Tiffany Townsend loves competition – and a challenge. Turns out, that’s the perfect combination for an Ironman.
Townsend and her training partner, Carrie Tysdahl, recently competed in the 24th edition of Ironman Florida in Panama City. An Ironman event is defined as a 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112-mile bicycle race and a full marathon run of 26.2 miles. Impressively, out of 342 female competitors, the Clear Lake women each placed in the top 10. Among all 1,693 athletes, male and female, they were 144th and 153rd.
The 34-year-old Townsend was fifth in her age bracket (females 30-34) and earned an invitation to compete in the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii next year.
“I have always been competitive,” said the 2011 Mason City High School graduate. “I played soccer in college, but when I came home after graduation I started running.”
Eventually her need for competition elevated her running to marathon distance and in 2018 she qualified and completed the famed Boston Marathon.
Then, like all standout athletes, she wanted more.
In 2019 she turned her attention to triathlons, which are a combination of swimming, biking and running. The biggest challenge was that Tiffany had never learned to swim.
“I learned by watching a lot of You Tube and time in the pool. The lifeguards at the YMCA and Carrie were very good with me, but swimming is always my biggest challenge. Once I’m out of the water, I feel good.”
The Ironman competition started with a 2.4 mile swim in the Gulf of Mexico.
“We did a practice swim and it was the calmest day ever. But on race day, it was anything but calm,” Townsend explained. In addition to rough water, marine life— jellyfish in particular, provided an extra degree of difficulty. “I got stung in the face, arm and leg. They just couldn’t be avoided, so you had to keep on.”
Following a short run on the beach to a shower, the racers were in transition to the biking leg. The 112-mile course was flat and fast, with some rolling hills and light winds to contend with.
“The coolest thing was that there was a big group of supporters that came down. We knew they would be at mile 50, so we had a goal to see them. They were cheering like crazy and then they would move to another location. I can’t thank them enough. It helped to break up the day.”
The third and final leg was a full marathon, 26.2 miles.
“About mile 17 of the run my knee was hurting, but I popped some Motrin and kept going.”
That kind of mental toughness helped Townsend to the finish line in a time of 11 hours, 10-minutes and 10-seconds.
Tysdahl finished just ahead of Townsend, crossing the finish line in 11-hours and eight-minutes. Her third place finish in her age group (females 40-44), was not enough to qualify her for the world competition in Kona, but Tysdahl said she plans to be there to support Townsend.
In addition to trainer and athlete, the two have become fast friends who seem to bring out the best in each other.
“It’s been a joy to watch Tiffany develop. Her success is a direct result of how hard she works,” said Tysdahl, who operates T3 Triathlon Training and has worked with Townsend since 2019. “She has natural athletic ability, but it is her mental capacity that makes her successful.”
That strong body, strong mind approach is essential to anyone attempting a triathlon, but an Ironman competition tests the physical limits of all elite athletes.
“A friend introduced me to Carrie and it’s been a lot of work — and fun— since then,” said Townsend. “She pushes me and makes me better. I think it’s rare to find someone to train with who you are so compatible with. Carrie is so experienced ad a really good resource. I trust her with everything.”
Tysdahl has been racing since 2005 and has coaches athetes in various capacities since 2011. In addition to training, she also organizes the TRI By Knight Triathlon in Waverly, as well as the popular TRI Clear Lake event. She also leads a class at the Clear Lake Athletic and Wellness Center for those training for triathlons.
In recent years, as her family has grown, Tysdahl said she has limited herself to training only a few athletes at a time. She considers working with Townsend to be a perfect match, both in terms of coaching and as training partners.
“I think we are blessed to have each other. In terms of pace and abilities we are very similar. Some days she pushes me and some I push her. I’ve trained with a lot of people, but aside from my sister, I’ve never had a training partner so similar to me. We bring out the best in each other.”
