Military spouse holds international ranking for triathlons

  • Published
  • By By Jennifer Vollmer
  • 99th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. (ACCNS) --  A National Hockey League hall-of-famer said, “Nobody’s a natural. You work hard to get good and then work harder to get better.”

Seven years ago Shannon Cutting, wife of Lt. Col. Russell Cutting, 99th Services Squadron commander, did not intend to get “good” or even “better” when she ran her first marathon; she just hoped to finish.

Now, Mrs. Cutting not only expects to finish, she expects to finish at the top. And so she has. Cutting is currently ranked third worldwide for her age group in Ironman Triathlons.

At 41 years old, she can run a 26.2-mile marathon in three hours and 19 minutes, which equates to an average of seven and a half minutes per mile. She can complete an Ironman Triathlon consisting of a 1.2-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run in less than 10 and a half hours.

“I enjoy the triathlons because it’s fun to compete in three sports as part of one single event,” said Mrs. Cutting. “But I also love the feeling of completing a race, so I enjoy the single sport events too, like running, cycling and swimming.”

On average, Mrs. Cutting says she spends from 12 to 20 hours per week training for the competitions. After waking at 5:30 a.m., she either runs for an hour or bikes for an hour and a half.

“My morning work-out is normally dependent on the weather. I like to run in cold weather and bike when it’s warmer,” she said. Every evening after work Mrs. Cutting goes for an hour of laps at the pool.

To date, she has completed nine marathons, six Ironman Triathlons and three 50-kilometer races.

One race took her all the way to Australia. Mrs. Cutting said she enjoys traveling to the competitions and experiencing different cultures and environments.
“It’s part of the excitement and thrill to compete on a new course in different surroundings,” she said.

Mrs. Cutting competes close to home, too. Last month she participated in the Las Vegas Silverman Triathlon, where she took first in the women’s division. In early 2006, she said she plans to run a 50-kilometer trail run through Calico, a ghost town located two and a half hours south of Las Vegas. Following that race, Mrs. Cutting is scheduled to run a 50-mile race in Colorado in April.

Overall, Mrs. Cutting said the exhilaration of pushing her body to its limit motivates her to compete.

“I don’t know at what age, if ever, that I’ll stop racing. It’s not just a hobby for me, it’s a way of life,” she said.

Editor’s Note: Carolynn Blinkinsop of the 99th Services Squadron, contributed to this article.