Age: 36

Country Representing: Australia

Occupation: Teacher

Marital Status/Family: Engaged J

Is this the first time you have been to Kona?

No, my first time was in 2006. My experience was certainly a positive one. I had some disastrous stomach issues on race day prior to the start but managed to hold things together and have a reasonable first race. Well, good enough to want to do it all again! As amazing as this experience for me was, as an added bonus you get to meet some truly inspirational people and for me personally, my future wife J

In 2007 I was lucky enough to compete again and had a great experience., improving 22 minutes and enjoying a podium place in my age group. Just unbelievable! I managed to qualify again in 2008 but decided not to go that year, and I’m absolutely pumped to be returning in 2011.

Where did you qualify for Kona 2011?

New Zealand Ironman, March 2011. This was my first ironman race in nearly 3 years so was expecting to be a little rusty, so to speak. The day itself was very trying, and I’ve never experienced a race with driving rain all day, and winds. But, by just concentrating on the big picture I really just wanted to be smart about my race expectations and make sure I did enough to qualify. Things worked out well, but again there were some little hick-ups along the way.

Tell us about your preparation for Hawaii.

So far I haven’t missed a beat. I’ve just had my one and only lead up race at Yeppoon 70.3. This was a great hit-out and makes for a timely boost to your motivation and preparation. Injuries so far have been manageable, and at the moment I’m backing off my training due to a cold but nothing major. As for preparing for the heat and humidity, well training in 2degree temps, running in the dark and the rain, and of course sunshine sometimes has been my standard preparation in Victoria. There are some advantages to preparing in the winter months. The mental toughness needed to get out there and complete the training in these conditions certainly does help you come race day.  

What has a typical training week looked like for you in the lead-up to this event?

I’m swimming Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday’s and Sunday at the moment. Two gym/core sessions per week, mag trainer bike or brick sessions Monday, Wednesday, Thursday’s, long brick Saturdays and long run Sunday’s too. 

What excites you the most about competing at an iconic race like the Hawaii Ironman?

Just having the opportunity to test yourself in ‘the race’, alongside the best in the world. Being able to truly see what you are capable of achieving! The question still drives me; ‘What can you really achieve at Ironman?”. I also get excited about having the opportunity to hopefully help inspire others to dream a little (or a lot) and also to use this event as a tool to help raise some much needed monies for the people of East Timor, through a fundraiser at the school I teach at.

Is there anything about the Ironman in Hawaii that makes you really nervous?

No, not particularly. I’m not much of the nervous type I guess.

What are your goals for the race?

Simply to complete a personal best Ironman. That’s it!!

What are you doing to relax after the race? Are you planning on a holiday in Hawaii post Ironman?

Yes definitely. I have the week off after Hawaii and will be spending another 5 days relaxing in Hawaii with my fiancée. Nothing planned in this time but simply to enjoy putting the feet up and celebrating a great achievement together.

Tell us a little about your background?

I have been doing tri’s for eight years now, although I had 1.5 years with on and off injury and have been back into racing for the last 12 months. My sporting background has been a huge variety of sports. I grew up playing football, cricket, tennis, golf, surfing, and eventually at 26yrs retired from football, and competed in a couple of marathons while travelling overseas. I had been interested in triathlons for a few years, and finally decided that I wanted to train to complete an ironman triathlon. 

How have you managed to balance the training for Ironman with your other commitments such as work and family?

My new coach has really helped me to get my life balance, health and enjoyment back into the ‘right space’ and place. It’s terribly difficult when you want to achieve at the highest possible level, while working full time and of course being able to live your life the way you should by balancing rest, family and loved one’s. And of course making sure you are healthy first and foremost to enjoy all of these things.

I now train less, and simply have more time to get the quality training in, and am able to manage my health, and life so much better.

Interesting Fact:

I have 9 and ¾ digits due to a bike accident years ago!! Ouch J

Thanks for chatting to us and best of luck for the race!

By Michelle Downs http://www.getsetupinsport.com.au

Age:   58

Country Representing: Australia

Occupation:  Athlete manager/Management consultant

Marital Status/Family: Married to Ali Fitch, pro triathlete & physiotherapist.

Is this the first time you have been to Kona? 

