To
date, the 56-year-old from Blue Jay, CA has had
nine consecutive finishes in Hawaii while capturing four age
group wins, including back-to-back first-place finishes in
1999 and 2000. She holds the current age group record of
11:58:29 in the 55-59 age group, which she set in 1999, her
best finish ever. To top that off, she has finished Ironman
Europe, Ironman New Zealand and Ironman Lake Placid.
Gruenfeld did
her first Ironman in 1992. She had already done a few
marathons and didn't even own a bike when she first read about
the Ironman in the October 1991 issue of Competitor Magazine.
Her husband Lee also read the article and encouraged
Gruenfeld to
give it a try.
"I
told Lee I think I could do this if I had six months to train
and not work," she said. In January of 1992, Gruenfeld 's
husband signed a book deal and he told her it was time to "put
her money where her mouth was." Gruenfeld is
married to acclaimed writer Lee Gruenfeld.
"After
that I took leave from work, got a coach, and then I found out
I actually had to qualify," Gruenfeld
said. Needless to say, Gruenfeld
qualified and was on her way to Hawaii for the Ironman
Triathlon World Championship. "I did that first race and I
absolutely loved it," she said. "I had no clue that I could
finish, no idea what to expect. I just kept going and had a
big silly grin on my face."
Nine
championship races later, Gruenfeld
says she still loves coming to back to Kona. "I love the
training and the lifestyle. Ironman is never the same. It's
always brand new," she said. "When I get to the island and the
hot wind hits me, I feel like I'm home."
Aside
from her first Ironman, Gruenfeld
sites the 1999 event as one of her most memorable, as this is
the event where she broke 12 hours. "I believed for four years
that I could do that - 11:58 it was exciting as it ever gets,"
she said.
Gruenfeld
went into the 2000 Ironman Triathlon World Championship
injured. "I knew the run was going to bother me. I was running
scared, not knowing what was going to happen," Gruenfeld
said.
"You
learn a lot about what you have inside," Gruenfeld
said of Ironman competition. "I have a lot more than I thought
I did. Ironman brings out the best in me and in others, and
I'll keep on coming back for as long as I'm competitive and am
having fun."
Gruenfeld's
Championship Snapshot
|
Year
|
AG
Place |
Overall
|
Swim |
Bike
|
Run |
|
2000
|
1
|
12:25:41
|
1:12:11
|
6:45:30
|
4:23:30 |
|
1999
|
1
|
11:58:29
|
1:12:19
|
6:30:05
|
4:09:57 |
|
1998
|
3
|
12:13:57
|
1:15:28
|
6:39:51
|
4:18:38 |
|
1997
|
3
|
12:15:29
|
1:14:23
|
6:40:44
|
4:20:22 |
|
1996
|
2
|
12:31:38
|
1:18:18
|
6:50:52
|
4:22:28
|
|
1995
|
1
|
13:26:17
|
1:21:03
|
7:30:34
|
4:34:40
|
|
1994
|
1
|
12:45:01
|
1:24:19
|
6:47:50
|
4:32:52
|
|
1993
|
6
|
12:19:05
|
1:27:36
|
6:33:41
|
4:17:48
|
|
1992 |
9
|
12:28:25
|
1:24:43
|
6:49:53
|
4:13:49
|
Copyright 2000-2001 World Triathlon Corporation,
Inc.
