Swimming four times a week, running four times a week, weight training three times a week and riding bikes is what an Iowa State senior plans to do in order to qualify for the Hawaii Iron Man Triathlon World Championships next October.

The grind of waking up to a run, going to class, swimming in the afternoon, lifting weights and finding time to study consumes senior Jeff Mortensen’s way of life.

Mortensen, an electrical engineering major, has been racing in triathlons for three years . After not qualifying for the Iron Man Triathlon by one place last year, Mortensen has set his sights on the championship.

The Iron Man Triathlon challenges the athlete to a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run.

“In order to train for a race like that, you have to build up a base and try to stick in a really, really long workout once a week, and then have maintenance-type workouts the rest of the week that are not at high intensity or are at 70 percent of maximum heart rate,” Mortensen said.

Mortensen got his first taste of one of the sports involved in a triathlon in high school by running track and cross country.

When he got to college, Mortensen said he was looking for ways to keep in shape. He thought triathlons would be the most challenging.

To get experience in the third sport of a triathlon, Mortensen took a swimming course with John McVan, adjunct instructor in the health and human performance department. He also took an aquatic fitness class and a life-guarding class to improve his swimming.

McVan said Mortensen and he got to know each other through training together beyond the swimming classes. “[Mortensen] has never been scared to back down from a challenge. Mortensen has become better because he has a general inner drive to become better,” McVan said.

In order to train, Mortensen said he usually runs in the morning and swims in the evening and tries to find time to do weight training. He does most of his biking between May and August.

With all of his training, Mortensen said he does end up sacrificing study time occasionally. But he said he is pretty strict about training and he tries to fit it into his day even if there are meetings or other conflicts.

Mortensen said it can be tough to find a balance between school and training. “You have to decide how far you want to go and also stay focused on school so you can graduate,” he said.

Mortensen is a fifth-year senior, going on six years. He had to admit that “to a certain extent, it has to do with triathlons.”

Being a triathlete is also very expensive. Registration fees range from about $25 to $300 per race and there are no financial bonuses for the winners.

Besides being personally rewarding, racers may receive a medal, a small trophy and “bragging rights,” Mortensen said.

In order to afford the sport, Mortensen said he tries to get a summer job that will allow him to train. “I usually just break even for the summer,” he said.

Mortensen said he plans on competing as long as he physically can, but he does not have an interest in going pro. And even as a professional, the financial rewards are few and far between.

“The corporate interest just isn’t there. It isn’t a great spectator sport,” Mortensen said.