As the dog days of summer came to an end and many students geared up for a return to the fun and challenges of college, one Tufts student was preparing for the most rigorous athletic challenge of her life. This September, junior Claire Kaufman competed in a Half Ironman Triathlon. Kaufman placed second in her age group (18- to 24-year-old) and eleventh overall out of more than 100 other female competitors. The Half Ironman Triathlon was held outside Montreal, and included events in swimming, biking, and running.
The Half Ironman Triathlon, which is half the distance of a Full Ironman Triathlon, requires men and women competitors to swim 1.2 miles, bike ride 56 miles, and run 13.1 miles in succession. Kaufman completed this feat in 5 hours and 21 minutes. The race was Kaufman's first Half Ironman and a challenge that she had worked hard to meet when she made her decision to pursue the race two years ago.
"I've always loved to swim, bike and run," Kaufman said. "When I heard about the Ironman, it seemed like the best way to combine all three and have fun with it in a competitive way."
Before the Half Ironman, Kaufman had competed in smaller triathlons and marathons. She attributes her success to her persistent hard work in training over the summer.
Kaufman began training in June and continued through the remainder of summer, joining a swim team specifically geared toward tri-athletes which met three times per week for four hours at night. She also went on one 13-mile-long run and one long bike ride once a week. Additionally, Kaufman incorporated two shorter runs and bike rides in the mornings. On weekends, she worked on transitions from swimming, biking, and running, which helped her body become accustomed to shifting from one exercise to the next in a short amount of time.
"The training was rigorous and at times made me want to quit, but I realized it was necessary," Kaufman said. "On one of my bike rides I got stuck in pouring rain 30 miles from my finish, but I stayed focused and persistent and it was all worth it when I crossed the finish line and saw my finish time in September."
The Half Ironman is only a stepping stone toward Kaufman's ultimate goal of competing in a Full Ironman next fall. Although the competition is a year away, Kaufman has already begun to plan her training routine. She plans to participate in the Seattle Marathon in November and to run with the Tufts team in the Boston Marathon this spring.
Her September experience is Kaufman's source of motivation to succeed.
"The whole race went by in a daze," Kaufman said. "By the time I finished I felt like I had just started the race; I believe my training was a big part of this feeling. It was a lot of fun to compete with so many great athletes on such a high level, and I look forward to eventually racing in a Full Ironman."
