On the Podium: With Heather Leiggi

Heather Leggi is no stranger to the professional triathlon scene. Discovering the sport post graduate school, her background as a soccer player lended itself to a stellar running career, which then built into strong performances as a triathlete.

This season has been somewhat of a breakthrough season for Leiggi with top three performances at Ironman Florida 70.3, Rhode Island 70.3 and solid performances at New Orleans 70.3, Buffalo Springs 70.3 and Rev 3 Quassy, it looks like things are falling into place.

Heading to the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Las Vegas this September, we took a few minutes to pick the brain of this hard working fast charging athlete as she is clearly on the ascent.

Your running career began when you were 10 years old, yet your true love was soccer as a child. Now that you are a professional triathlete, what are some of the lessons that you learned from soccer…if any…do you think help you in multisport?

Soccer was definitely my passion as a child. Had I not moved in 8th grade to a school with no women's soccer team I probably would still be playing soccer. I still miss it but I'm completely happy to have found triathlon! Soccer taught me the love of sport and to love being outside and active. It was soccer that showed me I was a pretty good runner since I was always one of the fastest girls on the field. After my family moved and I couldn't play soccer anymore, running sounded like something I would rock at and have fun with. I do wish I had discovered triathlon a little earlier. I didn't do my first race until after graduate school. While I had run and done a few bike races here and there I had no swimming experience. Needless to say I barely survived the swim part of my first triathlon. Triathlon seemed so low key at the time that I basically taught myself how to swim and just went out there and hoped for the best. I had no idea what I was getting myself into but I definitely loved it. It's great to see the sport grow so much and I love being able to participate in triathlon clinics, coach athletes and offer advice to those who are interested in getting involved into triathlon.

At what point in your amateur career did you decide to turn professional? What helped make that decision for you?

I have always wanted to be an elite athlete in some form or another. When I was a soccer player I dreamed of playing at the top, as a young runner I dreamed of making the Olympics, and when I became a triathlete I had thoughts of racing as a professional. So once I started have some success as an amateur, I realized that racing as a professional might be realistic. I've always loved challenging myself and I love pushing myself to be the best I can be. Turning pro was definitely something I wanted to do and it was the push I needed to step up my game. After winning the Columbia triathlon as an amateur in 2008, I decided to go for it. Looking back I know I would never have been able to reach this level had I not decided to take the leap and become a pro.

You've had several top finishes in 70.3 events, and you are aiming for the 2011 70.3 World Championships. Can you speak about the venue change, what that might mean for you and what your training will be like leading up to the event?

Yes, I love racing the 70.3 distance and have, what seems like very slowly, worked my way up the ranks to a few top finishes last year. With my focus being on the 70.3 distance, it always seems like a good goal to qualify and race at 70.3 World Championships. Honestly I always enjoyed racing in Clearwater. I like flat fast courses and I loved being in Clearwater. With that being said, I am looking forward to racing on a new course and am very happy they moved the World Championship race from November to September. It has always been a struggle staying focused and peaking for race in November. I had many more thoughts about what I was going to be doing after the race was over last year than I should've had even though I tried my best to keep my head focused on the race. Racing in September will make this much easier and after getting in a lot of early season races, I will be able to take a bit of a break before heading into a big build phase for Worlds am I seeing lots of hill work in my future!... Plus, I don't have to feel any pressure going into the World Championships race since no one will ever know my race results… What happens in Vegas, stay in Vegas, right?!

What do you think of the new WTC rules regarding professionals? Has it changed the way you race?

The new WTC rules have given me quite a bit more to think about and organize with regards to my race schedule and probably trying to get in one or 2 more races than I might normally have done. I love to race so I don't mind the extra racing too much but I don't like the feeling of being forced into it. With the points system being new this year, I have no idea how it is going to work out with regards to World Championship slots. I definitely feel a little more pressure when doing the 70.3 races to perform well so I can get more points.

Tell us a little bit about your family!

