Derek Garcia remembers mile 13 of the run at the Vineman Ironman.

The next three miles, not so much.

Around 16 miles, he blacked out.

He wouldn't wake up until he was in an emergency room.

"I knew I didn't get hit by a car or anything like that," he said. "I vaguely kind of remember that whole situation. I was fairly confused on what actually happened."

Garcia, one of North Idaho's top triathletes, was having one of his best races at the July 30 event in Santa Rosa, Calif. He completed the 2.4-mile swim in 57 minutes, 44 seconds, and then delivered a career best of 4:53:45 on the 112-mile bike ride.

Next, and the final leg, was the 26.-2 mile run. Garcia was among the leaders.

"I got off that bike feeling really good knowing I had paced well," he said.

He had gauged his effort well, not wanting to push too hard in the 70-degree heat.

"I knew I was where I should be," the Post Falls man said.

For the first time in an Ironman, he was looking forward to the run. He had a shot at breaking the nine-hour barrier. He covered the first 13 miles in 1:35, and felt strong.

But there were some subtle changes.

At around mile 10, a heavy fog that had covered the course all morning and early afternoon suddenly cleared. The temperatures jumped, Garcia estimated, into the low-90s within 20 minutes or so.

Suddenly it was very, very hot.

Still, the 2002 Coeur d'Alene High School graduate pushed on.

"I felt a little disoriented, a little dizzy, but there are a lot of ups and downs in Ironman," he said.

He doesn't recall running three more miles. He can't remember falling to the ground.

A doctor riding a scooter on the course arrived and someone called for an ambulance. Back home, his wife, Shannon, following her husband's progress via GPS, saw him go from running 8 mph to 65 mph and he was no longer on the course.

"She was really scared," Derek said. "That's one of the things I felt the worst about."

At the hospital, when he awoke, he remembered talking to her on the phone. She asked what happened, if she should catch the first plane to be with him.

He assured her everything was fine, though he didn't really know at the time.

Following a number of tests and examinations, including an EKG, doctors determined it was a simple case of heat exhaustion. The temperature, combined with a strenuous effort, led to a collapse. Unusual, but it happens to the best, most elite of athletes.

Looking back, Garcia said perhaps he should have taken in more water and sports drinks.

"I was probably fueling for a cooler day. Sometimes you can overhydrate. More than anything, I probably just needed more calories."

Bouncing back

Garcia's first race afterward was the Coeur d'Alene Triathlon, just two weeks later.

"I always love the challenge of that race," he said. "And I wanted to get back on the saddle."

But he wasn't sure what to expect.

"I went into it knowing I most likely would be fine, but I would say there was a little reservation," he said. "I would say more than anything it was on my mind. I don't think it changed my approach at all. That was partly why I did it. I knew it was important to do the race."

The muscled 5-foot-9, 155-pounder did it well.

Garcia, a standout baseball player in high school, finished second in a personal best of 2:02:06 for the 0.9-mile swim, 25-mile bike ride and 6.2-mile run. Going in, he felt good and stayed that way throughout.

"It was nice to just kind of get through that race and not pass out," he said, laughing.

His race time, he noted, was a little faster - about 45 minutes - than the 2:50 or so he recorded in 2007.

He attributes the improvement to God-given athletic ability, hard, consistent work, being injury free, mentors and coaches.

"People like Dee Fraser really instilled in me it takes time to get to where you want to be," he said.

Turning pro

And the next step is turning professional.

"It's been a goal of mine to do that, but I want to make sure I'm ready," he said. "I don't quite feel ready yet."

Fraser, a top swim and triathlon coach, said Garcia has enjoyed tremendous growth and success in recent years. To advance to the next level he'll have to work two, three times as hard for smaller returns.

"His growth will be slower. He's at the point where he's very, very good. He's elite, ready to jump to pro, but that growth takes a lot more work to tap into," she said.

There are easier ways to make a living, Fraser said.

The pro prize money for many Ironmans and triathlon isn't exactly buckets of gold. First place for men and women at this year's Ironman Coeur d'Alene was $8,000. Most pro triathletes rely on sponsorships and endorsements.

"This is a tough way to make a buck," she said.

Meantime, he'll race as an amateur at the Ironman championship in Kona in October.

While Kona is prestigious, and the best are there, it's not cheap.

"It looks good, it sounds good, it's glamorous, but it costs money," Fraser said.

Fortunately, she said, Garcia has a strong support network of family and friends.

Scott Burkhardt is planning a barbecue fundraiser for Garcia and hopes to raise a few thousand dollars to cover his Kona costs. And Garcia is still facing the expense of several thousand dollars for his ambulance ride and hospital stay following his blackout. He doesn't have health insurance.

Burkhardt, a triathlete and Ironman, wants to help ease the financial pressures facing Garcia, a husband and father of two young boys.

"He's the real deal. He's got his priorities in order. We take pleasure in watching his progress and being part of the experience with him."

Faith and family

Garcia, who just turned 27, launched Derek Garcia Multisports this year. The USAT Level I certified coach loves training and coaching.

"It's fun and I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to do something like that," he said.

Wednesday morning, he and Fraser led a class of five swimmers in Lake Coeur d'Alene. It was an hour of instruction, advice and encouragement. Near the end, Garcia walked with them on the beach, offering high fives, congrats and handshakes.

"Good job, nice job today," he said.

While he'll be training up to 25 hours a week for the next six weeks, biking, swimming and running take a backseat to Shannon, Gabriel and Malachi.

His relationship with God comes first, followed by his relationships with his wife and children.

"Every Sunday, Shannon and I sit down and we schedule out our week. We dissect it. We share the same calendar on our phones. She's knows where I'm at so we can see how this is all going to work."

He's not afraid to use his triathlon talents as a platform to minister to others and build relationships that center around God.

His faith, even when the unexpected happens like blacking out in a race, never wavers.

"It's my foundation. There's nothing more important," he said. "I would give up triathlons in a heartbeat if I thought it was contradicting my beliefs. It would be gone in a heartbeat."