You'd be hard-pressed to find a more goal-oriented person than Dennis Hahn.
Hahn, 35, gave up what would've been a lucrative career as a mechanical and thermodynamics engineer to pursue a more meaningful life.
"It was during the big tech boom (in 1997) and they started paying me way too much money with lots of stock options," Hahn said. "My life flashed in front of me, and I was not happy so I made a list of everything I wanted to accomplish in life, and somehow thought I could do that in the military, so I signed up."
Hahn, who graduated from Walled Lake Central in 1990 and the University of Michigan in 1995, joined the Marine Corps in October 1998 and spent just over eight years in the service before being discharged June 28.
One of Hahn's goals was to find a job where he could get paid for working out.
"I thought to myself, 'Hey the Marine Corps sounds active, they get paid for working out, right?,'" Hahn said. "Well not to the extent I thought. I thought there would be lots of down time for reading — another goal on my list — and working out. Not so, at least in the pilot program, but I found ways to fit in workouts."
Hahn, who became a helicopter pilot in the Marines, took up cycling in college and competed in several road and mountain bike races after graduating for "fun and to see if I had any potential."
He didn't have enough success in the races to earn any sponsors and that was part of the reason he decided he should get a "real job" almost three years after earning a degree in mechanical engineering from U-M.
Despite not being able to make a living from racing, Hahn stuck with cycling and it came in handy while in the military.
"In my first trip to Iraq (Feb. to Sept., 2004) I did not have a bike," Hahn said. "I had no idea what to expect so that was the last of my concerns, but quickly I was kicking myself since we had to walk close to 6-10 miles a day going back and forth to where we slept, ate and kept the aircraft. It was hot! Five minutes of walking and you were instantly soaked with sweat. Hold a hairdryer out at arm's length and face it toward your face and you're simulating the conditions pretty accurately. So I knew when I went back I would have to have at least one bike."
Hahn actually brought two bikes in his next stint in Iraq, Aug. 2005-March 2006.
"My mountain bike came in my sea bag, and I FedEx'ed my cycle cross bike," he said. "It cost a fortune and I couldn't believe FedEx actually flew into Al Asad, Iraq, but they did, and good thing because riding kept me sane and in shape."
When he got back from Iraq, Hahn joined the Triathlon Club of San Diego, where he was stationed.
One of the items on Hahn's list was "to consider myself an athlete in at least one sport."
Hahn, whose parents live in Hamburg, has been active since he was a child, but was never more than average in any one sport. He hoped by combining cycling, running and swimming that maybe he would get better results.
He decided the Ironman Triathlon sounded like the "ultimate race," but he had a difficult time signing up because most of the races were already full.
Hahn had planned to visit his girlfriend, Jenny Sellier, in France and there were still openings for the Ironman race in Nice on June 24.
The race consisted of a 2.4-mile swim, a 26.2-mile run and a 112-mile bike ride.
Hahn placed 91st in 10 hours, 10 minutes and 51 seconds. There were 1,253 contestants that finished the race and another 100 or more that didn't complete the course.
"Everyone says it comes down to the run, and I agree," Hahn said. "My legs would just not go any faster, but I finished. ... Secretly I was hoping for under 10 hours, but on the run, I kept telling myself, "Ah what's another 5 minutes, OK, 10 minutes."
Hahn has competed in several other races and triathlons, including a couple in San Diego.
He is currently living in Annecy, France, with his girlfriend and the interview for this story was done via e-mail.
"I am forcing myself to take an extended vacation before I begin a new career," he said. "Over the years I have talked to my grandparents and their friends and asked them what they would do different if they could change something in their past, and the common theme was to take more vacations, not work so much and appreciate any free time, so that is what I am trying to take advantage of this summer."
Hahn is hoping to qualify for the Ironman Championship in Kona, Hawaii, on Sept. 13.
"To qualify for Kona you have to be really good," he said. "You have to be first or second in your age group, and at 35, my age group tends to pull out some serious and talented athletes.
"Well I still don't consider myself an athlete. I know I should appreciate that I can even just finish, and have competed in so many running, cycling and triathlons, but I always want to do better. Maybe some day I will appreciate the skills and the speed I have, but for now, I just keep setting goals and doing what I can to achieve them."
Contact Dan Strawser at (517) 552-2860 or by e-mail at dstrawser@gannett.com.
