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MUSCATINE, Iowa – John Fletcher spent the past 11 months training his body for Sunday’s competition.

The 40-year-old Fletcher, of Muscatine, flew to Tempe, Ariz., Thursday to compete in the Ford Ironman Arizona, an annual event with three areas of physical performance: 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of biking and 26.2 miles of running.

Fletcher, treasurer of the Melon City Bike Club and an avid biker and runner, signed up for the annual triathlon at the end of last year. General registration for Arizona’s event closed in under an hour.

“This is my second Ironman,” said Fletcher, a former Arizona resident. “I’ve done triathlons for about 15 years in smaller distances.”

His training is endless, he said. He bikes six days a week, roughly 300 miles a week. He runs five days a week and swims between 1,000 and 3,500 yards five days a week. In between, he squeezes in weightlifting.

“I’ve heard about it and always wanted to try it but never did anything about it,” Fletcher said of his 2007 Ironman.

Because of the grueling workout, he’ll likely not sign-up next year, he said. Right now, he’s just excited to put it behind him.

“I’m excited to get to it and excited to be done,” Fletcher said. “I’m nervous but mentally I’m kind of tired. The training’s starting to weigh on me mentally.”

Fletcher said biking is his favorite part. He started in all three events all at once. Step one was to buy all the equipment.

Fletcher said he participates in five to eight triathlons a year and his family and friends are behind him 100 percent.

“Everyone’s positive,” he said. “They tell me to go for it, ‘You’ll do good.’ It’s a lifestyle for me now after 15 years, so it doesn’t really shock anyone when I try something like this.”

Ironman information

According to the Ironman Web site, the Ironman Triathlon began in Hawaii in 1978, the brain child of U.S. Navy Commander John Collins and his wife Judy to settle the argument: Who’s the better athlete? A swimmer, runner or biker?

Now in its 21st year, more than 22 Ironman events are held worldwide, including the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii. Ironman competitions exist on nearly every continent in the world.

The Ironman Triathlon is organized by the World Triathlon Corporation, or WTC.

For more information on the Ironman Triathlon, visit www.ironman.com.