As the name implies, the SavageMan Triathlon is not for the faint of heart. With over 750 participants, the SavageMan Triathlon Festival kicked off on Friday the 13^that Deep Creek Lake in Maryland.  Among those participants was Cindy Ebert, who trained for months in order to participate in the grueling race.  

 

Named in part because the triathlon takes athletes through the Big Savage Mountain and through the Savage River State Forest, it also represents the tenacious nature of those who decide to take on the challenge.  For 16 years, athletes from all over the world have participated, including Ironman champions and Olympians.  With a 750-meter swim in the lake, a 16 mile bike ride and a 5K run, SavageMan is considered one of the ten toughest triathlons in the United States with its choppy waters and steep hills.

 

Ebert, who also did the Charleston, South Carolina Triathlon in July and the Luray, Virginia Triathlon in August, had made it her goal to take on the SavageMan Triathlon with everything she had.  For twenty weeks, she trained twice a day to prepare for the events.  Combining yoga, swimming, stretching, biking and running, Ebert’s cross-training paid off as she watched her body transform.  

 

“Doing triathlons are great because it makes your body much more balanced that just working on one discipline,” said Ebert.

 

Now empty-nesters, Cindy and husband John have committed to increasing endurance and personal challenges in their training routine.  Although Cindy has always been a runner, the addition of biking and swimming has proven to increase flexibility, cognitive ability and even cardiovascular health.  Consistency was a challenge for her at first, but her commitment to the training motivated her to enter each session with a positive attitude and a determination to improve.

 

Although she had competed in Morgantown’s Sprint Marathon three times previously, this summer’s trio of triathlons took her athletic ability to an entirely new level.  She was kicked a few times among the crowded lake swim, but overall had an injury-free summer full of challenges that she overcame.

 

“It was great seeing the finish line at SavageMan,” she said.  “It was well worth the training and I look forward to a great racing season next year.”