A:  Heidi Underwood, Kattskill Bay, & Lake George, NY

A:  39

A:  Speech-Language Pathologist and Business Owner

A:  12 plus Years

A:  2nd Season

A:  1/2 Ironmans. This race fits my physical and mental state the best. I'm better mentally at the long grinds. Plus I have no speed!!!!

A:  Sneakers. There is nothing like a light racing sneaker and one that doesn't give you blisters. Not a big fan of bike gear, there's too much of it and keeping track of all the "stuff" drives me nuts.

A:  My best highlight by far was completing my second Ironman.  I was an hour plus faster overall with bettering my bike by 1/2 hour and my run by 1/2 hour.  I felt like a million bucks!!!!  I once won a marathon and had a PR the same day.  That was pretty cool.

A:  I would like to be more efficient/faster with my swimming and faster biking on the flats.  I seem to be able to hold my own on the run though if I really want to get better I need to work on my weaknesses.

A:  Well, given that I am getting slightly older, I would like to see if I can get faster for the Ironman and be competitive at that distance and at my age.  After all of these years of training I know now I won't die if I push myself.

A:  Cheese, bread and pasta.  See why I have to train.  My butt would be the size of Canada if I didn't workout.

A:  It's hard to say. I know I don't do as well in the sprints or Olympic distances, though I think if I trained more specifically for these distances I would get better. I would like to say Ironmans, again the long grind is my thing!

A:  Don't be afraid of your weaknesses. If you don't put yourself out there to get better, learn new things, or push yourself harder then you may think you can go you will not get better.

A:  Leave your watch/bike computer at home and listen/feel how your body response to your workouts.  I do this in the beginning of the season so not to depress myself in how slow I am going.

A:  Long runs/bikes with friends. Conversational pace. It's a nice break and you still get in a good workout.

A:  Balance.  Life is all about it.  Keeping healthy is about family, friends, work and training.  Without one of them the balance is off.