Congratulations to Heidi Underwood, T3 Athlete of the Month. Heidi is a longtime T3er - covering all the distances triathlon has to offer - excelling at all of them. She is a bright spirit in the T3 community. Always chipper, upbeat, positive...she always comes with positive energy. Having overcome some serious injuries in the past few years, Heidi has shown strength, courage, and resiliency like no other. It is her inner drive that makes the coming season(s) so exciting. GO HEIDI!!!

A:  Heidi Underwood, Kattskill Bay, NY

A:  51

A:  Business Owner, Speech-Language Pathologist

A:   It seems like a very long time! 1997

A:   I can’t remember if it was 2004 or 2006. Coach Kevin has coached me for all distances!

A:  I have very little fast twitch muscles so the longer I go the more favorable things get! I would have to say 70.3’s are my favorite race distance. I absolutely love the training for full Ironman’s but it puts a big hurt on my body. 70.3’s give me enough distance that I can typically do a bit better. I also like the mental game of pushing your body for that amount of time. Tremblant is one of my favorite races. I love the bike and run course for it is challenging and beautiful (like most races) but how the venue is set up makes the race special.

A:   My T3 kit-love it!

A:   My first ever marathon in Schroon Lake was very memorable. It was the first time I thought that maybe I could do more than what I thought my body could do. My friend said after “you qualified for Boston” I had no clue what he was talking about! Of course I couldn’t walk for a month after!
Most people don’t know but I kayaked on the US Canoe/Kayak team for many years. I got to travel all over training and competing in amazing places. My day consisted of training, eating, training, eating, napping, training, eating and then going to bed. Racing to make this team is a huge highlight and was the foundation that allowed me to grow in other sports. Of course racing Lake Placid Ironman with so many friends and family around is a memory and highlight I will never forget.

A:   So, this year I committed to doing LP Ironman for the 5th time. In all honesty I thought about it the entire year before and finally pulled the trigger and signed up. It would have been 10 years since my last Ironman. So, is Covid a sign I really shouldn’t do another one? Also, if my husband could do it at 50…so could I.

A:   I don’t know. Injury, accidents, health scares have made me re-think my sports journey. What I do know is what ever race I decide to do I want to have fun doing it and I want to get to any start line with a positive attitude. I want the journey to not always be about the end result but how I got there!

A:   Cheese, eggs, fig newton’s (If I was really honest a bottle of wine would be #1)

A:   Old music - Van Morrison

A:   Don’t be afraid! I hear so many people say I am not as fast, I can’t swim, I’m a terrible runner or something negative about themselves compared to us veterans. Don’t be afraid of the 5th gear!

A:   Sleep!

A:   Recovery day on the bike. I love it when I see a Zone 2 ride!!!!!

A:   Grateful to be a part of a team. I know we don’t get to see one another often, especially this year, but I am so happy to see people’s post on social media and the outside chance of running into one another is so refreshing.