Off the Clock: Triple Duty with bd’s Billy Downs

Triathlons bring out the competitive spirit in bd’s Mongolian Barbeque’s Billy Downs.

By Charles Bernstein, Editor-at-Large -- Chain Leader, 12/1/2005

Billy Downs, president, CEO and owner of 28-unit, Ferndale, Mich.-based bd’s Mongolian Barbeque, started competing in triathlons in 2001 at the urging of Matthew Kirby, a partner of Downs’, and Wayne Wright, a franchise service manager.

“I had never done anything like this since I launched the company in 1992,” Downs says. “I rarely exercised and spent more time just working. But Kirby and Wright encouraged me to try a triathlon, and one is all that it took to hook me.”

From 2001 to 2004, Downs dabbled with triathlons and began to discuss competing in Ironman events. An Ironman triathlon is no easy task: It consists of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile marathon.

Start to Finish
In 2004, Downs took advantage of a unique opportunity to sponsor and train with an elite team of 12 athletes in the Detroit area. “Thus I could prepare for my own Ironman,” he declares.

From February to September of 2005, Downs trained for his first Ironman. Three or four times a week, he swam a mile and a half, ran 6 to 10 miles or biked for five hours a day. He also incorporated yoga and weight training into his regimen.

On Sept. 11, Downs competed in an Ironman triathlon in Madison, Wis., with temperatures soaring in the mid-90s. The 39-year-old finished 811th out of 2,076 competitors and completed the endurance test in 13 hours and 18 minutes.

More importantly, Downs was able to share his triumph with his wife, Amy, and their three children, Amanda, 12; Abigail, 9; and Brendan, 5. “Although I love my lifestyle, the defining moment for me this year was crossing that finish line with my family,” he says.

If at First You Don’t Succeed...
Downs’ finish was not quite good enough for him to qualify for the Ironman world championship in Kona, Hawaii. But he is not losing sight of his goals. He is tuning up for a marathon in January in Phoenix and is set to compete in a crucial Ironman battle July 23, 2006, in Lake Placid, N.Y. His goal in Lake Placid is to finish in the top 3 percent of his age group, ensuring him a trip to the world championships.

When he’s not training for a triathlon or marathon, Downs is out of bed by 4:30 a.m., the first one in line at Starbucks, and off for a 6- to 9-mile run three days a week. As the season progresses, he goes for two or three workouts a day.

Although his athletic pursuits take up a lot of his time, Downs doesn’t let it interfere with other parts of his life. “Everything needs to be in balance, and you must have your priorities straight,” he asserts. “I schedule my family time first, work second and fitness third.”