and sore ribs from a crash on a training ride six week back.

As the clock ticked away, he narrowly made the cut-offs on the swim, then the bike, and finally, the run.

The man wearing number 2,127 never stopped.

By the time he made the final turn onto Sherman Avenue shortly before midnight, there was nothing between him and victory but seven blocks.

Cakewalk.

Vanderveer crossed the finish line in 16 hours, 55 minutes, 40 seconds - the last to beat the midnight deadline to officially be declared an Ironman.

He jogged in the final yards, soaking in the wild cheers and thunderous applause.

"To finish last, the crowd goes nuts. It's awesome," he said. "I got more enjoyment out of finishing last than I did when I finished in 15 hours."

His wife, Jill, wearing a shirt with the words, "Until I get my husband back. 140.6 miles," beamed with pride.

"He's the best," she said.

Jill Vanderveer said it was hearbreaking to wait at the finish line and wonder if her husband was going to make it in time.

"I know how much he put into it," she said.

Jeffrey Vanderveer would not let his family down.

The swim was, putting it mildly, rough, with 2,300 men and women diving into Lake Coeur d'Alene at 7 a.m. They banged, bumped, pushed, kicked, shoved and in general, ran over each other if necessary.

"I was colliding with a lot of people," he said.

The 6-foot, 212-pounder fought the hills of Hayden on the bike course.

"Getting up those hills is tough going down them is nice," he said.

Finally, came the run, which mostly meant walking as his energy waned and so did his willpower.

"I really didn't think I'd make the cutoff," Vanderveer said. "Out of nowhere, this guy from Victoria, British Columbia, came along side of me and said, 'Hey just walk with me.'"

They walked the first half of the marathon until Vanderveer found the strength to at least shuffle his feet into a run of sorts.

"He kept me going," Vanderveer said.

When he emerged from the darkness and saw the lights of the finish line, he knew. He had done it. The final 50 yards were simple, unforgettable.

"The crowd was going crazy and I was high-fiving people," he said. "There's nothing better than that experience."

In the end, his total time for the 2.4-mile swim was 1:59:04; for the bike, 8:09:53, and for the run, 6:30:41. In the third Ironman of his career, he was finisher number 2,184.

Vanderveer, who works in law enforcement, didn't know if there would be more Ironmans in his future.

"I may just go back to doing marathons," he said. "It's easier on my family."

His wife, however, thought differently.

"I'd like to see him do more," she said. "I think it's a great event."

Take the week off Jeffrey, then start training.