I have a huge support system when it comes to racing…everyone except for my cat who is really unhappy with me right now for all the time I have been away from home. Seriously though, I would not have been able to get to this level without the continued support and encouragement of my parents. They taught me from a very young age to follow my dreams and to do things that make me happy. They have made a lot of sacrifices, encouraged me to take advantage of important opportunities, and taken a lot of time out of their lives to support me. My husband has been one of the most positive influences to come into my life. While he only dabbles in triathlon himself, he has an amazing understanding of the sport and an impressive way of guiding me in the right directions and knowing what I need to continue to improve. I trust him 100% and knowing that he believe in me has helped get me through the rough times and keep on pushing.

I also need to thank my amazing sponsors for being there for me, especially Zoot Sports. Zoot has been a sponsor of mine since I was an amateur and have stuck with me. They are constantly asking for feedback and looking for ways to make their products better. I particularly love their new wetsuit, the Prophet, and their Ultra TT race shoes. Zeal Optics make some of the coolest sunglasses around and I have so much fun wearing them. They come in so many different colors and styles I never get bored. Ridley is my new bike sponsor for this year and I am absolutely in love with the Ridley Dean. I have had my fastest bike splits yet on it and a trip to the Wind Tunnel in NC helped to make sure it was super aero! GU has also been a long time sponsor of mine and I love the new flavors they have come out with although vanilla is still my favorite. And thanks to Garmin, I have finally started racing with a watch!

You spent some time training in Australia this season, how did that come about and how did that help your fitness coming into 2011?

Lifesport, the group that my coach works for, puts on a camp in Noosa, Australia every year. When I started working with Dan last year, he encouraged me to get to this camp. I had my doubts. I was coming off a disappointing 2009 season and struggling with fitting into the pro scene. I wasn't sure if travelling all the way to Australia for a few weeks of training was going to be worth it and maybe a little scared I wouldn't be able to handle it. I ended up having a great time and really loved the training. Having the chance to train with other professional athletes, have my coaches present for most of workouts, and having no distractions from your training really made a big difference. I was still a little overwhelmed with the quantity and volume of the workouts and by the end of the 2 weeks I was ready to come home and have a rest! Regardless, the camp really did help me and I started off my season much better than I would have hoped. When it came time for camp again this year, I was onboard immediately. I was super excited to go and had even given myself an extra week over there. What really shocked at camp this year what a different experience I had. I could tell I was a completely different athlete than I had been the year before. The training was hard as always and the workouts were long but I handled the work so much better and could feel myself getting stronger and faster as the camp progressed. It gave me perspective on how far I had come and a lot of confidence going into this years' race season.

Tell us a bit about your coach Dan Smith of Lifesport.

Working with Dan has made a world of difference in my racing. He definitely had his work cut out for him when I came to him in the end of 2009. My confidence had taken a huge beating throughout the prior season and while I stubbornly refused to give up on myself, I really doubted my abilities to compete at the elite level. I like the fact that Dan is very thorough and detail oriented. He is able to sort through all the data and feedback I give him from my workouts and races and know what tweaks need to be made and what the next steps need to be. We are constantly tweaking and rearranging my schedule in order to keep the improvements coming. Dan has also taught me how to be a smarter racer. I used to just go out there and race as hard as I could and hope for the best. Dan taught me about race strategy, how to race more in control and all the little things I can do to that will really pay off. As he keeps telling me, at this level, it's often the small things that are most important.

In May you had an amazing race at Florida 70.3 against a field that included Cait Snow and Nina Kraft. Tell us a bit about your race and what a top 3 podium finish means to you.

Well, I can tell you it is a dream come true and one of the best moments of my sporting career so far. I had set a goal of finishing in the top 3 this season so to have done it in my second race of the year was amazing. Time to re-write some goals! While the race itself ended well, it did not go quite as well as I had hoped (they rarely do!). After a terrible swim which put me several minutes down on most of the women, I thought I'd be lucky to even finish in the top 5. I am not that unfamiliar to coming out of the water with a bit of ground to make up so while I didn't exactly panic when I headed off on the bike, I wasn't exactly thrilled either. I love to bike and thanks to a strong bike leg which turned out to be the second fastest of the day, I managed to move me into 5th place, right behind Cait. This was my first race on my new bike, my Ridley Dean, and it felt amazing. I knew I didn't have much of change to catch her and there were several women hot on my heels though. I was a little worried since my nutrition had been off thanks to some stomach issues I was having but was determined to at least hold onto my 5th place. I was halfway through the run and still feeling surprisingly good when I noticed I was making up quite a bit of ground on the 4th place woman and was not far behind her. I decided to go after her. I caught her around mile 10 and then ½ mile from the finish line I caught the 3rd place woman whom I hadn't seen ahead of me. I could not believe I had managed to run myself into 3rd place and was so ecstatic crossing the finishing line. It was especially gratifying to see my run finally coming around which I have been working really hard to improve. Coming from a running background makes me expect more from my running. Swimming is a whole nother story though!

