AustrAliAn triAthlete | 33Tim Don
we’re still learning all the time. We wrote
down a lot of things from my Brazil
training, so we can take those preparation
elements to my Kona training and adapt
them to be better or more specific due to
the weather and competition.
My biggest secret in my whole
career is that everyone has
underestimated my biking. Even in ITU,
when I was the guy getting the quickest
runs, I was also drilling the bike, but people
don’t see that because it doesn’t equate
to a result. They see you finish with the
run. We’ve worked hard on my biking and I
think I am getting that extra three per cent.
Based on the equipment changes I have
made, I get more of what I call “free
speed”. I am getting free Watts from the
changes in my bike position and from the
faster equipment I am using. I have really
worked on how to pace for 180 kilometres
in my training so I can race to specific
scenarios. My pace on the bike is now
becoming second nature to me.
Kona is a war and these guys are all
warriors. When I first watched Kona in
2011, I remember seeing Crowie run on the
Queen K with five kilometres to go. It was
clear he was going to win. I remember
cheering for him as he came by and just
looking at his face. He was still in the zone.
He wasn’t chillin’ and acting like he had
won the race. For me, that’s the allure - it’s
the battle. You see the best-of-the-best
get broken and smashed to smithereens
as well as seeing people be phenomenal.
Kona is the Holy Grail of Ironman racing
and it really draws the best out of people.You’re not just battling the other guys in
the race; you’re battling the elements.
I just try to hang out with my friends
the week before Kona and stay away
from most of the craziness. I enjoy
having my sponsorship commitments and
seeing people around the week before. I
will probably get my training in with
people I normally train with and not
change up how I do things. You don’t want
to do anything new or special. For me, it’s
just another Ironman race and I need to
get from point A to point B as quick as
possible. For me to do that it’s about
treating it as a normal race.
Once I wake up race morning, I
follow my usual routine. I pack my bag,
put my numbers on, and eat my breakfast
of coffee, four slices of rice toast, an
energy bar, and an EFS liquid shot. At the
start, you’re treading water out there for
about five minutes and always looking
around for the fast guys, like Jan
(Frodeno), (Andy) Potts, and (Dylan)
McNeice to keep an eye on them. You
want to be on the front line, but not too
close. For me, it’s just about a routine. I am
not getting some Heavenly inspirations or
think I am going to win because I see a
dolphin jumping out of the water. It’s
business as normal and I just want to stay
as relaxed as possible.
I wanted to go to Kona and be
competitive for a top 10 finish. I knew I
needed to put myself in a good position at
150 kilometres on the bike, where I was
going to be fighting for a top 10. Looking at
2016, if you are in that ballpark, you’re
going to be looking at a podium spot. I
knew I needed to turn up healthy and
uninjured. But once the gun goes, I wanted
to put myself in a position to go for a top
10, absolutely.© Korupt VisionLOOKING GOOD: The build to Kona 2017
was going well after a successful race
at Chattanooga.
DAYS BEFORE THE RACE: Tim training on the Big Island in preparation for the 2017 Ironman
World Championship. Little did we know of the dramatic events that would unfold!