Vernon Hills runner turns passion into children's book

Glen McGowean never ran a marathon until his oldest brother started running them for fun.

Marathons led him to triathlons, which led him to his wife, and eventually to a series of children's books about a triathlon-prone family.

"That race kicked my butt," said McGowean, of Vernon Hills. "I've never done something so poorly in my life."

His competitive drive agreed with athletics, but running was something new for him. He was an all-state wrestler at Buffalo Grove High School and a world record holder for his weight class in bench pressing; he was not a runner, biker or swimmer.

A tough first marathon did not discourage him. Instead, the challenge invigorated him to excel in another athletic arena.

McGowean, 42, competed in his first triathlon in 1995; he had to be rescued 100 feet offshore.

That did not stop him from continuing to compete in the sport for 14 years and counting. He met his wife, Helene Dolce, at the Lake Zurich triathlon in 2001.

When their son, Glen, was about 10 months old, they searched for children's books about triathlons and healthy lifestyles but could not find any.

Dolce suggested Glen write one himself.

So he took up another task he had no background in - writing and publishing.

Now he has written and self-published three books and is working on a fourth. The books focus on a family that competes in triathlons and promote a healthy lifestyle.

"Kids get to like their favorite books and if you keep repeating that, that's what they like," Dolce said.

"My Triathlon Family," "Hey There Goes My Daddy!" and "Hey There Goes My Mommy!" are geared toward young children. They depict the young son eating healthy meals and helping his parents prepare for a triathlon.

"With the obesity epidemic we have in this country, and it is getting out of control, all the blame is put on food," McGowean said.

He added if children get into the habit of working out, it becomes more fun instead of feeling like a chore.

The next book McGowean is writing will feature the child, a character based on his own son, competing in his first triathlon.

McGowean said sales of his book have not lapsed much despite the struggling economy.

"Parents will always buy things for their kids. It really hasn't slowed down that much," he said.

Lately, McGowean has more on his mind than his next book. He is on a quest to qualify for the Ironman triathlon in Kona, Hawaii - an elite competition that accepts only 1,800 triathletes out of tens of thousands of hopefuls worldwide.

McGowean said his qualifying schedule takes him all across the world and he would have to be the fastest person in his age group to get a shot at the course in Hawaii - 2.4 miles of swimming through salty ocean waves, 112 miles of biking and a 26.2 mile run across lava-covered land.

"It's taken over our world but we don't mind," McGowean said.