TT Interview with Rebecca Eveleigh

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Thirty-four year-old Rebecca Eveleigh has had some exceptional results recently, including a win in the Challenge Cairns Half Ironman event a few weeks ago and a fifth place finish at Ironman Australia in May.

By day, Rebecca works as a town planner for local council and in her “spare time” she is busy training for the Hawaii Ironman in October and planning a November wedding. She takes a few minutes out of her busy schedule to chat with Triathlon Tribe.

First of all congratulations on your first place at the inaugural Challenge Cairns Half Ironman triathlon a few weeks ago J Tell us about your race and how it felt to win your first major triathlon?

Thanks Michelle J  I’m passionate about supporting the Challenge Family.  I raced Challenge Roth in 2010 which was an amazing experience. So with the announcement of Challenge Cairns, I was super excited that the Family had landed an event in my own home country and I wanted to be a part of it!

I raced Ironman Australia 5 weeks prior to Cairns.  My recovery and fitness leading into the event felt good.  My goals for the day were to see how much I could get out of myself.  I really wanted to hurt, push myself mentally and physically and see what I could achieve, plus of course soak up the atmosphere of the race!  I’ve also recently re-assessed my nutrition plan with my sponsor John Hill and High 5 and was looking forward to testing out the changes made.

After coming seventh out of the water, I was happy to be on my bike and it was flat stick from the start!  I absolutely loved the bike course and the coastal scenery was unbelievable!  As I kept riding and moving my way through the field of athletes, I started to pass the girls in front and by around the 45km mark (just before the turn around) I realized that I had actually caught everyone and was now leading the race.  This was a new experience for me as I haven’t been in the lead of a race before.  My power felt great and nutrition was working well.  By the time I returned to T2, I had actually created a nice gap (which I wasn’t aware of at the time).

Running out of T2 was a special moment seeing friends, the crowd and the commentators cheering me on.  My goal was as originally planned, to see how deep I could go and push myself in the run leg.  The weather had warmed up to @27 degrees and within the first few kms my legs started cramping with the heat.  I took my SaltStick tablets, then it was a matter of getting my High5 Isogels down and taking in as much water as I could to hydrate.

The last few kms I was definitely hurting, my legs had well and truly had enough!  I also felt dehydrated with the heat of the day and my run form started to suffer.   It was a matter of holding it together and soaking up the atmosphere to the finish line. Making the final turn to the finish chute was amazing and hearing my name called in. Wow!  What a special experience.  It was incredibly rewarding to win this race, especially being a Challenge event.  

How did you find the course at Cairns? Any highlights and what was the general feedback about the event? Would you recommend it to others to put on their schedule for 2012 (for either the half or the full Ironman)? 

Cairns is a perfect venue to hold a triathlon at this time of year.  The swim was held at Yorkeys Knob and involved an “M” shape course (1 lap for Half Ironman, 2 laps for Ironman).   There was a bit of chop in the water and essentially it was a matter of moving through the Ironman athletes as best I could.

The bike course was a highlight featuring coastal views towards Port Douglas, then returning to T2 at Yorkeys Knob.  The terrain included a mix of flat sections, undulation and a couple of climbs which suited my strengths well.  The road surface is relatively good for Australian standards.

The run involved a one way flat course from Yorkeys Knob heading south pass the airport into Cairns City.  The stretch along the highway is exposed and hot which I really liked because it tests you mentally (that’s what Ironman is all about!).  Then heading into the heart of Cairns, the spectator atmosphere including friends, family, local residents and volunteers, lifts your motivation to give it your best.  The finish chute was a world class stage!

Challenge in partnership with USM did a fantastic job in making the event a very special day for the athletes with a variety of distances available for all abilities.  It was great to see so many ‘first timers’ choose Cairns as their first long course experience.  The festival was a huge success and can only get bigger and better in the future.

Your great result in Cairns came off the back of an Ironman age-group win at Port Macquarie in May. Obviously you have had some fantastic results of late! Talk us through your year so far and your recent results.

