Living, Training and Racing with the World Champs

0:00Welcome back to another pro series episode where we're tracking the very new careers of Tom Page and Roland Krantock Two recently turned pro triathletes and I will stop calling your rookies because it's been a couple of years now Two doctors two former Rose turn triathletes and two best mates Both turn pro with the same within the same year with Traveller coaching coach by the super coach Here head of coaching at Traveller himself former Australian Ironman champion and the man with a current Now three's hand. So he's got his ominous thing for the podcast Jared Donnelly Our excited for this episode because we've been tracking the journey of these boys for a few years and and everyone loves the insight into How you progress from from top end age group athletes into pros and and competing against the pro field and that whole journey while still working full-time as as doctors It's it's a really good time for an update because we just had too long 70.3 Half Ironman over the weekend Tom's home race Roland always flies down for it And and there's a fair bit of excitement in the air because the the big dogs were in town

1:01It was a huge battle of Titans between Christian Blumman felt hate and wild and yellow gains And Tom actually had the world champion self Staying at his house and and he got to live and train with him for a week leading into the race Which was super exciting and we'll dive into that but boys welcome back to the episode It's very kindly gaudy please to first to be checked me So we'll get to the gelong staff But I want to just briefly touch on kind of both your summers and and Roland you do always fly down for this race But but for second there you you felt like maybe not doing it So talk us through that process of potentially not coming down Yeah, well as you say The Aussie summer like is generally everybody else's off season but for us it means we sort of just have to continue plowing on and Um, it's sometimes you you mix your your travel and your holidays with your training And so I went to Japan for a bit and As as everyone does this sort of experience he gets sick on the way back on the plane and just Since that just wasn't quite feeling myself for the last few months

2:04Um, and you know had a few races in preparation leading into to this weekend with gelong that I just wasn't really firing on all cylinders for it So I was you know having and having a chat with the super coach leading into it and was I remember Jerry was saying, you know, probably recommend you don't actually go down If you can get a very fond of new flights as you probably do that pull out now essentially Um, you know, I think I got some exciting news from Tommy and you know I think it was probably too much of an opportunity just to pass up just to be part of that at the sphere So yeah, decided to go down and just be part of it and part of the excitement without any real expectations I guess on my race performance, so yeah Yeah, brilliant dad. What were your thoughts? What was kind of what was the reason behind your advice there about potentially pulling out? You're you're really a a stickler for just taking every race opportunity You can and put yourself out there It's very odd that I would be telling an athlete not to race, but I really care about Roland's health and well-being And it is quite depressing to race when you're not at your best and

3:05Interesting enough when we had Christian on the podcast last week He's attitude was kind of exactly what I'd hoped it would be which was You know in order to in order to get the experience you have to race whether you're at peak form mediocre form Or in terrible form and it's hard to race when you feel that you're in terrible form So so my advice was look why put yourself through an experience that you're not going to enjoy You better off just uh, you know Getting some more training in and live to fight another day um But Roland's attitude was one that I was all on board with his his attitude was look A great experience to to you know to be with Christian and Yella and Hayden and and Tom's you know Hosting them and we can train together and it was there was too many positives And his attitude to the race actual event was exactly so he wasn't going to have a depressed state of mind If you perform terribly so so once we had that conversation It was a no-brainer for him to come down and and have a crack and I was super encouraging him

4:08But I at first I'm really worried about his you know mental state about competing when you're not Not really going well because it's quite depressing and um if you know, you're always questioning everything and we know the reasons What happens and Tom went through the same thing last year. It's almost like you two guys Don't get the same form at the same time Well one of you's you know going really well and the other one's kind of struggling with some some health issues and vice versa So so it was a really easy decision in the end So Roland what happened over the over the last kind of two to three months because I think December 21 or 23 you were in pretty good form when There was the famous world champs news arrived so for those that don't know there's a there's a It's called a quote unquote world champ circuit, which is an epic bunch ride up in new server where Roland lives and And the group goes real hard for a what is it a 30-minute circuit or 28 minutes or yeah around that I think it's yeah, well the calm now is the thing around 31 Yeah exactly and uh and hadn't caught the yeah exactly well The the christmas spawn is notoriously quick where it's just helpful leather and hadn't wall turned up on this one