Thanks Heather for allowing us a peek into your life!

Mary Eggers is a 37 year old age group triathlete, race announcer, writer, mother, wife, triathlon coach, yoga teacher, and nurse. As the race announcer for the Score This Multisport Series in Upstate New York, she's been in the sport for over 15 years. She's a 6 time Ironman finisher and Kona qualifier, and has raced everything from sprint upward. Mother to 10 year old Luc, wife to Curt, she calls Rochester NY home.

Heat Isn't Enough To Slow Schultz in Nation's Triathlon

By Jim Hage
Special to The Washington Post
Monday, September 15, 2008; E16

Nearly 2,400 amateur athletes from across the country swam in the Potomac River under Memorial Bridge, hopped on their bikes for a ride along the river's parkways and capped their efforts with a steamy run around the Mall in the third Nation's Triathlon yesterday.

Bill Schultz of Bowie crossed the finish line on Pennsylvania Avenue in 1 hour 59 minutes 50 seconds, more than six minutes ahead of his closest competitor. Race officials assessed a two-minute course penalty during Schultz's bike leg, an adjustment that did not affect the final standings.

"You couldn't have a better venue, race course or support," Schultz, 30, said. "The run was the toughest part, with the sun beating down on you at the end. But it was the same conditions for everyone, so I really can't complain."

The Olympic distance course consisted of a 1.5K swim, a 40K bike and a 10K run. The water temperature of 77 was one degree shy of a requirement that race officials bar wet suits, which serve to insulate as well as provide flotation assistance for most triathletes. Air temperature of 72 at the start climbed rapidly, and high humidity made the run especially difficult.

Steuarat Martens, a former competitive distance swimmer at Purdue University, led everyone out of the water with a quick opening leg of 19:41, nearly a minute ahead of the next man, Kyle Hooker. Martens, like nearly all the competitors, lauded the Potomac River water quality. "My only complaint was that on the way back [downstream], the sun was right on the horizon and the same color as the buoy, so I had to tread water in order to get my bearings."

Schultz seized the lead quickly on the bike and extended his advantage to five minutes before the run, during which he was never challenged. Martens finished seventh in 2:09:33.

Vinnie Monseau, 39, from Morgantown, W.Va., took second in 2:06:02, and Charles Graf third in 2:07:15. Hooker, 20, a senior at the Naval Academy and from Lake Braddock High in Burke, was fourth in 2:08:06. Hooker led a contingent of 15 midshipmen.

Megan Knepper started with the first wave of 70 elite athletes at 7 a.m. and was second out of the water, only behind Martens. Knepper's 20:00 split gave her a big early lead in the women's race, an advantage that shrank but one she never lost in her 2:17:37 wire-to-wire triumph.

"If I don't get out there in my strongest event, I'm done," said Knepper, 25, from Fairfax, who will compete in the Hawaii Ironman next month. "I was pleased with my bike [leg], and at halfway I said nobody's passed me yet. But my [bike] computer died, so I didn't know how fast I was going, and I had to ride by feel. On the run, I was looking back the whole way the last two miles."

Heather Leiggi, 33, a professional triathlete from Bryn Mawr, Pa., and Knepper's teammate on Zoot Sports, a California sports apparel company, finished second in 2:18:01. "I was working on her the whole bike and the whole run, gaining on her, but I ran out of race course," said Leiggi, who led all women cyclists with a split of 1:06:15.

Rebecca Newton, 32, from Lexington Park, Md., completed a close top three in 2:18:14. Last year's runner-up, Hilary Cairns, 37, from Washington, finished fifth in 2:21:16.

