Westchester Tri Competitor to Watch: Greenwich’s Emma Langley

Name: Emma Langley

Age: 17

Hometown: Greenwich

School: Greenwich High School, Class of 2013, currently a College of William and Mary

 Why did you decide to participate?

I absolutely love triathlons and would happily do any race that I can! This race was pretty good timing because I left for school (the College of William and Mary) a month ago, had some time to settle in, and now I'm home for the weekend to do this race!

Have you participated in Westchseter Tri before?

 Nope, this is my first time!

What motivates you to take on such large physical challenges?

 I like to push myself. To me, there is nothing more satisfying than completing something that you never thought you could have before. I like surprising myself.

How many months do you train for something like this?

 I've been training pretty much continuously (with a few lighter load weeks) for triathlons since last December.  I signed up for this race about a month and a half ago, so I've been training with the race in mind for almost two months.

How many hours a week do you train leading up to the event?

 In a regular week's training I usually put in around 10-12 hours. This week I cut it down to just 6 to let myself rest for this race. 

Can you give us an idea of your work out routines?

 My coach, Craig Vitale, from Combine Training, sets my programs that include base work (so long bike rides and runs where I hold a steady heart rate) and pace work, where I work on speed and threshold.

What is your pre-race meal? Post-race?

Pre-race meal is always oatmeal and a banana. Post-race chocolate milk is a must, and lots of water and Gatorade. I usually can't stomach food until an hour or two after the race, and then I'll have a sandwich or banana.

Tell us more about your athletic background.

I've been training for triathlons since December 2012, once I made the decision to stop swimming competitively.  From the minute I started trained, I fell in love with the sport. Not only where there so many physical benefits that came from it, I also started to meet so many amazing people in the triathlon world.  After each race, I fell more and more in love with the sport.  I've surprised even myself with the races I've done - in my first season I've already won an Olympic distance tri, and completed a half ironman (Emma wanted to compete in the full marathon but is restricted by her age – you have to be 18 or older to compete). My proudest accomplishments are definitely completing a half-ironman and winning KIC IT.

Notable Races: 

Stamford KIC IT Tri -- 2:28.02 (1st place overall) 

Rev3 Quassy Olympic Tri -- 2:38.53 (1st place in age group) 

Musselman Half-Ironman Tri -- 5:34.42 (1st place age group)

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The Westchester Triathlon is on Sunday, Sept. 29 in and around Rye. Here are all the details.