This is my fourth Kona from four attempts; but having said that, I have done 10 IMs since starting in 2007, and the worst 3 were all at Kona.  You can talk about the hills and the winds, but my killer is the heat.  Being a big guy, around 93kgs, I get to a certain point and my core temperature goes critical.  It doesn’t matter how fast, fit, stubborn, well trained or equipped you are, this body just refuses to perform when it overheats.  Coming from and training in Darwin certainly helps.  Surely if I do enough Kona’s I will strike one year when it is a bit cooler??

Where did you qualify for Kona 2011?

I got my spot in New Zealand on the roll-down placing 3^rd by 59 seconds; it was a cold, wet, windy, horrible day, for which the spectators get the highest praise for staying outside and cheering.  Wife Ali, my biggest fan/coach/supporter changed clothes 4 times that day to stay dry.  I think it rained nearly 50mm during the race.  The run was really good as I could stay cool, yet keep running hard.  However, I felt I actually “earned” my Kona spot at IM Coeur d’Alene (Idaho, USA, late June), where I came second in my age group by a mere 17 seconds – my spot there passed on to someone else.

Tell us about your preparation for Hawaii.

Not many lead-up races – Coeur d’Alene in late June, just so I didn’t forget how hard the IM was.  Hopefully race the NT Long Course in Darwin on 21 August.

For an old bloke I have been mercifully free of injuries.  A bit of a niggle in the right knee from sand-running on a sloping beach a bit too much, and an obligatory dose of flu that put a dent in the training schedule.  And lots of strength exercises from wife/coach/personal physiotherapist Ali which it seems I practise more in the breach than in the observance.

Winter this year found me in Yamba NSW – not ideal for Kona in terms of heat prep, but I have been training with lots of extra clothing on, and saturating my gear in sweat.  I am flying to Kona on 6 September, almost 5 weeks pre-race, to acclimatise and train on course.

What has a typical training week looked like for you in the lead-up to this event?

I certainly don’t recover as quickly from training as I did 30 years ago, and need to be very particular about listening to my body.  As a general rule I do 1-2 days harder, then a much easier day; this gives time to both recover and absorb the training.  If for no specific reason I wake up feeling like I did a Kona yesterday, I will have a “slack-attack” day and reschedule my program accordingly. A recovery day may be an easy 6k run plus a swim; or maybe 2 new releases from Video Ezy.

In terms of program details, I like to aim for one solid long ride and run a week.  The one solid bike would typically be 150-180k, the run 30-34k.  There will be several medium and shorter distance rides and runs, and throw in a few race pace efforts as 8 October approaches.  Or join Ali for a ride and hang-on as best I can.  Swimming I typically ignore as long as I can, getting in 3 x 3k sessions a week.  I like to increase my swimming in the last 8 weeks, do a few 5k sessions as race approaches, with more 20 x 100m sets, 1km repeat sessions, and on-course swimming in Kona to get used to the course and the sharks.

What excites you the most about competing at an iconic race like the Hawaii Ironman? 

Getting out of the swim.

Is there anything about the Ironman in Hawaii that makes you really nervous?

Sharks, the swim start, and mechanical breakdowns on the bike.  I got badly trashed in the swim in 2009 in Kona, and it has scarred me somewhat.  An odd thing for a big strong swimmer like me.  I don’t know why I am neurotic about a mechanical breakdown, as I have never had one in any triathlon I have done.  But it upsets me to see others have mechanical breakdowns, as it seems so terribly unfair that something like that can ruin a day that many have spent years striving and preparing for.

What are your goals for the race?  10hrs 30mins.  Probably not achievable if it is hot, but that is what I am striving for.

What are you doing to relax after the race? Are you planning on a holiday in Hawaii post Ironman?  A big greasy hamburger with the works, then straight on a plane back to Australia to join wife Ali, who is not coming to Kona this year after a nightmare run of injuries.  Plus she is working full time at the moment, in addition to training 15hrs weekly and doing lots of rehab.

Tell us a little about your background?

I did my first tri’s in the mid-1980’s, but only did my first Ironman in Malaysia in early 2007 with the encouragement of my pro-triathlete wife.  I came originally from a long and successful masters swimming background, with a few marathons thrown in around 30 years ago for good measure, with a PB of 2:48.  I have been an endurance athlete continuously now for over 30 years, but have enjoyed many different sports and adventures along the way.  I have perhaps a very odd claim for an Australian to have never drunk alcohol.  It was just a decision I made when I was young; no other reason.

How have you managed to balance the training for Ironman with your other commitments such as work and family?  