5:13And it was a pretty quick one on roll and I'll let I'll let you explain But um you guys ended up getting the fastest time and because wall doesn't really pretty stuff on Strava You have to KOM for it, which is it's just pretty fun Yeah, I've got the solitary um, you know KOM which I think A little bit of controversy about it to be honest How many people are gonna get to upset but um look that was another surreal experience, you know I think his head and was doing a bit of You know training and no sir leaning into like the latter half of his here a year sorry um For the end of the season last year um and so I think Just one Tuesday morning. I got this message his group chat message saying oh like Hayden's in town and he wants to go and have a crack at the the world chance But you know coming off the back of you know, he's crashed in Tokyo. That's obviously sitting back He I think he was a bit mindful of not going out in the big group bunch ride um And so I guess the idea was formulated that would still go and have a good crack at the calm But would do it 15 minutes after the bunch ride which

6:17Obviously he's not winning any favors with the noose of locals unfortunately But mind you was it was um, you know Four or five guys on tt bikes versus about you know a group of 40 40 or so people on road bikes So I would pull I've called that a fairly even you know matchup but um To this day it was still possibly I think one of the hardest You know sessions. I think I've ever done on a park It because he says it's quite an undulating ride out there that you do and you sort of Head out on a flat road for the first you know five or ten minutes And then it sort of loops around the back of you know the noose interland and you you get some undulating hills and I think At that point the the group of five of us had whittled down to just You know three of us and then I was just trying to hold on to head and its wheels this I could and fortunately I could He dropped me on the hills and then because I'm a bit heavier I could catch him on the down hills and then Yeah, it was I think I was foaming at the mouth by the end of it

7:18um And he definitely he he had a better time than me. I reckon he would be you know probably five seconds So faster than me on the segment so I'm grateful that he hasn't uploaded Yeah, because at the moment it makes me look like I've just gone out and done it by myself because it's yeah my time and then the The rest of the group Coincidentally to make things worse The bunch ride who had gone 15 minutes before us who had been you know, I think the the previous top time for this Segment had been sent by you know yarnford a no and I think Luke McKenzie and a few other exprofessional, you know big hitters And it'd been there since about 2015 and so ever since this time, you know people have been going out and drove to try and sort of you know best it and Just so happens that on that morning the bunch ride also beat the time and had the KOM for about 15 minutes and feel obviously We got home and then uploaded No, I did I did get a few there was a few angry messages in some group chats

8:22I heard and my ride got flagged and then Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I think everyone's you know come to terms with it now, but yeah, it's all just good fun again Just just for some context For the listeners This ride has been going since I started in 1990 so it's over 35 years and obviously there was no strava comms Till 2012, I think Rollin that might be the first and so we've got I've got all these Data bits of times that I've done oh and everybody wants to do the new sir world champs ride on Tuesday morning And it does go on the new sir triathlon course for the first section So you actually are doing that for those who've done the new sir triathlon It is quite a bit of a climb And the really the effort doesn't really start gel after that though, so it's It is a really iconic ride and there's plenty of iconic rides around the world I know but this one has been going since the early 1990s so fit for a trivalo man. I'd like to have it

