Eva and Ed Solomon are headed north from their home in the Ann Arbor area this weekend—joining more than 2,000 other triathletes and their families—for the inaugural IRONMAN 70.3 Traverse City. Eva and Ed, married for 29 years (they’re celebrating their anniversary this weekend, in fact), signed up for this race together. While Eva is a longtime triathlete, Ed is a newer one, having completed his first one earlier this summer.
Eva and Ed talk about what led them to take on this race, what the training has been like, and how Eva has watched her husband become a stronger swimmer and athlete. “It’s been seriously surreal,” she says. Ed worked with a coach to become more confident in the water. “I’m still a bad swimmer,” he says, but adds he feels stronger than ever. “My swimming has gone through a journey.” Working with a coach, he adds, was “really meaningful.” He talks about how he juggled a demanding job with training six days a week. “I wake up way earlier than I used to, and I go to bed way earlier.”
Eva has been on the show a number of times in the past. She is behind the southeastern Michigan race management company Epic Races. She first got into triathlon in the mid-1990s and started Epic Races 12 years ago.
Eva shares a tough decision she made recently related to her participation in IRONMAN 70.3. As much as she wanted to see through her commitment, she came to the realization that competing and taking part as an athlete just wasn't in the cards this time around. This was an emotional decision, and she talks honestly about what that has been like and her mindset shift to being the best cheerleader and supporter on race day for her husband.
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IRONMAN 70.3 has been a regular topic on the show these past few months – watch for a special race weekend episode to be released as well!
