You may well have seen her running or biking the streets or boardwalk in Ocean Beach. But you might well be stunned at what she’s accomplished. Susan Norman, a longtime Mission Bay resident and grandmother of four, is 71. She is also one of only two women over the age of 70 to hold both half- and full-Ironman world championship titles within the same year. Norman took the top prizes in the 70-74 age group in September at the Las Vegas half-Ironman and again in October at the Kona, Hawaii full-Ironman World Championships. She bikes, swims and runs six days a week in and around Mission Beach to keep her body in optimum shape for triathlons. At age 38, Norman’s friends introduced her to running as a sport. She attended a marathon clinic to get started with proper exercises and to began entering 10K races, which she always seemed to win. The physically demanding trend runs in her family. Her husband won the full-Ironman event for his division at age 50, and her sons and daughters-in-law have all completed triathlons, so Norman figured she was just as capable. While training for what would have been her first half-Ironman competition in St. George, Utah, Norman suffered her first and only training injury in January. While biking on Kearny Villa Road, she hit a pothole and tumbled to the pavement, breaking her arm and pelvis in two places. Norman underwent months of physical, rehabilitative, sports and water therapy at Wave House Athletic Club in Mission Beach, where she likes to get all her exercises in under one roof — taking spin classes, swimming in the pool and relaxing for a massage once a week. Forced to miss the St. George race at the beginning of the year, Norman set her sights on the half-Ironman competition in Oceanside in April. Crediting her strong muscles for a swift recovery, Norman was the oldest female competitor in the race and placed first in her age division. Along with the trophy came a qualifying slot to the Ironman world championships in Las Vegas and/or Kona. Norman chose both. This extra challenge motivated Norman to acquire a triathlon coach to instruct her on daily training — typically biking 40, 80 or 100 miles up the coast and frequently practicing the transition from biking to running. “It’s one-third mind, one-third nutrition and one-third training,” said Norman, who drinks between two and eight glasses of electrolyte-enhanced water each day, and eats lots of fruits and veggies. Norman’s hard work and training paid off in Las Vegas, where she took home first-place honors in her age division. Just four weeks later, Norman competed in the prestigious full-Ironman world championship in Kona, which calls for a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile marathon run which participants must complete in 17 hours, with a firm cutoff time of midnight. Norman finished in 16 hours, 57 minutes and 29 seconds — with less than 3 minutes remaining before the clock would have stopped and all her efforts would have been discounted. “Crossing the finish line was the most fabulous feeling,” said Norman. “Spectators were gathered there yelling and cheering, really making you feel special.” While nearing the finish, Norman anticipated hearing race announcer Mike Reilly say “Congratulations, Susan Norman, you are an Ironman,” like he’s been doing since the 1980s. Instead he said, “Susan Norman is 71 years old,” an announcement she has since had the pleasure of teasing him about. With this win, Norman became only the sixth woman over the age of 70 to ever complete the race. “The last mile seemed like forever in the pitch dark,” said Norman, whose husband was a race volunteer so he could be beside her throughout the day. The heat, wind and hilly terrain made for a challenging race, but Norman laughs as she recalls her husband threatening, “If you don’t finish, you’re gonna have to go home and start training all over again instead of spending time with your grandbabies!” With qualifying slots to both of next year’s Ironman world championships, Norman said she’ll most likely do them again — this time aiming to beat the Ironman course record for women over the age of 70. “You just have to think you can do it and never give up,” said Norman, who also won the San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon for her age group six years ago. For more information about the competition, visit www.ironman.com.