James Bowstead: Triathlon Tribe Interview- NZ

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JB: Yes back in NZ after a couple of months overseas it’s great to be back even if it’s only for a short time. But there has been little relaxing as I’ve been doing lots of training and organising for the second half of the year.

TT: You raced twice in June (Moosman 70.3 in early June and UK70.3 on June 20^th). Both races didn’t really go to plan, how did they play out from your shoes?

JB: Both races really didn’t go well at all; unfortunately it was all due to bad luck not fitness. I went into Mooseman after spending some time training with Terenzo and Macca in LA, during that time we did some amazing training and I was feeling very fit and confident. But unfortunately on race day after we started the swim the rain started and the temp dropped and unfortunately I became so cold I had to pull out half way through the ride, my first DNF which was hard to swallow.

The UK 70.3 was also a big disappointment I picked up a lower back injury just before the race which basically ended any chance of a good performance before I even began. I still tried to race but my back was so sore during the race, I basically just stayed in it to finish as I couldn’t face another DNF.

TT: Is the back injury you spoke of from the UK 70.3 better?

JB:  I am still having some problems but I am getting on top of it now and I am starting to feel much better.

TT: You then decided to return home to New Zealand instead of heading to Canada to race? What is the reasoning?

JB: There was a number of reasons I decided to head home one being my back, here in NZ I have a great team of people I work with who keep my body in check and I figured being back in NZ I could really attack the back problem aggressively and get back ( no pun intended) on track quicker. Another reason being I looked over my year plan and saw there wasn’t really a period of time where I could devote 100% of my time to training with no races in mind. So it worked out if I droppedCalgary 70.3 it gave me a 12 week window to basically train my butt off and take my performance to a new level. Probably the last reason was that I was starting to get a little homesick, being away is great if everything goes well but when it doesn’t like it hadn’t for me it is tough.

TT: How has the training been going since you arrived back home?

JB:  Since arriving back home it has been going well, like I said the back is still giving me a few problems but it’s not stopping me training at all so I am right back in the swing of things

TT: What are the hardest things about spending so much time travelling?

JB: I think the hardest thing is that it’s really hard to form good routines when travelling and I believe for athletes, routines are so import to get the best out of yourself on the race track

TT: So where to from here? Heading back overseas? Race plans?

JB: I am going to carry on with all my original plans bar the trip to Canada and the Calgary 70.3 which are to head to Boulder in a couple of weeks where I will be staying with Jo Lawn. My time there will be devoted solely to training. I will then head to Kona to train on the Ironman course for a few weeks before heading to the Gold Coast in Australia for the Gold Coast Half Ironman on October 3^rd.  As you can see lots of training ahead which I am excited about especially as I have never trained in Boulder or at altitude. I also love training in Kona and I am hoping to race the Ironman World champs there in 2011 so I will be paying close attention to every detail.

TT: Can you give us an example of your run, bike and swim training at the moment whilst in New Zealand? What is a typical week?

JB: A typical training week is a hard question as it varies quiet a lot. I do anything from a minimum of 15 hrs to maximum 45hrs a week generally broken down in to 5 swims, 6 rides, 6 runs and a couple of Pilates and gym sessions. The focus at the moment in my training is get lots of low intensity training done to build a solid base of fitness so I can arrive in Boulderready to train very hard.

TT: You mentioned in a blog that you have spent some time training with Chris McCormack? How was this and what were some of the things you learnt from him?

JB: Training with Chris was a great experience for me. Chris is an amazing guy, he has so much knowledge and so many great stories of the sport, I had a blast training with him.

I learnt many valuable lessons training with Chris - lessons that I will use for the rest of my career. But one lesson I learnt that stands out for me is that you have to keep in good communication with both your fans and sponsors in the many ways which are now available to us. Chris is probably the bench mark person for this in our sport. He has an amazing following and support network which has been built up not just by winning races but the countless hours of work done on his behalf behind the scenes.

TT: How often do you do core work?

JB: I would ideally be doing a minimum of two core sessions a week but I must admit with all the travel over the last few months it’s been a little neglected.

TT: Ever slept in an altitude tent?

JB: No

TT: Favourite movie?

JB: This has to be the toughest question of the whole interview; there are so many good movies. But I suppose I would be hard pressed to look past the Rocky movies, I must admit they do get me pumped up for a race 

TT: If you had to change career to any other profession of you’re choosing, what would it be?

JB: I have always been very interested and appreciate well built houses I also like building so I think I would like to be a high end property developer. In fact there is no doubt in my mind I will end up doing something like that after my triathlon career is over.

TT: Thanks for you time and all the best.