Tim O’Donnell Inside Triathlon Photo Shoot

By Courtney Baird
Published Jun 21, 2011
Updated Sep 30, 2011 at 1:18 PM UTC

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Tim O'Donnell Inside Triathlon Photo Shoot
O’Donnell began his career in triathlon at the U.S. Naval Academy, where he participated in the university’s club triathlon team. Photo: Nils Nilsen To subscribe to Inside Triathlon magazine, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.
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July/August Issue Of Inside Triathlon
Pick up Inside Triathlon, on newsstands now, for our story on O’Donnell as he journeys towards Kona in October. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon magazine, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.
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Tim O'Donnell Inside Triathlon Photo Shoot
“If everything is going right, Tim can swim with the lead pack, and he can ride with the serious chase group in Kona. And when it comes to the run, he can run whatever is required to stay with the best runners. Depending on the day and the weather, that means anything from 2:48 to 2:42,” said O’Donnell’s coach, Cliff English. Photo: Nils Nilsen To subscribe to Inside Triathlon magazine, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.
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Tim O'Donnell Inside Triathlon Photo Shoot
O'Donnell recently finished a training camp in Tucson, Ariz., where, among other things, he climbed Mount Lemmon, ran 23 miles at a 2:50 marathon pace and used a Ryobi car buffer to massage his muscles. Photo by Nils Nilsen. Pick up Inside Triathlon, on newsstands now, for our story on O’Donnell as he journeys towards Kona in October. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon magazine, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.
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Tim O'Donnell Inside Triathlon Photo Shoot
English’s comment proved prescient in O’Donnell’s Ironman debut, Ironman Texas, where he finished second to Spain’s Eneko Llanos with a blistering 8:09:50. Photo: Nils Nilsen To subscribe to Inside Triathlon magazine, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.
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Tim O'Donnell Inside Triathlon Photo Shoot
But O’Donnell still has a lot of respect for the race in Kona, and he understands that it could take years for him to take the title. Photo: Nils Nilsen To subscribe to Inside Triathlon magazine, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.
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Tim O'Donnell Inside Triathlon Photo Shoot
O’Donnell has a swim background, and for a long time he was a great swim/biker on the 70.3 and ITU circuits, but he had a hard time with his run. Photo: Nils Nilsen To subscribe to Inside Triathlon magazine, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.
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Tim O'Donnell Inside Triathlon Photo Shoot
To amp up O’Donnell’s run without breaking him down, coach Cliff English cut O’Donnell’s swim and bike workouts in half and built his running up to 98 miles per week. Photo: Nils Nilsen To subscribe to Inside Triathlon magazine, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.
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Tim O'Donnell Inside Triathlon Photo Shoot
Now, O’Donnell is one of the faster runners on the 70.3 circuits, and in his debut Ironman, Ironman Texas, he ran a 2:49:03, which put him in second behind Spain’s Eneko Llanos. Photo: Nils Nilsen To subscribe to Inside Triathlon magazine, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.
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Tim O'Donnell Inside Triathlon Photo Shoot
O’Donnell recently finished a training camp in Tucson, Ariz., where, among other things, he climbed Mount Lemmon, ran 23 miles at a 2:50 marathon pace and used a Ryobi car buffer to massage his muscles. Photo: Nils Nilsen To subscribe to Inside Triathlon magazine, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.
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Tim O'Donnell Inside Triathlon Photo Shoot
Last year, O’Donnell watched his girlfriend, Mirinda Carfrae, win Kona, and this helped him decide to switch gears to Ironman instead of attempting to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics. Photo: Nils Nilsen To subscribe to Inside Triathlon magazine, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.
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Tim O'Donnell Inside Triathlon Photo Shoot
“I felt the energy and the history in Kona and I came away really wanting to experience that for myself. There is something in the air that is raw excitement and positive energy.” —Tim O’Donnell Photo: Nils Nilsen To subscribe to Inside Triathlon magazine, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.
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Tim O'Donnell Inside Triathlon Photo Shoot
Despite O’Donnell’s decision to not go after the Olympics, the Games have always meant a lot to him: “When I got into triathlon, it was a natural desire for me to think of the Olympics. I wasn’t on a level of swimming that could make the Olympics, so triathlon was a way I could be a part of the bigger dream. And being a military guy and a person who devoted his life to serve his country, the opportunity to represent the United States on the biggest athletic stage in the world was something I had a hunger to do.” he said. Photo: Nils Nilsen To subscribe to Inside Triathlon magazine, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.
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Tim O'Donnell Inside Triathlon Photo Shoot
Inside Triathlon’s profile of O’Donnell deals a lot with his determination and grit. Photo: Nils Nilsen To subscribe to Inside Triathlon magazine, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.
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Tim O'Donnell Inside Triathlon Photo Shoot
During O’Donnell’s early training with the Navy, he endured the “sharking test,” which includes being hit in the gut while under water and having your breathing tube tied in knots. Photo: Nils Nilsen To subscribe to Inside Triathlon magazine, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.
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Tim O'Donnell Inside Triathlon Photo Shoot
Pick up Inside Triathlon, on newsstands now, for our story on O’Donnell as he journeys towards Kona in October. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon magazine, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.
