32 | AustrAliAn triAthlete
Tim Don
with my Kona training for an extra two
percent. I just need to get there mentally
fresh, ready to race and be ready to suffer.
From my last two Kona experiences,
I have learned a lot about having to
deal with adversity. I wasn’t upset with
my performances. I still finished 15th two
years ago, walking on the run, and in 2016
it was just gutting because we weren’t
sure what happened, considering training
had been going well. I was in a great position
but had started cramping in my calf during
the swim. On the bike, the cramps went up
into my VMO and adductors. I tried getting
more electrolytes, but I think I just had too
many electrolytes and had to roll home at
20km/hour, still cramping, which was
annoying. At the time, I didn’t know what
happened. I mean, sugar!
I had a couple of days where I sulked
like a bear with a sore head and was
annoyed at everyone, like Kelly and the
kids. But then you have to get back on the
horse and figure out where to go from
there. With Matt and Julie, we dialled in my
nutrition, tweaked aspects of training,
changed my diet leading up to races, and“Oh, my gosh! What have I just
done?” This was one of three or four races
in my life where the preparation went well
and everything worked out. Everyone puts
in such hard work and you rarely get what
you think you deserve, like winning or
getting the top 10. It was just relief that I
won a competitive, championship
Ironman and a pure bonus that I broke the
record. I still haven’t been around Ironman
for that long, so it took me a few days to
realize what I had done. In that moment, it
didn’t dawn on me, the magnitude of the
race I had put together. I would have been
happy if I had gone 8:03, which would
have been a personal best for me.
In my mind, you’re still only as good
as your last race. Ironman Brazil has
definitely given me confidence in my
racing and in the process. Before Brazil,
I would back myself up in a 70.3 and say I
could fight for a podium against anyone,
like in St. George, when everyone is there.
I wouldn’t have been able to say that
about myself until this Ironman and now I
feel like I am genuinely an Ironman guy
and a top 10 contender at Kona. If I can
have the same preparation leading up to
Kona, I should be fierce there.
My family puts in as much into my
triathlon career as I do. When I first
spoke to Kelly, it wasn’t the fact that I
broke the world record, but the fact that I
won that was exciting. I don’t think she
realised the magnitude of breaking the
world record when we first talked after the
race. My family was proud and relieved
because you can have great preparation
and things can still go wrong. Kelly had
seen how hard I was training and how
much I sacrificed so she was so happy.
I like to think of myself as a triathlete that
is very involved with his children. I don’t
not see them for months at a time so I can
prepare. I still take my daughter to school
a few times a week and swim training, and
watch my son Hugo, so Kelly can get a
break. The fact that Kelly is an ex-
international runner she totally gets it.
Matilda and Hugo don’t know any
different. They just know daddy swims,
rides a bike, and goes for lots of runs.
I think they were very proud and happy,
but now it’s onto the next one.
Everyone in our sport knows there is
no other beast-like Kona. There’s the
wind, the weather, humidity, and it’s the
only field where you have everyone racing.
One result during the season doesn’t
mean you’re going to get another one, but
it puts you in the ballpark. You should be
able to do something special at Kona, but
there are 10 guys who can do something
special. For me, Brazil has given me
self-belief that I can be competitive in an
Ironman. To race for over seven hours
mostly on my own, mentally, that has
been a new experience for me. I am still
learning how to prepare for Kona properly.
After Brazil, training for Kona
stayed similar to my other Ironman
training, but we threw in some specific
heat work. I couldn’t have gotten better
weather at Ironman Brazil, but I knew the
Kona conditions would be a lot different.
Julie really likes to talk about Kona and the
big build, but I like to focus on the process.
My coaches look at the big picture and I
just look at what I have coming up the
next day. If I start focusing on Kona too
early, I will just go bananas because so
much can happen. I rather just focus on
the simple things like taking care of my
body, being happy and doing the basics
right. Some people like to go all in on Kona
months out, but that would drive me, and
probably my family, bonkers.
I started off in a better place leading
into Kona 2017 because I had all of my
Brazil fitness and could keep building
from there. Leading up to Brazil, I raced
Ironman 70.3 St. George and it went well,
so I planned to have a similar build and an
extra two weeks from Ironman 70.3 World
Championships until Kona. I decided if
things went terribly in Chattanooga, I
wasn’t going to worry about it or going
poorly in Kona. You just have to deal with it
and go forward. Julie and Matt have given
me confidence in my training. I also get
confidence by training with the people in
our group, so we don’t need to get greedyBRAZIL 2017: Tim taking a moment
realising what he has just achieved.© Fernanda Paradizo/Shutterstock.com© Korupt Vision