Paul Ambrose Interview: Ironman

Profile

DOB: 31/07/1984

Nickname: AMBROSE

Career highlight to date: 2^nd Cancun 70.3, the hardest and hottest day ever

Favourite race: Pucon 70.3

Best leg: Bike

Sponsors:  Descente, Planet-X, Blue Seventy. High 5

Favourite TV show: Entourage

TT: Paul thanks for your time. Congrats on your 5^th place at the ROHTO 70.3 in Boulder last weekend. How did the race play out?

PA: Well, the race didn’t go as well as expected, I had an ordinary swim and on the bike, I wasn’t particularly happy with the leniency of the drafting rules. But happy with still managing a solid run

TT: So overall were you happy or disapointed?

PA: Bittersweet, happy at the end of the day that I had a solid race, not so happy on how the race played out, (some things I can’t control)

TT:  Richie Cummingham out sprinted you by one hundredth of a second (3:54.11 to 3:54.12). Did that annoy the hell out of you?

PA: To be honest, it was really frustrating, as I thought I had gotten away from everyone else on the run and I had 4^th in the bag, but much respect to Richie for being such a tough competitor time after time.

TT:  How did you find racing at an altitude of just less than 5,500 feet?

PA: I found it very difficult, as I haven’t been here for long to get acclimatised, and I found that you can’t push 100% or you just bonk out, which is quite frustrating. Also the burn on your lungs from the lack of air, if very hard to deal with

TT:  You obviously do a bit of training at altitude. What are the main differences, in your opinion, as to how an athlete should treat each training session, when compared to when they are training at sea level?

PA: I have done a bit at altitude over the years, but this trip I hadn’t had much time up here to get fully acclimatised. I find training at altitude very difficult, the trick up here is to just do long slow miles (ideal for Ironman, not so much for short course), as any speed work will just set you back in your training, which I save for sea level, you just don’t recover from high lactate training in altitude unless you have lived up here for a long time. A disadvantage of being born and raised on the ocean

TT:  Do you keep the stop watch ticking during the interval sessions or do you just train off effort and feel?

 PA: I do most of my training from feel, as I am more experienced with my body from training over the years, but usually with interval type work I like to do more fartlek type training, as it gets your aerobic threshold up with less risk of injuries, if done correctly.

TT:  What’s next on the agenda?

PA: I will race Lake Stevens 70.3 the following weekend (2 half’s in 1 week). Then 2 weeks later I will race Ironman Louisville

TT:  What is your hardest or most dreaded session?

PA: Now days I really dislike wind trainer sessions, as when I started the sport I did so many of them, I really dread them now when I have to do them

TT:  Do you ever get homesick?

PA: Yes of course, I love Sydney Australia (no place like home). But I get the best of both worlds, I’m in US/Europe for summer and then I’m back home in Sydney for the Australian summer (which is the best time) so I love what I do, as I love summer!

TT:  To leave us. If you could be any super hero, who would you be and why?

PA: I’d be the flash, as I like the idea of running that fast.

TT:  Thanks again for your time and all the best.

 PA: No problems, keep well. Cheers, Paul Ambrose

Results: ROHTO Ironman 70.3 Boulder 
Boulder, CO / August 8, 2010 
1.2 mile swim / 56 mile bike / 13.1 mile run 

Top 10 men 

1. Andy Potts (USA) 3:46:50 
2. Tyler Butterfield (BER) 3:49:18 
3. Stephen Hackett (AUS) 3:51:27 
4. Richie Cunningham (AUS) 3:54:11 
5. Paul Ambrose (AUS) 3:54:12 
6. Tim DeBoom (USA) 3:54:40 
7. Matt White (AUS) 3:56:24 
8. Joshua Rix (AUS) 3:56:56 
9. Tom Lowe (GBR) 4:00:06 
10. Brian Schaning (USA) 4:05:06 * AG M25-29