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Tim O'Donnell Inside Triathlon Photo Shoot
Besides his degree from the U.S. Naval Academy, O’Donnell has a master’s from the University of California, Berkeley’s ocean engineering program. Photo: Nils Nilsen Photo by Nils Nilsen. Pick up Inside Triathlon, on newsstands now, for our story on O’Donnell as he journeys towards Kona in October. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon magazine, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.
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Tim O'Donnell Inside Triathlon Photo Shoot
Photo by Nils Nilsen. Pick up Inside Triathlon, on newsstands now, for our story on O’Donnell as he journeys towards Kona in October. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon magazine, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.
Open full size in new window.
Tim O'Donnell Inside Triathlon Photo Shoot
Photo by Nils Nilsen. Pick up Inside Triathlon, on newsstands now, for our story on O’Donnell as he journeys towards Kona in October. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon magazine, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.
Open full size in new window.
Tim O'Donnell Inside Triathlon Photo Shoot
Photo by Nils Nilsen. Pick up Inside Triathlon, on newsstands now, for our story on O’Donnell as he journeys towards Kona in October. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon magazine, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.
Open full size in new window.
Tim O'Donnell Inside Triathlon Photo Shoot
Photo by Nils Nilsen. Pick up Inside Triathlon, on newsstands now, for our story on O’Donnell as he journeys towards Kona in October. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon magazine, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.
Open full size in new window.
Tim O'Donnell Inside Triathlon Photo Shoot
Photo by Nils Nilsen. Pick up Inside Triathlon, on newsstands now, for our story on O’Donnell as he journeys towards Kona in October. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon magazine, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.
Open full size in new window.
Tim O'Donnell Inside Triathlon Photo Shoot
Photo by Nils Nilsen. Pick up Inside Triathlon, on newsstands now, for our story on O’Donnell as he journeys towards Kona in October. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon magazine, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.
Open full size in new window.
Tim O'Donnell Inside Triathlon Photo Shoot
Photo by Nils Nilsen. Pick up Inside Triathlon, on newsstands now, for our story on O’Donnell as he journeys towards Kona in October. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon magazine, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.
Open full size in new window.
Tim O'Donnell Inside Triathlon Photo Shoot
Photo by Nils Nilsen. Pick up Inside Triathlon, on newsstands now, for our story on O’Donnell as he journeys towards Kona in October. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon magazine, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.
Open full size in new window.
Tim O'Donnell Inside Triathlon Photo Shoot
Photo by Nils Nilsen. Pick up Inside Triathlon, on newsstands now, for our story on O’Donnell as he journeys towards Kona in October. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon magazine, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.
Open full size in new window.
Tim O'Donnell Inside Triathlon Photo Shoot
Photo by Nils Nilsen. Pick up Inside Triathlon, on newsstands now, for our story on O’Donnell as he journeys towards Kona in October. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon magazine, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.
Open full size in new window.
Tim O'Donnell Inside Triathlon Photo Shoot
Photo by Nils Nilsen. Pick up Inside Triathlon, on newsstands now, for our story on O’Donnell as he journeys towards Kona in October. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon magazine, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.
Open full size in new window.
Tim O'Donnell Inside Triathlon Photo Shoot
Photo by Nils Nilsen. Pick up Inside Triathlon, on newsstands now, for our story on O’Donnell as he journeys towards Kona in October. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon magazine, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.
Open full size in new window.
Tim O'Donnell Inside Triathlon Photo Shoot
Photo by Nils Nilsen. Pick up Inside Triathlon, on newsstands now, for our story on O’Donnell as he journeys towards Kona in October. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon magazine, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.
Open full size in new window.
Tim O'Donnell Inside Triathlon Photo Shoot
Photo by Nils Nilsen. Pick up Inside Triathlon, on newsstands now, for our story on O’Donnell as he journeys towards Kona in October. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon magazine, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.
Open full size in new window.
Tim O'Donnell Inside Triathlon Photo Shoot
O'Donnell recently finished a training camp in Tucson, Ariz., where, among other things, he climbed Mount Lemmon, ran 23 miles at a 2:50 marathon pace and used a Ryobi car buffer to massage his muscles. Photo by Nils Nilsen. Pick up Inside Triathlon, on newsstands now, for our story on O’Donnell as he journeys towards Kona in October. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon magazine, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.

Inside Triathlon magazine got real excited when we heard that American Tim O’Donnell was retiring from the ITU circuit in an attempt to make his mark at the iron-distance, so we sent journalist Timothy Carson out to Arizona over the winter to see how O’Donnell’s training camp with his coach, Cliff English, was going.

Inside Triathlon came back with a fascinating piece of information: O’Donnell just might be America’s next great hope for winning the Ironman World Championships in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii—something that hasn’t happened since Tim DeBoom did it in 2002.

Pick up Inside Triathlon, on newsstands now, for our story on O’Donnell as he journeys towards Kona in October. And enjoy the following gallery of O’Donnell, which features some outtakes from our photo shoot with him in Tucson, Ariz.

To subscribe to Inside Triathlon magazine, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.

FILED UNDER: InsideTri / Photos TAGS: kona 2011 / Tim O'Donnell