Roger Brockenbrough is going to take about a month off from running ... and swimming ... and biking. He has certainly earned the break.

Brockenbrough, 71, a semiretired engineer from Mt. Lebanon, defended his 70-74 age group title at the Ironman Triathlon world championships Saturday in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. He was one of seven Pittsburgh-area competitors in the annual international finals, which feature a 2.4-mile ocean swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile marathon.

"I was keeping very close track of the time," said Brockenbrough, who missed his age group record by about 90 seconds, which is relatively sneeze time when you're spending roughly 13 hours on the go. "I knew I had a shot, so I skipped the last three water stops and gave it all I had in the last half-mile."

An IT band problem on his left knee was bothering him on the run, but he managed to sprint the last 800 meters in about 4 minutes. After crossing the finish line and running into the arms of "catchers," he assured them he felt fine.

"I told them, 'Oh, I feel great,' took one step and couldn't make it another step after that," he said.

He hobbled about after his 13:01.25 effort and had to be carried back to his hotel. Two days later, he said he felt "pretty darn good" but was going to rest. Brockenbrough's son, John, 47, of Murrysville, finished the Ironman in 10:43:57.

Bethel Park's Ed Koontz had the group's fastest time (10:11.03) but said he had some disappointment. Weather conditions that day were almost ideal, with none of the treacherous winds that buffeted athletes the previous year.

"I didn't have a personal-best time and had some trouble with nutrition for the bike and on the run," he said.

It's important for triathletes to keep up the caloric intake over the course of the event. Koontz had brought along a liquid nutrient that he'd used successfully all summer, but this time, it upset his stomach.

"It wasn't terrible, but I just didn't get to eat," he said.

Koontz has completed a 2:38 open marathon, so running is his forte. He said that his recovery from the Ironman was in some ways easier than after a marathon -- less wear and tear on the legs -- but exhaustion was still a problem.

"I did have a chance to get in the water the day after the race. I swam about a hundred yards and thought I was going to drown, I was so sore. I thought, 'How did I ever swim 2 1/2 miles?' "

Glenshaw's Lauren Henzler had a superb outing, placing fourth in the women's 30-34 group (10:22.17).

"She was tremendous," Koontz said. "She was steady the whole way, a phenomenal race."

Yet Henzler didn't feel so hot on the run, either. She met her goal of a mid-3:30 marathon with a personal Ironman marathon-best 3:36.25, but said she felt nauseous on the bike ride.

"I was hoping once I got upright and moving forward, I would not feel so sick," she said. "I was forcing my gels and Gatorade and salt pills and it felt like they sat in my throat the whole time."

Henzler said she might run a fall marathon a year from now, or a few half-Ironmen events, but has no plans for the full Ironman competition until 2007.

Fox Chapel's Paula Bennett had fears that the wind would torture cyclists as it did previously: "Last year, I did the ride in 6:08, this year it was 5:22. Over 112 miles, that's cutting off 40, 50 minutes and that's a lot of time to be sitting on the bike," she said.

Bennett (10:38.25) said she wasn't even certain she would be competing in Hawaii. Her father, Don Jones, died three weeks earlier and she had mixed emotions about going.

"I didn't know if I'd even come, having that on my mind," she said. "But finishing was sort of a tribute to him. They say the island is a spiritual place."

Shadyside's Lucas Marsak did well in his first Ironman championship, finishing in 10:25.06 and placing 590th among roughly 1,700 finishers. Hampton's Deb Cully also mastered the legendary event, crossing the line in 12:09.41.

Also among the finishers was Johnny Blais, 34, a teacher from Seekonk, Mass. A veteran of more than 200 triathlons, Blais was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig's Disease) last winter. Friends contacted NBC -- which will broadcast the Ironman championships next month -- and were able to secure a spot for Blais in Kailua-Kona. He finished in 16:28.56.

On the trails

The seventh annual Pittsylvania Cross Country Challenge is Nov. 12 in Frick Park. For those who want to get closer to nature, or are just tired of the road, this leafy event comes in three distances: 2K for ages 11 and under, 4K for 11-15 and 6K for 16 and up.

Cross country has taken a beating of late, one of the reasons West Penn Track Club's John Harwick changed the distance this year from an 8K.

"We used to draw 500 or so when we had the JFK run, now we're lucky to get a couple hundred," he said.

The 8K distance didn't seem to attract high school runners or as many women, and he said he's hopeful the varied events will boost participation. All races begin near the wetlands in Frick Park. For more information, contact Harwick at 724-464-2222.