With dad's buns on the line, West Seattle resident Gayle Dunham, 56, and her three kids couldn't pass up the chance to finally get dad to run the 2008 Ironman Race in Coeur d'Alene, ID.

It was a life goal of Gayle's eldest son Todd to run the race before the age of 30. With his 29th birthday coming up, Gayle asked Todd if he was still up for the challenge. Todd agreed and along with him Gayle's youngest son Gregor, 24, wanted to join in as well.

Attending medical school in Ireland, Gayle's 27-year-old daughter Kati initially declined on competing in the race. However she surprised the family by signing up, saying, "There's no way that you're all going to do it and I'm not going to do it, too."

A little apprehensive about his family pursuing the Ironman Race in June, father Jim Dunham decided not to compete but bet all four that if they were to finish he'd tattoo four Ironman emblems on his rear-end in commemoration of their accomplishments.

The race was definitely on.

Having had experience competing in races like the Prestige Half Ironman in Canada, Seattle-to-Portland in two days, Nordstrom Beat the Bridge and the Seafair Run, Gayle said, "Yeah we're just nuts!"

Gayle started to train for the race immediately in January of 2007. She got together with Amy Woods, a trainer in Ballard who had run an Ironman Race before. Gayle trained two days a week with strength and two days a week doing Pilates, which helped to tone her muscles and steady her breathing. Woods gradually increased the training week-by-week to ease the panic Gayle had about swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles and running 26.2 miles.

Due to her flexible schedule working 10 hours a week at her husband's dental office, the West Seattle Dental Center, Gayle had plenty of time to train. Unlike their mom, the kids had to juggle their time to train between jobs and school.

"My training was very spotty," said Kati. "We knew that we were in for this [Ironman] one year prior, but I didn't really have a chance to start training until October and I managed to get a three month respiratory illness. That mixed with medical school and final exams left me pretty immobile until February. I came home for an elective and trained with my mom for six weeks in February and March. By the time I left for Ireland in the middle of March, I was feeling on pace for the Ironman."

As race day neared Gayle and the kids got together to prepare themselves.

"It's really difficult to eat while you move and you can't continually move like that without eating. You train by learning how to eat Goo, power bars, bananas, pretzels, and learn how to fade in solid foods when you still feel good," said Gayle.

Lack of sleep led to the family feeling a little ill-prepared, but when they got to the racing grounds Gayle described the scene to be like a rock concert.

"There were huge bands with speakers blaring music and crowds of people with the same look of pure terror on their faces," said Gayle.

As the gun went off at 7 a.m., the first stretch of the race was the 2.4-mile swim.

Gayle said, "We got through the swim, which is probably the easiest but scariest. You have 2,300 people that start at the same time and head towards the water while arms and legs are all over the place."

Kati's nerves got the best of her during the swim causing her to tread water for a minute or two while she recollected herself. She finished the swim at a nice and easy pace.

Gregor has a different experience.

"I had no idea what the race was going to be like, but I was fairly certain I would not finish and might seriously hurt myself," he said. "As soon as I hit the water, my nerves were tranquil and I felt great."

Throughout the day each portion of the race had cutoff times. If you didn't make that cutoff time you were immediately pulled out of the race. Seeing each other during the marathon portion told each one of them that they all made it through the swim and the 112-mile bike ride.

"The biking was wonderful, but it was my longest bike ride ever by 52 miles. After jumping off the bike and starting the marathon, I wasn't sure if my body would actually move forward, but it did," said Kati.

Gayle said, "As the day goes on you just don't have the appetite but you still need the calories so you start consuming more liquids, water, Gatorade and chicken broth. The understanding is that when you bonk [which is when you hit the wall and can't go on] you're pretty much sunk because you still have a lot of work to do."

The Dunham's trainer did a particularly good job of educating the family on how many calories they should drink and the amount of liquids they consume. By the end of the race everyone felt good without a blister among them.

At every loop dad Jim and friends were on hand shouting support.

Out of 2,300 that started, Gayle and the kids were among the 2,060 who finished the race in full.

Each one of them can agree to feeling a sense of amazement and accomplishment as they rounded that corner to the finish line.

"This was 11:30 p.m. and the amount of people that stayed to watch the end was about 6 to 8 people wide." Gayle said. "As you come in they're all cheering for you. And when they announce your name, 'Gayle Dunham of Seattle, Washington, You are an Ironman!' it just never get's old."

Not qualifying for the next race in Kona, HI., both of Gayle's son's finished with average times. Todd finished in 13 hours followed by Gregor at 13.5 hours. Next was Kati at 14.26 hours and bringing up the rear was Gayle at 15.24 hours.

Proud of their own accomplishments, Gayle's kids especially admired her for finishing the race.

"I still think that the fact that my mom did this is absolutely incredible. She woke up before dawn everyday and followed the training regiment for six long-months," said Gregor.

Kati said, "Not only did she manage to train all year long for this intense and insane event, but she managed to convince her three kids to do it as well. I must say she was much more dedicated to training than the rest of us were."

The advice the Dunham family gives to those who are striving to run an Ironman race is to prepare, find the time to dedicate yourself to the race, set a goal and enjoy yourself.

"I really think it's important to try and finish it, especially for women my age. It's long and daunting but very doable and there is nothing like the finish of an Ironman," Gayle said. "You think this is all physical but I really think that our bodies are meant for speed. You have to believe in yourself and you have to tell yourself continually that you are strong."

Exhausted physically and mentally after the race, the Dunham's didn't forget about dad's bet. With a party planned and a henna tattoo artist scheduled for the festivities, it wasn't until after the race did they find that they were being cheered on from home. In West Seattle, their friends and family were avidly following the race, too. Not only were they following in support of each of the Dunham's but hearing through the grapevine of Jim's bet, also left West Seattle supporters hopeful that the Dunham's would finish.

Dunham's kids now have the choice as to what race the family will compete in next. A possibility is climbing Mount Rainier in three or four days at the end of the summer.

"We'll see what they come up with, you must think our family is crazy right?" Gayle asked.

Allison Espiritu may be reached at allisone@robinsonnews.com.