Outside of Ali working as a physio, Ali’s and my life largely revolves around Ironman/triathlon.  We train it; read it, talk it, race it, dissect it, socialise it, worry about it, enjoy it, and then go back to the start and repeat it all over again.  We have made wonderful friends all around the world through our involvement in triathlon.  There is no such thing as balance in our life!

Interesting Fact:  I walked nearly 2,000 kilometres in 4 ½ months in 2000/2001 doing scientific fieldwork as part of the Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition to Heard Island, an Australian Territory in the Southern Ocean (roughly 900 nautical miles/1700 kilometres North of Mawson base, Antarctica), and the site of Australia’s only two active volcanoes.

Thanks for chatting to us and best of luck for the race! 

We look forward to catching up with you on the Big Island :)

Do you have a friend or family member who has qualified for Kona?? We would love to profile them! Please have them email michelle@getsetupinsport.com.au

By Michelle Downs http://www.getsetupinsport.com.au

Name:

Age: 40 – 44 (44)

Country Representing: Australia

Occupation: Marine Education officer

Marital Status/Family: Married, no children

Is this the first time you have been to Kona?

Yes, it was my first real attempt to qualify and I was very lucky to have a solid race in the Woodlands near Houston USA

Where did you qualify for Kona 2011?

I qualified at Ironman Texas in May this year. I selected this race as it coincided with the end of our season and the end of our summer. It meant that I could train with my triathlon club members all the way up to the ironman and have good conditions in which to do so. It also meant that any US athletes would have to train through their winter to participate and they would be at the start of their season. For the first time in 3 years of international events, I would finally be training at the right time. My preparation was disrupted by an accident when a car hit me during a training ride. I had puncture wounds to the leg, fractured ribs and damage to my vertebrae 12 weeks before the event. I then twisted my ankle 3 weeks out. It was a difficult preparation.

Tell us about your preparation for Hawaii.

I could only begin training 12 weeks prior as work commitments had me in an isolated area in the north of Western Australia at the start of this campaign. Perth has had some cold and wet days to overcome but that is Ironman training. The Houston event was very hot (36+ degrees) and very humid (85%) and hopefully the nutrition and hydration feedback I gained from that event will assist me to get it right in Kona. I have been told nothing really can prepare you for the day and the occasion.

What has a typical training week looked like for you in the lead-up to this event?

Currently I am in the loading stage of the training program. I will ride 4 days a week with the longest being 220km (total between 500 – 600km). I run 6 days a week but these are all shorter than most Ironman programs as I find it protects my calves and Achilles from injury if I run regularly but smaller distances. I then swim 3 mornings a week for an hour and a half each session. Sundays thankfully are rest days.

What excites you the most about competing at an iconic race like the Hawaii Ironman?

The whole experience will be exciting. The elite athletes, the course and location, the iconic landmarks of the race and Hawaii itself (as I have not been there previously) are all things I am looking forward to.

Is there anything about the Ironman in Hawaii that makes you really nervous?

The conditions, I think the combination of heat, humidity and wind all make me nervous. I am confident I can complete the course itself ok (as far as the hills and distances are concerned) but worry about the unknowns and "uncontrollable". That is also one of the exciting aspects of the race though; you never know what the day will bring.

What are your goals for the race?

Like many others, simply qualifying was a huge goal of mine. I made a lot of sacrifices (as any Ironman athlete does) just to get to Kona. Now I simply want to put a solid race together that I can be proud of when I look back at the experience. If conditions allow, I would like to improve on my qualifying time but if the conditions are tough, I will be looking at just finishing as the main goal.

What are you doing to relax after the race? Are you planning on a holiday in Hawaii post Ironman?

All of the events I travel to I enjoy with my wife. The first part of our holiday is about the ironman and following the event, there is no talk about triathlon or training. It is all her time. We will be holidaying in Hawaii and I owe so much to her for understanding how much this means to me and allowing me to follow my dream that the least I can do in return is let her do whatever she likes for the rest of our time away. I always look forward to our time afterwards to wind down together.

Tell us a little about your background?

I started triathlons 5 years ago. It all began with simply wanting to get a little fitter and went from there. I was very lucky to meet some great people along the way that directed me to where I am at the moment. I taught physical education in secondary schools for 15 years and had been fairly fit during that time but needed a new direction in sport. My only other ironman was in Busselton in 2007. That was the 5^th triathlon I had ever competed in. Since then I have been lucky to make the Australian Olympic Distance team twice.

