TT Hawaii Ironman Coverage 2011: Athlete Profile – Jason Nuttman

Name:

Age: 32

Country
Representing:
Australia

Occupation:
Sales Manager

Marital
Status/Family: Married with one baby girl

Is this the first time you have been to Kona?

Yes, this was a goal of mine after starting triathlon about 5 years ago. I enjoyed the local tri scene but after hearing stories and watching the coverage of the IM World Champs on TV it become something I wanted to compete in.

How did you qualify for Kona 2011?

I targeted IMNZ for my qualification and trained consistently for 16 weeks in build up. I had the added challenge of a pregnant wife and baby due 3 weeks after IMNZ! Thankfully our little girl was patient and didn’t come early! My race went to plan with a good swim, solid ride in tough windy conditions and a PB run of 3.13. The race rained the whole day and was a challenge, coming away with a 9.23 finishing time was great but I learnt some more during this race which will hopefully help me improve further.

Tell us about your preparation for Hawaii. What has a typical training week looked like for you in the lead-up to this event?

Having a little baby has been a major change to my normally very structured life and training. My wife has been amazing and has taken much of the burden of waking our daughter up and spending the first couple of hours with her whilst I train. I hope the trip to Hawaii and experience for them both will be a big enough reward. I typically focus on 3 swims, 7 runs and 4 rides per week. This program I have been thankful to have the guidance of 2 great athletes that have given me some great structure and advice. Matt Illingworth (former British Olympic cyclist and Medallist) is a beast on the bike and top bloke, he has helped structure my cycling and build strength, based on his advice I added a fourth ride per week. Raf Baugh a Pro duathlete and top level runner has been a long term coach of mine. He has really been the main reason I have been able to develop as quickly as I have as he has ensured that my benchmarks for performance, weekly training volumes and mental approach to competition are at a high level and I am constantly pushing my ability. The winter weather has been tough to deal with particularly this year, which has been a lot wetter than the past few years. I have just been getting out and ticking the boxes every week, the toughest day’s are my Sunday long run in the hills when I am saturated, wet and freezing for the whole 30k run, what drives me on is knowing how tough the race will be in October and the effort my family is putting in helping me train. I have adopted 2 days of wind trainer sessions per week to help get consistency, using a power meter and training to specific zones has allowed me to be at home with the family but still get quality training in. To date my biggest WT session was a 4 hr ride…..hopefully it built a bit of mental strength as well!

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

The environment the race is in, the challenge of the competition and the cool expo that goes with it.

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

I am most concerned about the humidity and ensuring I am hydrated, coming out of a Perth winter into a Hawaii summer is going to be tough.

What are your goals for the race?

I want to go sub 10 at least but I have set some more specific goals personally which I hope to achieve.

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

Absolutely, we will spend some time on Kona then head to Honululu for a break.

Tell us a little about your background?

I have been involved in the local tri scene for about 5 years and started my interest in the sport with the BRW corporate tri. I don’t have a specific sporting background, in my youth I just competed in school sports and cricket. I just love the camaraderie and friendships that I have developed through the sport. My club Exceed Triathlon really make a big effort to have a great social scene and remind all of their neurotic athletes that there is always more to tri than just exercise! Outside of the sport I am the State Manager of a Global Furniture company called La Z Boy. The business has been super supportive of my racing.

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