D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, an avid triathlete who suffered a bike crash in July that disrupted his training, completed the course in 2:30:07 and finished 168th overall. "I've got no excuses," said Fenty, who was 10th last year. "The bike and run were very tough, and I'm glad it's over. [Race director Chuck Brodsky] is going to give me a list of everyone who beat me."

Brodsky, who founded the race, said he was pleased but not surprised at the event's growth from 480 finishers in 2006. "The sport of triathloning is exploding around the globe and we're a part of that. We're just very thankful to the Fenty administration for working with us, closing all the roads. This is a great day for the city."

Pressure's on for Skinnyman athletes

By Sue Tanner / Special to the Skaneateles Journal
Tuesday, September 2, 2008 5:39 PM EDT

Glenn Gaston / Skaneateles Journal More than 200 racers take to the water to start the Skinnyman Triathlon in Skaneateles Saturday.

SKANEATELES - “Hey red shirt man, never let up 'til you cross the finish line.”

Walter Bird, of Marcellus, shouted advice and encouragement to contestants during the Skinnyman Triathlon Saturday in Clift Park.

Runners, and those watching, heard Bird call out things like, “White hat guy, let's go, you can do it!”

Bird served as announcer for the triathlon and people heard his upbeat voice over a loudspeaker throughout the event.

The sold-out event boasted 600 participants who began the race with an 800-yard swim. Contestants were grouped by age in waved starts, with as many as 150 swimmers per wave who competed as individuals or on teams. Participants ranged from seasoned athletes to beginners who were literally just “getting their feet wet.”

A 14-mile bike race and a three-mile run followed the swim. Organizers awarded the top three male and female finishers as well as the top three finishers in each age category. Contestants received T-shirts, latex swim caps and goodie bags, along with the chance to prove their athletic abilities.

Volunteers handed out smiles and encouragement with bottled water and steaming hot pizza. Rachel DeWitt, 14, and Jen Sawyer, 13, represented the Skaneateles High School Varsity Swim Team.

“I love helping the racers and letting them know we care,” said Rachel, who was serving pizza with her mom, Terri DeWitt.

“Nine-thirty a.m. seems early for pizza, I guess, but it's like lunch time to us,” said Heather Leiggi of Philadelphia, Pa. Leiggi was one of the first female finishers with a time of approximately one hour, 12 minutes.

Leiggi was one of the winners last year and traveled here because she loves the bike course.

“I do get to visit family in the area but I make the drive because it is such a beautiful town. The bike course has a great combination of hills and flats and that makes for a nice ride,” said Leiggi, who is sponsored by Zoo Elite.

Chris Pulito, Jenn Marie Williams and Mike Serrano of Mirbeau Inn & Spa provided neck and back rubs to racers after they crossed the finish line.

“After racers finish, they go to see their family and friends and then they come over to us. Last year we massaged about 75 racers. We also donated all of the prizes, ranging from a $1,500 luxury weekend to individual massages,” Pulito said. “We think that this event is great for the community and the prizes encourage participation.”

CNY Healing Arts workers also offered leg and muscle massages. Tammie Herzog of Syracuse was working with one of the runners just prior to his portion of the race.

“I think I contribute to the winning time by relaxing the muscles of the runners. Plus, they are in a hurry to get back here after and that speeds up the times,” Herzog joked. Racer Riley Sisson confirmed her claim of helping the racers.

“I pulled a muscle in my calf and Tammie is absolutely healing me,” Sisson said while clutching one of Herzog's business cards. “I am a believer,” he shouted to the passing crowd.

Marcie Forsyth of Horseheads, proudly displayed her bright yellow T-shirt that read “I'm a tri-guy's girl” on the back and “We tri our best” on the front. True to her shirt, her boyfriend, Craig Moyse of Hyde Park, competed in four of the races. Moyse's family came to the race to cheer him on.

“It has become a family event over the years and it's fun to see his family here,” Forsyth said.

Though the morning started with rain, it didn't dampen the fun or enthusiasm of the crowd. It didn't seem to hamper the participants either.