9:22It is gold for me I love how much you love it. I love the controversy It really doesn't help the cyclist's first triathlon argument that that just is never ending and so to be on the TT bikes Is quite hilarious actually So look that you were upset you were in flying form would you put down The fault just down to a bit of travel and sickness that that little hiccup just set you back And I think did you guys travel ended up traveling together? You kind of went a bit of a trip to panchip together Oh, it was just coincidentally you ended up being over there at the show at the time. We just crossed paths Yeah, no you'd honestly I'm sure you didn't try to talk. Yeah Jody you were there too. What are you talking about? I know I was a wake-up. Did you pretend not to tell your partners and then oh Tom What are your chances? It was quite fortuitous It was great to see you know, Tommy over there But yeah, I think you just I always find that I think you know Continuing the load through summer, especially when it gets quite hot and humid up here in Queensland And then maybe just a bit of the tail end of the sickness coming back

10:24You know, maybe that's just what overloaded the system and then put me into a bit of you know that almost over trained state And yeah, just was struggling to push power on the bike You know, I went and did a race out at Gunda Windy in the hell of the West race which was fantastic But I just you know was a shout out of my form myself really so you know Was a bit disappointed in my performance at that race but you know Jared with his wisdom had the foresight to say we'll look you know, you've got a few options here The recommendation pully D as he said to you know You know prioritize your own health and make sure you're not going to you know make things worse But also, you know, we could see how you perform with you know, a period of you know, just recovery and rest See what your body can do And then just show up at long and you know sort of rolled the dust which is you know The option that we sort of ended up going for Yeah, and you you came out with an absolute belter of a

11:25Bike time. So we'll touch on that and how that unfolded and and the whole race But passing to you Tom, did you end up getting sick post-Japan as well or you're okay? You went unscathed Yeah, fortunately not this time, which I was very pleased about Yeah, now I was actually feeling pretty good getting back into the swing of things obviously Uh, always a bit difficult sometimes traveling trying to keep a little bit of load in um, but I think perhaps differently to Previous times I probably just tried to enjoy the time away a little bit more and just pick the training in around that Um, I'll still have to keep my running consistency up, which is something I was mainly can to do to keep the load in the leaks um But tried to not overdo you know, running the candle on both ends, which I've probably done a bit too much in the past and With the travel and uh, changing time zones and things even though it's not a lot um, it's definitely yeah hit the system a little bit before um And coming back into work and things just giving the the body and system a little bit of time And seem to be able to keep your ground running and get back into some summer training um, which is really good

12:27I was very fortunate to have A week of annual leave soon when I got back and I think that made a huge difference Just being able to get back settle into a bit of training getting that week before um Kicking off with work and training belts again um, just gave the yeah body and see some a little bit more reprieve I think um and also gave me Uh a little bit more freedom I guess mentally knowing I could come back and get some good training that week before I like went back into the business of Trying to double up. So yeah, it was fortunate for staggered It's something that we always talk about uh when you travel, you know Especially because try triathlon is three sports So a lot of athletes fall into the trap of thinking that if I can't train all three sports I can't train and that's not necessarily true and depending on where you go You might have one available to available all three available and Just because we train all three sports at once doesn't mean you always have to and if you're in a position where you're in Japan You're going to be skiing you're going to be getting some good exercise in there's just no way to swim around Ride it's a great opportunity just to keep your run volume up and keep that consistency and It's a mistake to do think I can't do the other two sports

13:30So I just want to do any of them and I'll just for go training these few weeks, you know Yeah, there's absolutely nothing wrong with keeping running load up And in fact, you can probably afford to increase it a little bit Because you're not riding or or swimming as long as you know depends on what kind of ski ship you're doing if you're skiing every day It's a bit harder, but I think dad we really try and make that point a lot is is You can always do something that will benefit you and triathletes never have enough time to do as much training as we want So when you get a chance to maybe just focus on one discipline, it's a great opportunity to take it Yeah, definitely and I think there's two things that pay sometimes As Roland experienced and Tom last year when he traveled to Europe got really sick And so sickness really De-rails the consistency that you have in your program and it's hard to come back from Ross Tom had a really bad experience back in last year where you know, you were really struggling. Won't you? Health wise Tom and Roland had that same experience this time with with the health and it and If you don't accept that there has an impact then you you're bearing your head in the sand

