FARMINGTON – University of Maine head women’s cross-country coach Katie Herbine, who led the Beavers to the NAC Championship last year, was the only woman from Maine to compete in this year’s Ford Ironman Coeur d’Alene Triathlon in Idaho recently.

Despite the challenge of 98-degree weather, Herbine placed 34th in the women aged 25-29 division, attaining the greatest athletic achievement of her life.

When she signed up for the race, she didn’t have a bike and had to borrow one to train until her husband, Andy, gave her a custom-built bike for Christmas. She also hadn’t competed in swimming since middle school.

The swim portion of the race, about 10 minutes after the start, was the scariest for Herbine when 2,495 competitors all started at once, bumping into each other. Herbine said she felt a few moments of panic when she couldn’t catch her breath and was ready to raise her hand to have a kayaker pick her up.

However, she persevered and swam 2.4 miles, biked 112 miles and ran 26.2 miles in 13 hours, 44 minutes and 37 seconds. Athletes must complete the race within 17 hours.

“You plug along, and you have no idea where the time goes,” she said. “It’s amazing that the human body can go 140 miles in a day.”

Herbine said the support system for her six months of training was key to her success. Her husband and UMF colleague Deb Pluck, who has also competed in an Ironman triathlon, were especially helpful.