COEUR d'ALENE - Perhaps you've heard of Frank Garcia.

For more than 20 years, he's been umpiring baseball from Little League to American Legion in North Idaho.

Weekdays, weekends, it was a good bet you'd find him behind home plate calling balls and strikes, or in the infield, calling runners safe or out. He's the one with the relaxed smile, the calm demeanor and easy laugh.

"I love baseball," he said. "I love the game."

Coaches and parents tend to like Garcia, too, because of his penchant for offering encouraging words to players.

"I have an understanding of the levels of play and what some kids can accomplish," he says.

This spring, though, Frank Garcia hasn't been around the diamond as much. He's not donning the umpire uniform as frequently.

Another passion calls.

Ironman.

Next Sunday, the 57-year-old will be competing in Ironman Coeur d'Alene. It will be his first crack at a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run.

Is he worried? Just a little bit?

Absolutely - not.

Thursday, with the wind whipping up and rolling waves crashing in at North Idaho College beach, he smiled and laughed as he prepared to head out with a class for a practice swim led by instructors Dee Fraser and Derek Garcia, one of the area's top triathletes who also happens to be Frank's son.

"I'm not afraid of the water. I'm a decent swimmer," he said. "I'm not afraid of waves or cold."

He is "concerned" about the run turning into a walk and turning into a crawl. But he still hopes to cross within 14 hours - well ahead of the 17-hour midnight deadline.

"That's really unbelievable if you think about that. It's a daunting task but can be accomplished," Garcia said.

Derek Garcia, with six Ironmans to his credit, has no doubts about his dad, especially when it comes to drive and determination.

"He's going to do good," he said.

"I haven't had a concern since last year when he got a bike."

Then, Derek told his dad to go out and ride about 25 miles, kind of test out his wheels and legs. Instead, Frank put in 120 miles on the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes.

It was his way of delivering a message: He could do this, he was in shape.

"I never had any doubts he would make it," Derek said.

Frank is equally proud of his son, who excelled in baseball before turning his talents to triathlons.

'He's got a great work ethic. He takes instruction very well, he has extreme focus and drive and a will to excel," he said.

So, where does that come from?

"I think some of the work ethic he gets from me, the drive and the energy. He's a great coach and a teacher. I think he gets a lot of that from his mother."

The affable Frank decided to take on Ironman as a challenge of sorts, to show that hey, his equally friendly and encouraging son is not the only one in the family who can cover 140.6 miles in one day.

"I wanted to do something to show not that I could compete with my son, but he could do it, why couldn't I do it?" he said.

The old dog has learned some new tricks.

Ironman training improved his nutrition and led to more conscious decisions about what he eats. And then there's better time management, because between his graveyard job for the Coeur d'Alene School District and part-time umpiring, finding the hours to train was difficult.

"There isn't a lot of time. You get spread pretty thin," he said. "It was challenging to get long rides in without being totally exhausted."

Frank has put in the work. He's completed Olympic-distance tris, and has been on a 26-week training program.

"Not that I adhered to it strictly," he said, laughing.

When asked how many miles he put in on average each week, Frank pauses, thinks, and says he's not really sure. Maybe 5,000 to 10,000 yards a week in the pool.

"I lose track. I just get in the zone there and do it," he said.

As his son said, Frank Garcia is a grinder.

Derek has offered pointers and insight that will help Frank on race day. The most important, Derek said, is that his dad "think through the day" and be deliberate in what he does.

"He's one of those guys, he just goes," Derek said. "He needs to slow down, think through, what is it I should do."

And then, while he'll still be Frank Garcia the umpire, he'll also be Frank Garcia, the Ironman.

"I don't know if that will be the case," he said, grinning.

Derek has no doubts.

"The thing about my dad is, and I learned this growing up, my dad is an absolute grinder. He's not going to be the fastest or the prettiest or the smoothest, but he's going to get the work done."

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