14:32You need to accept it and and try to adjust to progress a little bit less intensely coming back from it So there's that there's that aspect of of the training and then then the aspect of you're restricted as you were just saying about what actual training you can do and And you know Tom kept kept his running volume Not too bad actually and you know Some of the races that he in the past he's done where he's been in super form um He ran the pb at gelong this weekend Um where his form has been you know, not where he wants it yet. He's still ran Uh as best as ever ever running your career and and I think that's Is testament to exactly what you're talking about Jordan where you can still Still build if you just got to just got the bike available when you can't swim and run You can still really work on that and and these are opportunities when When you're not in your own environment in your natural environment You can still push the training to to get some value out of the time you're away

15:35A bit of a controversial question, but you know The risk of being sick at airports on planes. It just seems sky high with just constant You know different variations of influenza going around the world. Are you Been doctors? Are you mask wearers now? Would you consider just wearing a mask the whole time the airport in the plane? You do think it's just unlucky. What's your what's your opinion on that especially athletes? Well, I've actually not adopted the mask. I'm not not a mask wearer on the plane But I guess if I think if I was traveling especially long haul You know, and I was going specifically for a race. I probably would you know be considering you know Putting your mask on But having said that I didn't wear a mask when I went just down this weekend to gelong, so Yeah Yeah, I think I think I feel like I did travel within in 95 and probably didn't wear it, but I feel like if I was going to do anything I'd wear a proper one not just a placebo over the top sort of normal mask Why didn't you just get one leg? I've got a feeling because I think

16:37I'll sell for us. So for someone was a bit borderline, so we try and do what we could, but yeah Like to have it there even a bit of peace of mind in case I feel the need yeah All right, so that's kind of takes us to too long and and Tom you got to probably a bit of a surprising call In the lead up where just through the triathlon and I'm an athlete world you got put in touch with Christian where he needed a place to to stay while he was here and and and someone to train with and so you got the opportunity to To live with the with the Olympic gold medals from world champion and see how he prepares for a race and see his training habits leading in and You know, we got access to him on the podcast where he described your training sessions that you guys were doing in detail Which was unbelievable, but yeah, what was that experience like to have to have KB come and and stay with you and and see his actions You know 24-7 leading to the race. Yeah, it was absolutely surreal experience We've seen that each stage we've one of the New Zealand pros band Hamilton in Auckland in a lead up to i'm in New Zealand and

17:38Through the the networks are I'm in sort of reached out and asked if we'd be open to doing a similar thing for him As you know one of the few triathletes in jolong racing professionally And yeah, we were a little bit Star struck at first with the offer to be honest We're unsure, you know, whether we have a satisfactory or up-to-standard setup for The King KB himself, but No, I'll shoot the altitude runes. They hit chambers. No, we thought about getting the sauna or in China, you know Fresh it up for a little bit, but I don't think I've ever cleaned the house so much. So it was terrible that But it was great to getting in and Yeah, a crazy experience to live alongside a train alongside and just to learn from you know, evidently Probably the best triathlete slash athlete in general on planet earth um Sort of, you know, it's racing king in now. He's gone. How crazy it was to have some of that kawala in in our house seating Every bagel jolong had to offer

18:39um and just learning you know the day-to-day things from him Obviously you had a great chat to him on the podcast as well, which uh he was you know very incredibly generous and very happy to do um because he's just such an open normal genuine guy Which is crazy to then see Uh the outrageous sort of stuff he can do on the next boss like he'd done the weekend. So um, yeah, it was unbelievable What sort of stuff stands out for you, you know, watching his habits. Well, one of the things stood out for you immediately that Either I just I just you know similar to other pro athletes or that make him stand out you think Yeah, I think the thing that probably struck me first like within the first 24 to 48 hours was just how Like relaxed and simple he keeps things um, you know He's just Traveled from a different country. It's on the other side of the world to his home And where he usually does a lot of his training you can't and things even when he is traveling and uh he's rocked up at some You know, Brandon couple me mid 20s his house and he's just you know settling in and we go for a sum and a ride just sort of

