Tamara Jewett finished second for the third year in a row at IRONMAN 70.3 Indian Wells on Sunday and afterwards revealed she’s been dealing with an achilles issue for much of the season.
The Canadian is currently #14 in the PTO rankings after her best season to date which has featured two 70.3 wins (Oceanside and Michigan) as well as three runner-up spots.
‘Mind and body need a big break’
This latest second place saw her again produce easily the quickest half marathon time (1:16:15) – though it was over two minutes slower than last year as Norway’s Solveig Løvseth took an eye-catching win on her 70.3 debut, finishing 1:55 ahead of Jewett.
Jewett is second in the run standings again this season, with only Anne Haug in front of her, which is all the more impressive given what she said afterwards.
Writing on Instagram and first paying tribute to rising star Løvseth, she explained: “Hahaha hmm seems that🥈at this race is MINE – that’s three years in a row 🌴😜.
“Huge congrats to @solveig_lovseth for a spectacular 70.3 debut (even if it left me with a particularly lonely run in no man’s land 🙃) and to @jackiemhering for our third shared podium this fall 🙌🏻.
“I had fun racing and am overall pleased with my day, but my mind and body need a big big break at last 🎉🎉🎉.
‘Ready to rebuild’
“The biggest, quiet success of this season has been managing up and down achilles flare ups all the way through without significant impacts on run training or racing.
“After feeling in April/May like I had it well under control, the first couple laps of my run at PTO Milwaukee HURT, and the week leading into 70.3 Worlds felt agonizingly touch and go after it responded badly to travel.”
Those two races saw her finish 10th and 11th respectively, with sixth at a stacked PTO European Open in May the only other time she was outside the top two.
She added: “SO, I am THRILLED that after a fall race season, my body feels healthier and stronger than it did in August, and ready to rebuild after a planned break 😊.
“One in-the-know supporter recently wondered whether the issue had affected results, and my two responses are 1) No – I don’t think so – and that is my quietest, biggest victory this year, made possible only by years and years of setbacks and getting to know my body very very well, and 2) there is no need to make excuses for what has been my most successful season ever, with its big ups and only little downs 💪🏻.”
