Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

UNC Wilmington Athletics

Scoreboard

Events/Results

hess_lindsey3

Women's Tennis

Hess Sets Sights On Another Ironman After Coer d'Alene Debut

WILMINGTON, North Carolina – Confronting a rigorous swimming, biking and running fitness competition that covers the distance from Wilmington to Durham never really crossed the mind of Lindsey Hess. It was light years away from her athletic background.
But weeks after accomplishing the feat in the Ironman Coeur d'Alene at the picturesque resort in northern Idaho, the former UNCW women's tennis standout wants more.

Hess, 30, was one of the program's powerhouses in the early part of the 2000s, piling up wins and earning numerous honors for the Seahawks. She played No. 1 for four straight years and reins as the program's all-time wins leader in singles and doubles.

Today, the three-time All-Conference performer specializes in development finance and property management accounting with Cape Fear Commercial. The position on the coast has allowed her to transition from an occasional runner to the exercise-centric world of triathlons.

"I really love it because it's fun, exciting and something new to learn," she said recently during a break from crunching numbers. Hess "Coming from an athlete that's just used to competing, it's great to have goals to reach and the camaraderie. This is filling the void after playing tennis for so long."
Hess is one of several former Seahawk student-athletes extending their athletic careers by competing in triathlons. While most have been former swimming or track standouts, Hess is believed to be the first tennis player to move that direction.

A native of Fayetteville, N.Y., Hess graduated from UNCW in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, earning the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's Arthur Ashe Award for Leadership & Sportsman for the Southeast Region. She received the department's Chancellor's Cup Award as the school's top female student-athlete after posting a 3.86 grade point average in her double major of Accounting and Finance.

After brief stint with Price-Waterhouse-Coopers on Wall Street, the petit blond accepted a position in Atlanta working on a real estate equity fund with Lehman Brothers.

"I really wanted to get into real estate and that took me to Atlanta. I stopped playing tennis and worked on my career. I only lived in Atlanta for seven months and was dying to get back to Wilmington. My parents retired here and my sister moved here. As soon as I got an opportunity with Cape Fear Commercial to do commercial real estate, I came right back."

That was seven years ago. Hess picked up a racket "here and there" before contracting the triathlon bug after entering a local 5K race.
"I heard about a race around the Loop at Wrightsville Beach," she recalled, "I had only run three miles consecutively a few times in my life. I didn't do too badly and I continued to run races for about a year with the help of my cousin, who set me up with a running plan."

Hess gradually expanded her running mileage and, following a recommendation from former Seahawk track standout Erin (DeLeo) Hogston, joined local fitness club "Without Limits," with hopes of training for a half marathon.

Training began with workouts at 5:45 in the morning at UNCW's track and field facility and it was difficult at first for the casual runner. "I wasn't a morning workout person," she smiled.

But Hess pressed on, eventually enjoying the early-morning workouts and the energy of the committed individuals. "I went to practice and absolutely loved it. We were divided into groups with similar ability. It was something interesting and new and manageable and I really enjoyed it."
Hess experienced a "crazy amount of improvement" and competed in the Quintiles Half Marathon in March of 2013.  Life was good.

Hess' move into the world of triathlons came after watching a friend take on the challenge. "I saw him doing it and it intrigued me, but it overwhelmed me at the same time. Swimming has not been a strength of mine. I'm not a strong swimmer, but I've gotten better. It's a fear that I've had to overcome."
Hess tiptoed into the sport with a duathlon – a run-bike-run competition – and then signed up for her first triathlon, a sprint distance event, up the road in Smithfield, N.C. With the help of a new coach, Sami Winter, a hands-on mentor who developed individualized, organized workouts, the race was a personal success.

Hess then graduated to the half iron distance, competing in the Ironman 70.3-Timberman in Gilford, New Hampshire, and finished two more halfs in Wilmington and Charleston before cranking it up one more notch – a full Ironman event. "I wanted to do a destination triathlon somewhere I'd never been," said Hess.

Preparing for a half iron distance event was one thing; training for a full Ironman, on the other hand, was another question. The workouts became tougher, longer, and even more rigorous. All to get Hess ready for the challenging 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike course and 26.2-mile run that has developed into a favorite among Ironman competitors.

"With tennis, I had four years of hard work and there were several moments that I can remember as being incredible for the team and myself. In a triathlon, it all culminates in one moment. The intensity of the Ironman experience and being in the finisher's chute is one of the coolest experiences of my life."

"I was so well prepared. You don't do the full distance in practice, but you know how many hours you've put in. The most I had run was 17 miles. I had never run a full marathon before."

Her blond hair flapping in windy conditions, Hess finished with a time of 12:36.08 after surviving choppy water in pristine Coeur d'Alene Lake, along with six other club teammates. She wanted to break 13 hours and accomplished that goal, coming in 22nd in her age group. Overall, 2,466 entered the race, but more than 500 failed to finish.

"The lake was really rough, with three to four foot swells like an ocean. The bike was two loops out and back with a strong headwind and a significant portion of it uphill. There was a moment on the second bike loop back that I knew I could finish the race. I knew it all along, but, of course, you have your doubts.

"My coach calls it fighting the demons. There's always going to be doubts and questions. When you look at it on paper and over the course of 140.6 miles, it's just so daunting a task. Just have to take it one mile at a time.

"It goes fast, you're constantly with other people. You're watching what's going on and thinking about what you need to do. You must make sure to get electrolytes and calories (with water, cola, potato chips, pretzels, etc). If you don't get enough calories on the bike for what you lost on the swim, you won't be prepared for what's ahead."

Hess already knows her next "destination" and it's closer in proximity. It's the popular Ironman Florida on Nov. 1 in Panama City, a flat course that draws many first-timers. Training will pick up soon for Hess, with nutrition atop the list of preparations.

"I ate whatever I wanted in college because we were working out so much that it didn't matter. We weren't necessarily eating to fuel our bodies. Now, it's more focused on fueling for the next workout. I think about it a lot now.

"It's really what you eat all the time, even the month before. I'm making sure I have enough calories on daily basis and all the food groups…50 percent carbs, 25 percent protein and the rest good fats."

Hess hasn't thought too much about long term goals. The granddaddy of Ironman's, the Ironman World Championships-Kona, has peeked her interest, though.

"I have no idea about the future. This is new for me and finishing in Coeur d'Alene was a really big accomplishment. I would love to do Kona one day, but to qualify I would have to get significantly faster and stronger. It's not out of the question, but it's a maybe. I just want to keep doing well."
Meanwhile, Hess may not be the last Seahawk tennis star to find their way to the unique sport. CAA Women's Tennis Player-of-the-Year Angie Sekely recently joined "Without Limits" and is a strong runner. Ever the willing teammate, Hess is happy to have the company.

"Competing in triathlons is like a culture. We're always talking about the newest thing, what you did and where you raced. Every time I go out, I see some improvement and that's so exciting. It keeps everything fresh."
 
 
Print Friendly Version