Ironman New Zealand, Taupo, March 2011: My first race for the year wasn’t very flash with a stomach bug I’d picked up on my travel over.  The weather conditions on race day were not great with high rain fall and drop in temperature.  So on top of not being able to keep any nutrition down (I will spare everyone the details) I also suffered symptoms of hypothermia.  My body went into lock down and after the first 90km bike loop I pulled the pin.  I just wasn’t 100% to cope with racing an Ironman in these circumstances.

Triman Half Ironman Triathlon, Torquay Victoria, April 2011:  I desperately needed a hit out and timing of this new event was perfect being 4 weeks before Ironman Australia.  Torquay is a fantastic venue for a race as well as a great place to holiday (just around the corner from the Great Ocean Road).  Attributes of the race course featured an ocean swim, a flat to undulating coastal bike course and off road run tracks.  I had a solid day with a great run which brought me home in 3^rd place.

Ironman Australia, Port Macquarie, May 2011: Being a local NSW race only a few hours from Sydney, this race was about enjoying the day with the support of friends and family watching and racing Ironman for all the reasons why I love the sport.  I had no expectations, remained focused on my day and getting to that finish line.  I had a solid swim, followed by a strong bike leg where I moved considerably up the field finishing at T2 with some of the pro girls.  The run wasn’t where it should have been as a result of some hydration issues on the bike which cost me later in the marathon.  But I was able to hold it together, finishing 10hrs.07minutes, 5^th overall in the women’s, 1^st amateur female, 1^st F30-34 and a ticket to the big dance in Hawaii.  I’ve dreamed of racing Hawaii since starting the sport so it was a huge sense of achievement to have finally put a solid race together and earned my spot. 

 

Despite your recent great results, you have had several lows in the sport due to illness, injury or racing mishaps. Tell us about some of these experiences and the lessons you have learnt. Do you think this has made you stronger as an athlete?

I was experiencing all sorts of nutritional/dietary problems in the beginning (both training and racing) and it was difficult to train consistently.  My immune system wasn’t coping very well either and I would often get run down, unable to even start in some instances.  Pretty much every Ironman event my gut would shut down and the marathon became a painful slow and awful experience.  Then there was an experience of hyponatremia.  Probably one of my lowest points was picking up swine flu on the plane over to Germany to race Challenge Roth in 2009 and not being able to start.  That was a huge wake up call that I seriously needed to do something about my lifestyle and the nutrition problems I was experiencing if I was to continue with the sport. 

I was put in contact with Dr Helen O’Connor Sports Dietitian from NSWIS. Helen and with the help of Sharon Trueman from RPA Allergy Clinic, found I had a food intolerance.  Once I adjusted my general diet and sports nutrition, I had a huge break through at Ironman Western Australia 2009 finishing 6^th Place Professional with a huge PB.  I then returned to Roth in 2010 to finish what I started in 2009 and had a great day J

Sorting out my food intolerance was definitely a turning point with training and racing.  However, I have also learned that with the nature of this sport, you have to ‘roll with the punches’.  Some days are great (I had a blinder in Cairns) and other days are terrible (IMNZ an example).  I recently heard the saying ‘turn lemons into lemonade’ which I thought was a good one to apply whether its injury, illness or a race mishap.  Learn from your experiences and move forward.  That’s the beauty and challenge of the sport which keeps the passion alive.

Tell us a bit about your background as an athlete. How long have you been competing in triathlons for and what initially attracted you to the sport? Did you have a history of swim, ride or running?

Growing up on a farm (Northern NSW) I loved the outdoors, horse riding and running.  I was strong at athletics in high school.  I made the career move to Sydney in 1998.  In 2003/04 I backpacked around South America for 3 months and upon my return I made the decision to get back into the things in life I felt I was good at and loved – so it was back to passion of running with a goal of competing in the Sydney Marathon 2004.  I figured training for a marathon was a bit more serious than a casual weekend jog, so I found myself a running coach and met a whole new bunch of likeminded people…and I met triathletes!  After ticking off the marathon, it was only a matter of time before I bought my first proper road bike.  The start of my triathlon journey began in 2005 after watching the last Forster Ironman event.  I was hooked and dived straight into the deep end racing long course which I still love racing today.