“The water started out choppy but got calmer,” said Jennifer Salisbury of Elbridge. “The water felt great, it wasn't cold at all. I'd prefer not to swim in the rain because you suck in a lot of water but I must admit it felt great.”

Racer Matt Migonis of Syracuse said the inclement weather makes riding bikes more difficult, too, but he wasn't going to let anything rain on his parade.

“I actually finished the last four miles of the race on a flat tire.”

Heather Leiggi of Bryn Mawr gets ready to get wet at last week's SheROX triathlon.

Inquirer Staff Writer

Posted on Wed, Oct 24, 2007

Bryn Mawr's Leiggi thriving on triathlons

By Bruce Adams

ARDMORE– When Bryn Mawr resident Heather Leiggi competed in her first triathlon eight years ago, she was frightened."I was scared to death of the swim, since my swim training involved me jumping in the pool and hoping I made it to the other side," said Leiggi. Leiggi hung in there, however, and completed the event – a small sprint triathlon outside of Harrisburg. "I survived, and after having such a great time at my first race, I decided to keep doing triathlons," said Leiggi. She began to compete on a national and international level; and earlier this month, Leiggi took sixth place in the Best of the U.S. National Championship Triathlon at Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven, Fla.  Leiggi, a member of the Wayne-based HighRoad Cycles Multisport Team, represented Pennsylvania in the international distance triathlon, which consisted of a 1.5K swim in Lake Eloise, a 40K bike race and a 10K run. She completed the triathlon event in an impressive 2:15:07. "It was probably the most unique course I have raced on, since it was inside Cypress Gardens' amusement park," said Leiggi. "Imagine swimming around ski jumps and running around rollercoasters and water-slides." The Best of the U.S. triathlon takes a male and female triathlete from each state and holds the race in an open class format (no age groups). Leiggi has been the only female to represent Pennsylvania the past two years. The Bryn Mawr resident qualified by winning the amateur race at the Philadelphia Triathlon last year. Recently, Leiggi spoke of her experiences in the Philadelphia Triathlon on a local radio show. "It was the first triathlon in Philadelphia in many years, and they wanted my views on how the race was [run] compared to other triathlons – and I think I tried to assure people the Schuylkill River really is safe," said Leiggi, with a smile. "I had a blast speaking on the show. I was able to share my experiences with other people, a lot of whom were new to triathlon, and hopefully it will encourage people to get involved." Leiggi, who ran for the cross-country and track teams at Bucknell University, hoped to continue her running career after college, but wanted to try something a little different – hence, her entry into triathlons. Strong cycle "Surprisingly enough, cycling has been my strongest event [of the three]," said Leiggi. "I did compete in some junior cycling races in high school so I had a little experience – I definitely enjoy cycling the most. I've been on some absolutely beautiful rides with great scenery and I love the feeling of speeding down the road on my bike! "Swimming is the event I need the most work on. I have improved significantly since my first race after many lessons, critiques, and tough workouts, but I continue to struggle with it." Asked if she had a favorite triathlon course, Leiggi replied, "It's really hard to pick just one race that stands out above others since I have so much fun every time I race. The races that stick in my mind are the ones where everything comes together from beginning to end – this year, the Eagleman 70.3 Triathlon was one of those races. "The conditions were great and the course was flat and fast. A lot of my family and friends were there to cheer me on, as well as a lot of my team members from HighRoad Cycles Multisport Team, which always makes it more fun." Leiggi planned to turn professional earlier this year; however, she wanted to compete in the amateurs-only Best of the U.S. triathlon this month, and will postpone turning pro until next year. Another of her goals this year was to qualify for the 70.3 World Championships; which she did in addition to qualifying for the ITU Olympic Distance World Championships for both 2007 (in Hamburg, Germany) and 2008 (in Vancouver, Canada). However, Leiggi, who works at Advanced Health and Fitness in Narberth, will not be attending the 70.3 World Championships because her husband Jason will be racing at Ironman Florida the prior week.

Tuesday, September 4, 2007 1:29 PM EDT

Triathletes compete in annual Skinnyman competition in and around Skaneateles Lake

By Erik Sorensen / Skaneateles Journal

SKANEATELES - With the autumn-like air without a hint of haze and the deep blue-green water showing the faintest of ripples, Skaneateles Lake and the surrounding countryside never looked more lovely than it did Saturday morning during the third annual Skinnyman triathlon.

