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Touchline • Issue 15 • 15
MK:
What are the plans and goals for you now?
PR:
Returning to a level of fitness which is going to be
competitive, so a lot of training between now and then. I guess
my immediate goal this year is to get on the start line for the
70.3 world championships which will be held in Las Vegas. But
the big picture - the main reason I’ve come out of retirement
- is to race the Ironman world championships in Kona, in
Hawaii. Hawaii is where triathlon originated and I came out of
retirement to focus on that race. That will be in 2014 when I
plan to be on the start line for that race. I’m not rushing things.
I’m trying to be smart so I’ve got a good team of people around
me who will help me prepare for that event. I want to come out
and win it.
I’ll be 38 when I get on the start line next year. I’m hoping
that I’ve gained enough experience through my career but also
experience from the people around me supporting me now. I
can use their experience to make sure I get it right first up. If I
don’t (win) I go back the following year and try and win it the
following year.
But that’s the goal: I’d love to do that - that’s what excites me,
and gets me out training every day to fulfill that dream.
MK:
How’s your body holding up? You’re back on the bike, back
out running and swimming? Is it going well?
PR:
I’ve changed my training a fair bit from when I used to train
and race. I do a lot more gym and strength work now and also
a few other different sessions which are helping with the long
distance training. It is quite tiring, so adapting to that again has
been probably the biggest challenge. Just that general tiredness
feeling that you have day after day from all the training, but
physically my body is holding up really well.
Injury wise I’ve always been good and done a lot of injury
prevention work. I haven’t had any injuries so far so I’m hoping
that can continue because that’s a big part of being a competitive
athlete really. There are lots of athletes out there who have the
talent to do it, but their bodies fail. It’s an important part of
being an elite athlete; being able to back up day after day,
session after session, week after week, month after month. That’s
where the top guys really step it up against the other athletes
who have the talent but can’t seem to back it up.
MK:
Your coach is based in America. How difficult is that to be
coached form a different continent?
PR:
Good question, but today with modern technology I can text
him or Skype him and I can email him. We Skype a lot and all
my training programs are online. He’ll prescribe the training; I’ll
go in and do the training then log what I’ve done so he gets a
lot of feedback from what I’ve done. I actually haven’t even met
him in person yet. I’ve only seen him via Skype, but it’s working
fine and when I go over to the States in a few months time we’ll
be training face to face. At the end of the day I have to go out
there and do the training.
MK:
What would your average weekly training time be?
PR:
About 25 hours, but can be up to 40 hours. It varies
throughout the season, but it’s a lot of training, especially for
Ironman.
MK:
What other events you are going to compete in?
PR:
I haven’t chosen all my events leading up to Hawaii because
that is 18 months away still, but this year I’ll go across to Europe
and spend a bit of time over there doing the European 70.3
championships and through that race I’m aiming to qualify for
the world championships which will be in September. Then
there’s some good races here in Australia this summer early in
the season so I’ll aim to do a few races here in Australia as well.
For me I think its important that I get that racing experience
back into my body again. Because I have been out of the sport
for a couple of years and I haven’t raced a lot obviously, so racing
will be a focus for me over the summer here in Australia and
leading up to Hawaii next year.
I have to qualify for Hawaii so there will be an Ironman later
this year. It’s pretty fortunate that there are 4 Ironman races in
Australia now which is amazing for the growth of the sport here
and so I’ve got a few to choose from, There are 50 odd Ironman
events around the world these days so there plenty of races to
choose from, but making sure it’s a good fit for me is a big part
of it.
MK:
One final question: you competed in the Sportscover team
in a recent triathlon – Is that the highlight of your career?
PR:
Definitely! I had a great time, probably dragged the team
around a little bit, which was good fun because I wasn’t in the
greatest form of my career on that day, but it’s all fun.
I enjoy racing with first timers. To encourage people to get out
there and do their first triathlon is a huge buzz. It’s hard – my
first triathlon was 20 years ago but their first triathlon was on
that day, so to see their emotion it’s inspiring for me. It is a bit of
inspiration for me. I enjoy it.
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LINK:
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