Inspired by Florida Marlins president David Samson, former Marlins player Jeff Conine will compete in the Ford Ironman World Championships on Oct. 11 in Kona, Hawaii.

Conine, who retired from baseball, has been an avid fan of the Ironman for years, tuning in each year to the TV broadcast. When Samson participated in the 2006 Ironman, it sparked a newfound respect and interest in the event.

''He's the main reason I'm doing it,'' Conine said. ``Speaking to him about his experience, his training, got me fired up. I'm ready to do it myself.''

Samson became the first president of a Major League Baseball team to complete the prestigious Ironman. Conine, a Weston resident, vies to be the first former major-leaguer to finish.

''At first, being a competitor, you look at timed goals,'' he said. ``You want to do a good time, but after a while, you realize what's at stake and the enormity of the entire event. I just want to finish and have my bodily functions intact.''

The Ironman boasts a 2.4-mile ocean swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run. Competitors have 17 hours to finish.

''Hopefully, my body says keep going when my mind says to stop, and my mind says to keep going when my body says stop,'' said Conine, 42, who will be competing in his first Ironman. ``Hopefully, they won't say stop at the same time.''

As a tribute to his friend, Howard Zimmerman, who lost his battle to cancer, Conine will be raising funds for the Bone Marrow Transplant Program at the Memorial Cancer Institute at Memorial Hospital West in Pembroke Pines.

Conine and Zimmerman co-founded the Conine All-Star Classic Golf Tournament, which has built and paid for the annual operations of the Conine Clubhouse at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital in Hollywood.

To make donations, go to conineironman.org. NBC will air the Ford Ironman World Championships taped-delayed at 2:30 p.m. Dec. 13.

TRIATHLON TRILOGY

With the favored Boris Fernandez sidelined, Spaniard Miguel Telez won the final stage of the Mack Cycle/Ameriprise Financial Miami SS Triathlon Trilogy series last month at Crandon Park in Key Biscayne.

Telez completed the quarter-mile swim, 9.8-mile bike ride and 3.1-mile run in 48 minutes 28 seconds.

''I had a perfect race,'' Telez said.

Telez is preparing for the Publix Escape to Miami Triathlon on Sunday at Margaret Pace Park.

John Reback of Jupiter was second in 49:39. Miami's Edmundo Herrera was third in 51:07, and Carlos Dolabella of Key Biscayne fourth in 53:01.

Fernandez leads the Florida series points standings.

On the women's side, Gina Donato of Palm Beach Gardens won in 58:26.

''It was not an easy day,'' she said. ``The swim was longer than the other races, and on the bike, we had head winds on the way back.''

Diane Calloway of Coral Springs was second in 1:00:12, and Jeanine Feldman of Greenacres finished third in 1:00:36.

The state championship is Oct. 11 in Cypress Gardens.

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