“It's such a nice day. I really lucked out for my first time in a triathlon. Isn't this just beautiful?” asked Auburn native Kara Hoselton, just after her picture was taken by in-laws Coleen and Neil Hoselton as she stood on the pier at Clift Park.

A record field of 450 triathletes competed in the Skinnyman - an 800-yard swim, followed by a 15-mile bicycle section, and then a three-mile run.

The race began promptly at 8 a.m. at the park, and for men's winner Matt Migonis, of Cazenovia, it ended just a little more than one hour and five minutes later.

Hoselton is the daughter of Auburn attorney Paul Carbonaro and his wife, Kathy. She and her husband, Trevor, live in Stafford, Conn., where he is in the Marine Corps.

“This is actually my first triathlon. I was a swimmer in college,” said Hoselton, 24, who competed in the 100 butterfly, relays, and other events her coach slotted her in while at Le Moyne College. “I am a swimmer, so I was a little disappointed in my swim. I thought I'd be more conditioned in the water, and I actually felt really tight.”

Hoselton finished 128th overall with a time of 1:29.23.

Her mentor this summer was Bridget Dautrich. Hoselton used to work at Daut's, the family's restaurant in Auburn, and she and her father were frequent guests - sometimes grabbing a quick snack through the back kitchen door - when husband Kevin Dautrich was co-owner of Cassidy's restaurant in the early 1990s.

“She took me on a lot of bike rides, on a lot of runs. Bridget blew her tire out on O'Neil Road, though, so she had to walk her bike back,” Hoselton said. “I really felt terrible for her. She helped me out so much this summer.”

The Skinnyman, along with the Escape from the Judge swim Saturday and 5K run Sunday, is put on by a committee that has approximately 15 members and meets once a month year-round.

Saturday's race director was Michael Parker, of Skaneateles. A triathlete himself, Parker has competed in the world-famous Ironman Triathlon in Kono, Hawaii, on six occasions.

“The race couldn't have gone better. Wonderful support from our sponsors; the organizers and volunteers did a great job. The weather was unbelievable. Just nothing but good,” Parker said.

Coordination between the village police, the Skaneateles Fire Department, and the SAVES ambulance service was seamless. There were no reports of any injuries aside from a few minor scrapes and bruises.

Huge crowds lined the switch-off points in and around Clift Park, but village of Skaneateles Police Chief Lloyd Perkins and his team kept everything in order.

“Very good. No problems. Lot of pedestrians. As long as nobody gets hurt, everybody has a good time,” Perkins said. “Everybody wants to get the best vantage point, but it can't happen in the road.”

The mood was certainly festive during the race - lots of babies in strollers, old friends greeting one another, dozens of excited dogs on their leashes. Everyone seemed to be smiling, and the air was fragrant as a half-moon set in the west.

“Last year, we were worried about the hurricane that was coming up the coast (Ernesto). So we had some contingency plans in place if we had to cancel the swim, which proved unnecessary,” Parker said, adding the bike and run portions of the length would have been lengthened.

Serving as master of ceremonies for the awards and prize presentations was Bill Burdick.

“I heard from someone that has been to a number of these events, and he said, 'You know, at this triathlon, something very unusual is happening - people are staying. Normally, they run, they race, they finish, and then they go home,” said Bill Havens, an employee with Hand Held, which sponsored the race. “And it's true - there were hundreds of people in the park waiting for the awards ceremony and even after that. People who weren't even getting awards were still there.”

The Skinnyman sold out early - 450 entrants had pre-registered in early August, with athletes from all over the United States and Europe attending.

Parker and others, however, are not sure if trying to expand the field is the wisest move. It is a matter that will be discussed over the next few months though.

“We don't want to have the race lose its charm,” Parker said. “It's a great venue, and we certainly don't want to overpower the park. Maybe a little bit bigger than 450, but we don't want to get a whole lot bigger.”

Karen Price can be reached at kprice@tribweb.com or 412-320-7980.