So what’s next for you? Obviously Hawaii is a major goal for the year, but do you have any other races on the schedule?

 

I’m currently doing base training over winter.  I’ll have a hit out at Yeppoon 70.3 in August to see where my fitness is at.  Then its head down and build towards the Hawaii World Ironman Championships in October.  After Hawaii, I plan to regain my professional licence as I feel I get more out of myself racing at this level.  I haven’t planned any other races at this stage but will no doubt involve racing in Australia, possibly New Zealand or Asia and maybe another visit to Roth J

 

October will be your first trip to the Big Island of Hawaii for the Ironman. Are you excited? What are you most looking forward to about competing in this iconic event?

 

I have dreamed of racing the Hawaii World Ironman Championships since starting the sport in 2006 so I am super excited to now have the opportunity to race amongst the worlds best athletes. I have no expectations having not raced in the heat and humidity before and I love the challenge of the unknown.  It will be a huge learning curve for sure and I’m looking forward to testing myself in this racing environment. 

I’m also looking forward to a holiday in Hawaii with my fiancé. 

You have been racing for a few years now and travelled extensively, competing both domestically and overseas. Do you have any favourite races?

Roth is definitely a favourite.  The crowds, the course, the atmosphere, the hype – it’s an amazing event to be a part of.  I loved Challenge Cairns and I’ll be back next year for sure! Busselton is another favorite race location.  I also enjoyed the Triman Half Ironman in Torquay for its race course attributes.

As well as racing at a high level you also work full time and are planning a wedding for later on in the year. How do you balance it all? Any tips for our readers? 

 

Balancing the demands of a full time job (town planning) on top of a sport your passionate about has definitely been a challenging aspect of my life which I’ve struggled with, mostly because my personality type wants to give 110% in everything I do.  Down time with my fiancé is also important to me and we are currently planning for our wedding day in November.   

I’ve recently decided to work part time with a focus on improving work/lifestyle balance and to give myself a better chance to train and race my potential as well as improve recovery.  Whilst there is an element of financial sacrifice (which was a difficult decision living in Sydney and the cost of the sport), I feel this is a positive change which will give me a much better balance between work, sport and personal life. 

Three  basic work/lifestyle tips for readers:

1.    Time management and a simple routine

2.    Consistency and patience in training

3.    Get a good night sleep!   

Books I’ve also found useful include The Power of Now’ by Eckart Tolle.  ‘Fit Soul, Fit Body’ by Mark Allen (6 time Ironman Triathlon Champion) is another great read providing practical tools you can adapt to your lifestyle.

Tell us about your support crew. Do you work with a coach or join in with a training squad? Do you have any sponsors or medical professionals who you work with regularly?

I’ve been working with Grant Giles, Head Coach of Aeromaxteam since 2006 (www.aeromaxteam.com).  Gilesy’s coaching philosophy and guidance has been invaluable towards my growth and development as an athlete and I’m excited to see what more I can give to the sport. 

I’ve been a member of the 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 NSW Endurance Development Squad which has been a highly valuable opportunity including access to coaching and training resources supported by Triathlon NSW.

My nutrition support includes sponsors High 5 and more recently a partnership with SaltStick.  I’ve continued to work with Dr Helen O’Connor, Sports Dietitian at the Sydney Sports Medicine Centre, NSWIS.

I also wanted to mention sports practitioners Daryl Phillips at Performance Health Newport for Chiropractic and ART treatment and Sarah Fletcher Remedial Massage Therapy who I work with regularly. 

Special mention to family and friends – you guys are awesome with your support, I’m so fortunate to have such a fantastic network of people behind me on this journey.

Thanks Bec, good luck for the rest of the year and we look forward to catching up with you again during our Hawaii Ironman coverage.

No worries Michelle.  Thanks for giving me the opportunity for an interview with you!

Cheers