WRIGHTSVILLE, Pa. — When you make a bucket list, you hope to achieve everything on it. In just a few weeks, a York County woman will put her body to the test as she competes in the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii.
Tiffani Russ, of Wrightsville, is searching for that outpouring of emotion that comes with crossing the finish line after completing the 140.6-mile race.
It takes grit and determination to complete a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a marathon run of 26.2 miles. It's something Russ wanted to do complete before turning 30, and she wouldn’t be able to accomplish this bucket list item if it wasn’t for her best friend and teammate, BillieJo Heistand, also from Wrightsville, who trains with her.
They met while competing in a sprint triathlon in York.
“Instead of looking at it like it’s a three hour run ahead. It’s, we’re just going to talk and hangout for three hours and have some exercise in there with it," said Russ.
“We had done a lot of halves and I said that’s what I was going to do and said I was never going to a full. When I did the full, just to be running down the red carpet and saying you are an Ironman was the most amazing experience. It was so thrilling," said Heistand.
The duo has been competing together for seven years.
“It makes it so much easier. It gives you something to distract yourself from the course because you’re always looking. Where’s Billie Jo? Where is she? Is she out of the water? Did we pass on the run course yet?," said Russ.
They’ve checked off 10 half Ironman's and one full Ironman. Both are each others cheerleaders, but this time, it’s just Heistand who will be encouraging Russ.
Russ has set her sights on the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii; after her earning a spot at a July event in Lake Placid.
“The next morning, after the race, they had a little awards banquet and that’s where you get your slots. (How excited were you?) I was very excited. I was a little nervous but very excited. (Why nervous?) That’s a lot of training (laughs) and it was only at that time ten weeks away from the race I just did. So, it’s not recovery time," said Russ.
She typically takes a few days off for the halves and uses a full month of recovery for the full races. Now, she’s training straight through to October 14th, when she’ll be on the world stage.
It's a grueling race. Heistand says you need to plan out your bathroom breaks for the 13 hour race and make sure to refuel your body during the competition, with water and snacks.
With it being a male dominate event, the two teammates are trying to show other female competitors that they can do it, too.
“I like it because it’s setting a good example for my daughter and her daughters and all the females out there. My last race, only 26 percent of the field were women. So, it’s like, we can do this. We can succeed and push yourself to the limits," said Russ.
This will be Russ' first time competing in back-to-back Ironmans.