The triathlete recently qualified for the championship race on July 22 at a qualifying competition in Lake Placid. Romagnoli finished the course in 11 hours and 25 minutes, beating out 3000 other participants to obtain one of 24 available spots. “I am very excited, and definitely looking forward to the Ironman World Championship. You watch it on television, but to have actually trained and worked so hard to make it, feels kind of surreal,” Romagnoli said. “I am blessed with the support of my family and the ability to do this. The Ironman Triathlon has been held in Hawaii for the past 33 years. Growing from just 15 participants in 1978, an estimated 1,800 athletes will swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and run 26.2 miles all in one day. Romagnoli grew up in Canastota and officially became a Cazenovia resident 10 years ago, when she moved with her husband Jack and two sons, J.T. and Andrew. She is employed part-time at Fleet Feet Sports in Syracuse and full-time as an extreme athlete and mother. Sponsored by QT2 Systems, of Boston, Romagnoli has been competing (and winning) footraces all over Central New York for the past decade. Having placed first in the Chilly Chili, Mountain Goat and Cazenovia July Fourth footraces, among others, she experienced her first taste of extreme competition when she participated in the 2007 Cazenovia Triathlon. Romagnoli has since completed a half-triathlon and one other Ironman triathlon before the Lake Placid competition, the race in Hawaii will be her third. She will compete in the 40-44 age group. Leading up to the event, Romagnoli will train for about 24 hours each week. She said her regimen is heavily focused on cycling, as a previous hip injury doesn’t allow for very long runs. To prepare for the marathon she has to run after the swimming and cycling portions of the race, Romagnoli has been resistance training by running underwater. QT2 Systems helps Romagnoli develop her training schedule and provides her with the necessary nutrition to endure during the long race. She works toward her fitness goal in four-week blocks, slowly increasing her stamina and allowing her body to rest and recuperate. Romagnoli is one of a handful of extreme athletes from Central New York who will be making the trip to Hawaii in October. She said fellow triathletes from Fayetteville, Skaneateles and Baldwinsville will also compete in the 140-mile test of strength and endurance. The 11th annual Cazenovia Triathlon and Aquabike, sponsored by the CNY Triathlon Club, will be held Aug. 14. The races will begin at 8 a.m. from Lakeside Park. For more details, or to register for the race, visit cazenoviatriathlon.org. To learn more about the Ironman World Championship in Kona, HI, visit ironmanworldchampionship.com online, or email Kona@ironman.com. Pierce Smith is editor of the Cazenovia Republican. He can be reached at 434-8889 ext.338 or editor@cazenoviarepublican.com.
Submitted Photo.
MaryBeth Romagnoli races towards the finish line during a recent footrace held in Syracuse. This October, she will travel to Kona, Hawaii, and compete in the Ironman World Championship. (click for larger version)Cazenovia resident MaryBeth Romagnoli will soon make her way to Kona, Hawaii, and compete in the Ironman World Championships on Oct. 8.
(click for larger version)Training to compete in the Ironman races every-other-year, Romagnoli tries to take alternating years off from the rigors of training in order to spend time with her family. “I don’t want to have to train so intensely every year. It’s important to me that competing doesn’t take away from family time,” she said. “It’s family first for me. I’m not a professional, competing is part of my life, but it’s not my whole life. My husband and kids have been so supportive; I couldn’t have gotten this far without them.”
Article source: http://www.cazenoviarepublican.com/Articles-c-2011-08-01-109688.114134-sub13347.114125-Local-athlete-to-travel-to-Hawaii.html
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