July 25, 2005 - Lake Placid, NY - Kim Loeffler, from nearby Colchester, VT used an impressive combination on the 112 bike and 26.2 mile run to vault her way to a 2nd place overall finish at the Ford Ironman USA triathlon held on Sunday, July 24, 2005.
On a day that saw near perfect race conditions for the women’s-only pro field, Loeffler strung together an improving swim with the 2nd fastest bike and run of the day to finish in an overall time of 9:49:44, less than 5 minutes behind 14-time Ironman winner Heather Fuhr.
“Living just two-hours away in Colchester, VT, I get the opportunity to train a lot on the actual course here in Lake Placid”, said Loeffler. “I know the course like the back of my hand and I know which hills I need to get out of the saddle and really push and which hills to just stay seated”, commented Loeffler. Obviously Loeffler’s familiarity with the course paid huge dividends as she posted one of the day’s fastest bike split in a time of 5:30:11. “I felt great on the bike all day. I was making up big chunks of time on the women who came out of the water in front of me and before I knew it, I was in third place heading into T2”, commented Loeffler.
Once out of transition, Loeffler quickly chased down Tereza Macel who had lead the race for most of the day but was fading quickly on the run. “As soon as I passed Tereza, I realized that I was actually in the lead! It was a great feeling, but unfortunately it didn’t last more than a few minutes”, said Loeffler. Within 5-minutes of Loeffler’s glorious pass of Macel, the fleet-footed Fuhr made her presence known by passing Loeffler and taking the lead. “I tried to stay with her for a few miles but when I realized we were running 6:40/mile pace I knew that wouldn’t last and I just had to race my own race and not worry about Heather”, said Loeffler. About an hour into the run, Loeffler began to experience severe stomach cramps and intestinal distress. “I never have stomach issues when I run. This was definitely a first for me and it really got me out of my usual pace”, commented Loeffler. Even with serious GI issues, Loeffler posted the second fasted
marathon run of the day in an overall time of 3:15:16. “I was really surprised to see that I ran a 3:15. This was a PR for me on this run course so all things considered, I’m really happy with my effort, said Loeffler.
Next up for Loeffler is a few weeks of recovery and then she will turn her focus to the Ironman World Championships in Kona, HI on October 15, 2005.
About Kim Loeffler:
Kim grew up on Long Island, NY and ran Division 1 cross country and track for the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She has an identical twin sister who lives in Houston, TX and is an elite marathon runner, with a 2:32 PR. Kim and her husband Brian moved from Boston to Vermont three years ago to start their business - a wellness center called On Track. They provide services such as physical therapy, massage therapy, acupuncture and a fitness center. Kim does a little bit of everything; personal training, managing the business, online coaching for triathletes and runners, and just recently became a volunteer triathlon coach for Team In Training.