SWIM

“You can’t win Ironman NZ in the swim but you can certainly lose it if you emerge from Lake Taupō too far behind the pacesetters. And just as the swim is super important for the professionals, every athlete needs to be swim fit for this leg.

If you can come out of the water without feeling too tired, then you’ll bike and run well. Exit exhausted and your bike and run legs will be totally compromised and you’ll probably fade badly as the race goes on.

Make sure you have a good warmup if you’re looking to swim fast. Even though you’re swimming 3.8km, you need your heart rate up ready to get off the line fast. If you’re just trying to get through the swim in good time, then you can slowly build your pace over the distance. The pro’s have it easy with only 20-30 athletes racing so you don’t get to many hits but when you have 1500 people starting together, seeding and positioning yourself is more important.

If you’re a little worried about the swim leg, the best place to be is close to shore so you can stand and then start when you want. Quickly get on someone’s feet or hips to get the drafting effect. This will not only speed you up but make the entire swim easier as you get pulled along by faster freestylers.

Pacing is important; 3800m is a long way so know what you’re capable of pacing wise and make sure your heading in the right direction. You don’t want to be swimming any more than 3.8km so every 20 strokes, lift your head to make sure your swimming in a straight line.”

Coming out of the water, make sure you start concentrating on what you have to do get out on the road efficiently. There are a lot of rows with plenty of bikes so focus on where your ride is. Don’t sprint…take it easy so as not to raise your heart rate too high.

Get your wetsuit down to your hips as you exit the water and then make your way to your gear bag and changing tent. I always have my arm warmers in my bag. If the weather is cool you can get cold very quickly. The water temperature is normally 20c but the outside air temperature can often be half that and when you’re flying along at 40km on the bike, the wind chill can be very cold. If there’s rain on the horizon then pack a cycling vest as well.

Bike

You don’t need me telling you 180km is a very long way so remember, if you go out too fast then the run won’t be pretty. Like the swim, pacing is crucial on the bike leg so keep checking your wattage/speed/heart rate to maintain what you have been able to do in training. Pre-race, look to see what the weather is doing; which direction will the wind be coming from? Normally IMNZ gets a tail wind out to Reporoa and head wind coming back to Taupo but with all the north easterlies we have been getting this summer, it could be the opposite. The road chip is another obstacle athletes have to contend with and this can play havoc with your average speeds if you’re coming from overseas or riding on hot mix. New Zealand’s rough roads are tough on your back and tire pressure is super important. Back in the old days, athletes pumped up their tubular tires to 170psi. Now with tubeless ready tires, they only need 70-80psi in them so you’re not bumping around all over the place. Nutrition is the fourth discipline of Ironman racing so make sure you’re constantly eating and drinking. Don’t worry what everyone else is doing, just concentrate on your race and pacing.

Break the bike leg into 4x45km segments and try to build each leg, knowing that if you can ride the final 45km strong you will run well. If you’re falling apart out there in the last 90mins then you could be in for a long run. Make sure you have your last Gel just as you get off the bike so your fuel tank is ready for the start of the run.

Cam’s IMNZ 2023 target?

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T2The last 2km of the bike leg is downhill so make sure you stretch out. Get off your saddle and stretch your lower back/legs and give them a slight break. Think forward again knowing what you’ll be doing as soon as you get off the bike… socks on, shoes on, more sunscreen, change of clothing for the run leg?