How have you managed to balance the training for Ironman with your other commitments such as work and family?

It has definitely taken a couple of years to find the right balance between training, work and a social life. I train predominantly in the mornings and incorporate travel to and from work into the sets thus saving a little time. Sunday is off and again, it is my wife’s time that we can enjoy together – without triathlon or training.

Interesting Fact:

Four athletes from our small triathlon club (Exceed Triathlon Club - Perth) qualified this year for Kona. It will be great to share the experience with them including the training leading in to the event.

Thanks for chatting to us and best of luck for the race!

We look forward to catching up with you on the Big Island :)

Age: 34

Country Representing: Australia  

Occupation:
Town Planner

Marital Status/Family: Engaged

Is this the first time you have been to Kona?

This will be my first trip to Hawaii and first time racing as an athlete in the World Ironman Championships!  It’s been a dream since starting the sport in 2006 so I’m super excited to have qualified and be taking part in this year’s iconic event J

Where did you qualify for Kona 2011?

I qualified at Ironman Australia, Port Macquarie, May 2011.  I loved racing with my family and friends on the side line and was stoked to come home with an overall top 5 finish, 1^st amateur female, 1^st F30-34 and a ticket to the big dance.  Ironman hasn’t been the easiest journey for me with many big highs and lows (it’s been a huge learning experience).  So it was satisfying to have finally got the monkey off my back and qualified a spot to live my dream. 

Tell us about your preparation for Hawaii.

I’ve just raced Yeppoon 70.3 and had a solid day; with 4^th place overall and 1^st F30-34.  I’m happy where my training is at leading into the main training block, now 7 weeks out from Hawaii.  I’m heading over to Kona late September (12 days before the race) to give myself a chance to get use to the heat, humidity and winds and finish my training off in these conditions. 

What has a typical training week looked like for you in the lead-up to this event?

Training weeks vary depending on training cycle and include 3-4 swim sessions (including squad), 3-5 bike sessions and 3-5 run sessions with variable distances and intensities (including aerobic miles, race pace sets, strength and endurance sets, brick sessions, track work and recovery sessions).  I also have massage weekly – fortnightly. 

What excites you the most about competing at an iconic race like the Hawaii Ironman?

The experience of racing amongst the best athletes in the world!  Hawaii World Champs is an international iconic event (some would say the pinnacle of the sport given the depth of history behind the race) and I feel extremely privileged to have earned the opportunity to be a part of it. 

Is there anything about the Ironman in Hawaii that makes you really nervous?

I’m going into this event with an open mind.  It will be a completely new experience for me racing at this level as well as in the heat and humidity so I have no expectations.  I think I’m more excited than nervous J

What are your goals for the race?

Stick to my race plan, soak up the atmosphere, get the most out of myself on the day - whatever gets thrown at me, and make the most of this amazing experience and opportunity!

What are you doing to relax after the race? Are you planning on a holiday in Hawaii post Ironman?

My fiancé and I are having a week holiday on the other Islands of Hawaii.  Can’t wait to be a tourist and enjoy some down time!  Then on our return to Sydney we’ll be getting married in November so we have lots to look forward to after the race.

Tell us a little about your background?

I grew up on a property in northern NSW where I developed a passion for the outdoors, in particular running and horse riding.  I’ve been involved with the sport of triathlon since 2005.  After watching the last Forster Ironman in 2005, I was so inspired it was only a matter of time before I signed up for my own first Ironman experience at Port Macquaire, 2006.  I’ve been working with Grant Giles - Aeromaxteam, since starting the sport and have been blown away by how far I’ve come and the results that I am now achieving.  Ironman has been a huge learning experience for me and an amazing life journey. I’ve met so many inspirational people of all ages and abilities. The self challenges and being part of the triathlon community is what continues my passion for the sport.

How have you managed to balance the training for Ironman with your other commitments such as work and family?

I’ve recently changed my work arrangements from full time to 4 days a week which has made a big difference in terms of work/lifestyle balance.  Time management and good organisation is a must to fit in training loads, work and personal time. 

Thanks for chatting to us and best of luck for the race!

We look forward to catching up with you on the Big Island :)

Do you have a friend or family member who has qualified for Kona?? We would love to profile them! Please have them email michelle@getsetupinsport.com.au