Hawaii Ironman Coverage Athlete Profile – Travis Haslam

Age:35

Country Representing: Australia

Occupation: Australian Government – Sports Administration

Marital Status/Family: Married to Heather and we have a 1 year old son Oscar.

Is this the first time you have been to Kona?

This is the first (and only!) time I’ll be on the big island. I started Ironman in 2006 just to see if I could do one and loved the challenge. I’ve kept saying just one more after not quite executing the race I wanted to. In 2010 I went to New Zealand to see if I could race to my potential rather than survive Ironman and got close enough to qualifying to consider the dream as actually being realistic. I decided it would be worth trying one more time to see if I could get to the big dance which had always appealed to me as the ultimate goal.

Kona will be my 5^th IM having done Port Mac in 2006 and 2008 and NZ in 2010 and 2011.

Where did you qualify for Kona 2011?  

I qualified in Taupo at IMNZ in a fairly horrible day. The weather was very ordinary with wind and heavy rain throughout which made a few of the corners on the bike fairly interesting through town and a tough day for the spectators who were amazing. After giving everyone a fair head start on the swim and bike, I managed to run a 3.02 marathon to just snag a Kona slot.  I finished in 9.18 which was 4^th in age group and 20^th overall. 

Tell us about your preparation for Hawaii.

Training in Canberra hasn’t exactly been perfect acclimatisation for Kona, but it has its own challenges. I think the coldest I trained in this year was -8.5 degrees for a run set! The difference in temperature and humidity will be a real challenge for me, given it is late September and we are still having frosts and minus temperatures overnight. I’m hoping to remove the arm warmers and leggings just once for my morning rides before we head over so that the skin can see some sun!

I raced Ironman Yeppoon 70.3 to break up training and winter in August, but unfortunately got crook and spent a couple of weeks post race unable to train. Hopefully that break has refreshed the body and I’ll go into Kona feeling ready to ‘enjoy’ what Madam Pele has to offer. 

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

Training has been reasonably consistent, without really big mileage. Running has been enjoyable throughout winter with my coach handing me my butt on a regular basis in training sets to keep me honest. I’ve also had some good company over the winter rides with mates, including some quality cafe time, and just enjoyed the fact that I’m getting the opportunity to race in Kona.

Weekly training has averaged 3 runs, 3 rides, 2 gym sessions and anywhere between 1 and 4 swims a week. My coach has been working with me for a long time now and knows what I need to do and what my body can handle. So as much as I would love to run more, the injury risk isn’t worth it and it also needs to be relatively balanced with family and work.

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

The aura and history of Kona is really exciting and I’m looking forward to testing myself on the course that we have all seen and heard about since the early days of the sport. After training through a Canberra winter, the appeal of some down time at the beach is pretty alluring too. It’s also pretty special and unique to triathlon that we punters who do this for fun get to compete and compare against the big guns of the sport at such an iconic race.

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

The heat! I recently trained in about 15 degrees and it felt hot after slogging through winter, so I’m not sure how the body will handle the heat of the lava fields.

What are your goals for the race?

The first goal is to finish in ‘reasonable’ shape, having pushed myself while still enjoying the experience. To be honest, this is the icing on the cake after the qualification process and whilst I am committed to racing as hard as possible, I’m really looking forward to the whole experience and enjoying myself. You can’t set hard time goals as you don’t know what the day will bring.

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

I’m having a couple of weeks off post race to have a look around Hawaii and enjoy some down time with the family which will be great. They have done the hard yards in terms of supporting me to reach my goal, so I’m really looking forward to relaxing with them.

Tell us a little about your background?

After being in a pretty good paddock about 10 years ago I got back into running and did a few tri’s just for something different. My first few races involved some backstroke and breaststroke just to survive, but I enjoyed the challenge and decided to go longer – the short stuff just wasn’t for me. I’ve flirted between marathons and triathlons on and off over the past 5 years but always had a few races each year to keep me motivated. I tend to drift along unless I have a goal race to keep me focussed and getting out of bed each morning. The goal of reaching Kona has always been in the back of my mind, but it was only in the past 18months that it became a realistic option if I was committed to do the work.

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

A great wife! My wife has had the past year off work on maternity leave and she has been fantastic support in terms of helping me get what I need to done. Without her support, I wouldn’t have qualified or been able to train for Kona.  Work has certainly been challenging in terms of time commitment and balance, however having a pool and gym on site has helped when I’ve had the time to access them. However the reality is this is a hobby and good fun; it’s something that needs to fit in with life.

Interesting Fact:

Up until a few years ago, I refereed elite basketball and held an international badge. I refereed 10 seasons in the men’s NBL and about 15 in the Women’s National Basketball League including a couple of grand finals. 

I’m also going on a donut only diet post race ;)

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

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