Farmingdale High School English teacher Tom Londino fed a furnace for close to a year. A few weeks ago, Landino put that furnace - his body - to the test when he competed in the Janus Ironman Triathlon in Panama City, Florida.

Placing 57th in a field of 190 men in the 25-29-year-old age group, Londino characterized the grueling triathlon as being "not kind to beginners." The 112 mile bike ride proved to be especially unkind to Londino. "Biking was the toughest part of the triathlon because the course was very flat," said Londino. "Riding in the same position and using the same muscles for so long was very challenging."

Triathlon athletes spend so much time and effort tuning their bodies that equipment failures throw them off stride. And Londino is no different. "My seat loosened up and I forgot to pack the tools to tighten the bolt," said Londino. "I had to get off the bike at the aid station to fix it and it threw me for a loop to see so many riders passing me."

He completed the second portion of the race without incident, swimming the four miles that brought him to the last leg of the competition: the 26.2 mile run. "The run was the best part," said Londino. "We ran through residential areas and there were a lot of spectators cheering us on."

Londino assessed his training over the past year leading up to the triathlon, which consisted of 150-200 miles of biking, four miles of swimming and 50 miles of running every week. He grazed his way through each day with a regimen of Gatorade breakfast bars, turkey on whole wheat, carrots, grilled chicken salad and more snackable energy bars to keep pace with the energy demands of his body. "I'm going to make two changes to my training regimen," said Londino, "I'll be more committed to swim training and I plan to add weight training, especially with my legs."

"My students are amazed with the training and they've been very supportive," said Londino. That's not to say that all of his students understand what drives him to compete at such a challenging level. "My students are some of my biggest boosters, but they still question why I would put myself through this."

A life guarding buddy got Londino hooked on triathlons in 1993, when he competed in his first endeavor: the Tobay Triathlon. He has improved in every succeeding race. Prior to competing in this month's triathlon, Londino worked his way up the triathlon hierarchy. He graduated from the half-mile swim, 15-mile bike, and 3.1 mile run of the Sprint up to the Half-Ironman, which demands completion of exactly half the distances required in the Janus Triathlon.

Although he fell short of earning a shot at the Ironman World Championships, Londino hopes that his re-vamped training regimen will help him reach the pinnacle of success in a sport that is as far removed from recreational as you can get.

"This past year, I trained to finish the race," said Londino. "Now, I need to train to come in with the elite."