It worked for Alaska's lone Olympic marathoner. Why not for Renee Rudd, too?

Anchorage's Rudd, 48, is one of three Alaskans expected on a Kona beach off Ali Drive before dawn Saturday when the Ironman World Championship gets under way on Hawaii's Big Island. And for the last of the race's three disciplines, Rudd is following in the footsteps of Anchorage runner Chris Clark.

A decade ago, Clark parlayed a winter of intense work on her home treadmill into a shocking victory at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials and, months later, a 19th-place finish at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

In preparation for her Ironman debut, Rudd has been logging major treadmill miles, including workouts as long as 20 miles. She hopes the effort prepares her for the 26.2-mile test on Kona, following 2.4 miles of Pacific Ocean swimming and 112 miles on the bike.

"I like my treadmill," she says. "I don't have to look for bumps in the trails -- or moose off to the side of the road."

But Rudd has no illusions of capturing glory the way Clark, seeded 22nd coming into the Olympic Trials, did en route to one of the biggest upsets in Alaska sports history.

"I'm your average Josephine," said Rudd, who along with fellow Anchorage triathlete Lise Falskow gained entrance to Ironman via a lottery. "There's excitement -- but also a lot of trepidation. You're going against the best and it's scary knowing you're against people who've earned their slot. I know they're twice the athlete I am. I don't know if I'm good enough."

Rudd grew up in Santa Barbara, Calif., and by age 17 had prepared a list of life adventures she wanted to try.

Among them: "Live in a wood cabin in the middle of nowhere, watching wild animals go by.

"I like lots of space. I'm not a team sports person. It's all about independence. I was always fascinated by the wagon train days, cowboys and prairies. That's always appealed to me."

So after high school, Rudd headed to Alaska, where a summer job morphed into a 30-year residency that included jobs at Denali National Park and the Alaska Railroad.

But by her mid-30s, she'd become something of a couch potato.

"Go to work, go home, sew," she said, describing her routine. "I didn't want that to be my lifestyle."

Her brother, who lives in New York, signed Rudd up for the New York City Marathon in the mid-1990s. It changed her life.

Rudd has now run 26 marathons as fast as 3 hours, 42 minutes, qualifying for the Boston Marathon in 2006.

Rudd competed on the swim team in high school, so she is comfortable with two of the three disciplines. Then there's biking.

"I don't like the bicycle," she says. "That's bad when you're doing an Ironman. But it gives me something to master. I like that challenge."

She enjoys winter cycling, in fact preferring it over running during that season.

"I like the quiet," she says. "You have your headlamp and bike lamp. It's just beautiful. It's pristine, clean and quiet."

Or pretty much the opposite, she hopes, approaching Kona's Ironman finish line in the dark, with fans cheering her as they have the hundreds of athletes who preceded her.

ABREAK FROM THE GRIND

For Falskow, 40, the Ironman may prove a relief.

Want daunting? Try the daily schedule of the Alaska World Affairs Council executive director.

Her alarm goes off at 4:20 a.m. She heads to the gym to either swim, bike or run before returning home to get her two boys, ages 8 and 11, ready for school. Then it's off to work. In late afternoon, she picks up her sons, finishes work, makes dinner, drives the boys to sports or music lessons, does some household chores before finally, thankfully, collapsing in sleep. Repeat.

Falskow, who has completed the Coeur d'Alene Ironman in under 14 hours the past two years, leans on training partner Jill McLeod, a ConocoPhillips Alaska lawyer, for support. Most Sundays find the pair doing a four-hour ride together, either outdoors or on a trainer inside. Now McLeod is in Hawaii to support her friend.

"Don't ask me how many hours of sleep I got last night," McLeod said recently. "I had to be up before 5 a.m. because I knew she'd be waiting for me."

Earlier this year, the organized and driven Falskow learned that planning only goes so far.

"This was going to be my year," she said. "Life was great, I was feeling strong and then BOOM I found out that I had a tumor the size of a grapefruit on my ovary.

The tumor was benign and, as usual, Falskow turned it into a positive.

"Something like that always changes a person," McLeod said. "But she can always find a positive. She figured, 'I'm going to spend more time with family. I'm going to read books and magazines I didn't have time for. I'm going to take time getting well.' "

By May, Falskow was well enough to do the Gold Nugget Triathlon, finishing 29th in 59:28.

"I had no doubt that I would make it to the Gold Nugget as well as to the Ironman race in October.

"Bring it on. I now have this HUGE goal ahead of me with a new appreciation for what my body is able to accomplish."

Even without much sleep.

• • •

John Bursell of Juneau is the only Alaskan with Ironman World Championship experience. He finished the 2007 race in 10:56:21 to wind up 781st out of 1,778 finishers.

Reach reporter Mike Campbell at mcampbell@adn.com or 257-4329.

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