Ironman hopeful a superman to his family

If anyone could use a few extra hours in each day, it's Carpentersville resident Steve Janowiak.

Between raising a young son, spending time with his wife and working for an Elgin real estate company, Janowiak also spends dozens of hours a week training for two Ironman triathlons.

That's two Ironman triathlons in one week.

On Sunday, Janowiak will compete in the Ironman Louisville race. The following Sunday, Sept. 7, Janowiak is set to race Ironman Wisconsin in Madison.

During each race, Janowiak will swim 2.4 miles, bike a 112-mile course and run a full marathon of 26.2 miles. He must complete the course in under 17 hours to earn the title of Ironman.

Janowiak, 38, is tackling the arduous feat to raise money and awareness for aplastic anemia, a rare blood disorder that stops bone marrow from producing enough blood cells. Janowiak's wife, Joanna, 34, is in remission from the disease.

"From experience I realized that there's not a lot of information about the disease; only 700 people in the United States get it," Janowiak said. "So I thought about what I could do to raise awareness and I came up with this crazy idea to do two triathlons in a week."

A former runner in high school, Janowiak took up triathlon racing in 1996, after searching for something to do other than run long distances. A friend told him about the Mrs. T's Triathlon in Chicago, now known as the Accenture Chicago Triathlon.

When he tells people what he's trying to do, Janowiak said he often receives quizzical looks and delving questions. But that's the point.

"People think I am stupid but if someone asks why, then I can tell them about aplastic anemia," said Janowiak, a 12-year veteran of triathlons. He has finished two Ironman races. "It's about raising awareness."

Janowiak's goal is to raise $15,000 to start a new grant for aplastic anemia. Previously, Janowiak raised $11,000 for the Aplastic Anemia Society.

In October 2003, Joanna Janowiak was diagnosed with aplastic anemia after complaining of headaches. Though doctors initially thought Joanna Janowiak might have leukemia, or a brain tumor, a bone marrow biopsy showed that her bone marrow had gone on strike. Her red blood cells were not producing enough hemoglobin, which carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. Joanna Janowiak almost bled to death.

"It was an eight month ordeal of not knowing if she was going to live," Janowiak said. "The hardest of all was not knowing if we could ever have kids."

After undergoing immune suppressive therapy, which essentially rebooted her immune system, Joanna Janowiak has been in remission. In 2007, the Janowiak's welcomed their son Nathan, who is now about 18 months old.

But making change in a sick person's life by raising money is not Janowiak's only goal. He wants to effect change in the way people challenge themselves, whether its physically, mentally or emotionally.

Janowiak is pushing himself to the limit, spending 18 hours a week training. That means 5 a.m. starts, followed by a loaded work day and then a post-work workout before heading home to his wife and son.

"I want people to get beyond their comfort level," Janowiak said. "If someone thought they couldn't do something, at the other end, it's personal growth."

To help Janowiak reach his fundraising goal, visit http://2foraa.blogspot.com. You call also keep up with Janowiak's training and read other musings.