Matt Wixon

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The swim would be 800 meters, the bike portion 20 kilometers, and the run a 5K. That's pretty much all Highland Park's Alex Weber knew about the 2007 ITU Sprint Triathlon World Championships when she left last week for Hamburg, Germany.

But she did know that her first international competition would be tough.

"I have no expectations, but I'm going to be a fierce competitor and give it my best and see what happens," she said. "I would love to place in the top five."

Weber ended up 15th in the 16-19 age group at Sunday's event, running and biking in the rain and swimming in water that was a chilly 62 degrees. She wanted to finish higher, but Weber felt honored to compete against elite athletes, pushing herself in a sport often described as "not for me."

It's not for most people, but Weber loves it. She competed in her first triathlon, an IronKids Bread triathlon, when she was 8 years old.

"My dad saw a commercial for it and asked if I'd like to try it," Weber said.

She finished fourth in her age group at that triathlon, and she's been a triathlete since. In June, she won the female under-19 age group at the Metroplex Sprint Triathlon by finishing the 800-meter swim, 27-kilometer bike and 5K run in 1 hour, 20 minutes, 23 seconds.

Weber, 17, now trains three to four hours per day. And sometimes she trains seven days a week.

"Instead of a day off, I'll go easier one day," she said. "Usually, if I take a day off, it's because I'm traveling or doing something. But if I'm not, and I'm just sitting at home, I really don't mind."

She could use the rest. Weber ran cross country last season, was part of Highland Park's state champion swim team and pole vaulted during the track season. She's not running cross country this year so she can concentrate on swimming, the sport she hopes to compete in at college.

Swimming has always been Weber's favorite sport. But she said a variety of sports – she was also a serious gymnast until freshman year – is important to keeping her motivated.

"I think switching sports every four or five months, it keeps things interesting," Weber said. "I think if I had just done swimming, I wouldn't enjoy it nearly as much now."

mwixon@dallasnews.com

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