A challenging but rewarding day in Maine
Yarmouth’s Lori Sigfridson and Jane Cunningham make successful Half Ironman debut
The idea came to them in the summer of 2018 while on a trip to Quebec.
Lori Sigfridson of Yarmouth and her friend, training partner and fellow local resident Jane Cunningham were in Mont-Tremblant, where Ian – Jane’s husband – was doing the Ironman. Sigfridson and her husband had made the trip to support Ian and Shawn Muise, another friend who also was doing the race.
“As Jane and I watched all the amazing athletes, we turned to each other and said, ‘let’s do one,’” Sigfridson recalled.
They clarified that by “one,” they didn’t mean a full Ironman but rather a half, still a major challenge by any measure.
Often referred to as an Ironman 70.3, the number in the event’s name is the total distance in the Half Ironman expressed in miles (1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike and 13.1-mile run).
Once they got home, they signed up for this year’s Ironman 70.3 Maine in Old Orchard Beach. The two were on the start line for the Aug. 25 race and, when it was over, they had achieved their goal of becoming Half Ironman finishers.
“The course itself is beautiful and scenic,” said Cunningham, 43, who finished the race in 6:17:17 (including transitions). “I was very happy with my bike and run times. The swim was my biggest struggle, with
unusually large swells and lots of chop. Dozens of athletes did not complete the swim. It was a physical and mental test. I am proud to be able to say, ‘I did it.’”
Sigfridson, 48, also noted the rough water and found the run portion of the race was not “fast and flat,” as it had been described.
“All in all, the course offered its challenges, but with that came a great reward,” said Sigfridson,
who finished the race in six hours, 42 minutes.
“I’ll never forget the feeling of seeing the finish line arch and thinking, ‘I did it,’” she said. “Within minutes, I found Jane and said, ‘let’s do another one.’”