19:43I guess break the ice pretty smoothly on that first afternoon and um The way he doesn't stress much of the beat small stuff I think he it seems to me. I'm sure he's you know, get since the needy gritty uh himself But he really focuses on the big picture. I think having you know Through to eat can be very simple bagels with a you know mashed banana on top or a piece of ham and a bit of cheese You know, but it keeps it pretty basic um and then just making sure that he can get the foundation of his training And which is pretty much just having it get a time throughout the day to do a session have an hour rest Get a bit of fruity in between and just rinse and repeat which is incredibly boring forever on this thing I'm sure but it really stood out to me how unfancy and uh I guess I'm glamorous the the training in the underlife was it was just a very simple repeatable retain and you know I was fortunate that he was coming off the week of an iron man So I could you know just keep up behind him throughout the week for 25 hours or something for his recovery week

20:46but uh I think the fact that he just focuses on the big things and doesn't stress about the small things amongst travel you've been training locations training deeper people Make sure we get to the bulk of the work done focus those on no doing that 95% well rather than fretting over the 5% Um that you know male may not make a difference and either you know weeks and months in years That's clearly paid dividends to the absolute champion of the sport that he is now at this point I want to give you both your kudos and also to any athlete listening KB actually gave a big kudos Because off air of the podcast dad actually asked me said oh what's it like you know training living with with the famous Tom Page the notorious uh very well-known local hero Tom Page and uh he had a great answer He said jeez In no uncertain terms he said It is very impressive to watch you know Tom get up Dewey's required training Within the exact minute window that he needs to come home Change in five minutes go straight to work work on shift to the hospital come home five minutes turn around back to training

21:51You know come home eat what you need to get the sleep you need That's a huge compliment coming from the world champion and and it applies to both you the schedules You're doing you're competing at this level with with working full-time as doctors that is not to be understated And it's actually really incredible what you're both achieving very early in your career But it's also a testament to all age groupers out there it's such a reminder we have said at hundreds of times in the podcast You can't compete with the pros because because they've got all day to train and then recover You know and so they get to train a lot more and get a lot more volume in and the training is tough And they get to recover and so if any age group out there I was just such a great thing He said that You know everyone is getting up early in the morning getting this session in and going to a full day of work or coming home Trying to get a session in with with the family. So so dad that was pretty cool to hear wasn't There was absolutely brilliant and he was almost in admiration at like the way you are talking about him He was doing exactly the same back time about you know how He felt almost inadequate that the things you were achieving in the day He felt almost a bit lazy like that at all the time in the world to do

22:53His thing and and here you were and and Rollins exactly the same position Trying you know and your jobs really you know If you make a mistake you're dealing with someone's life here. It's it's not like you know um If I make a mistake with a training session, you know, I can fix it um you know You're not trying to downgrade every other job that's going around in the world But there are some jobs that you really need to be concentrating and be not so fatigued that you actually make poor decisions for in terms of people's lives So so you've got that stress as well and I've said many times there aren't too many pro athletes who have we're working full-time in a job like yours who are You know competing at such a level you guys are so you we don't get to say this very often But we're super proud of you too and and it was so good to hear Christian really praise you Tom um and just have Admiration, you know 100% about what he saw. Oh, that's uh yeah very gracious of him um I guess I only know it's uh possible because Roland's been doing it a year or two ahead of me

23:56So I'm just trying to keep up with him But um no, it's certainly yeah, that was interesting as well because I think it does become you know for all the age groupers and You know budding triathletes out there um and you know athletes of all types it becomes very normal for the Balance and busy routine to be the day today Um, and I guess it was actually it was quite refreshing because Christian was you know Uh generously saying similar things to sofa and I when when he was saying with us um You know that that routine becomes very normal for us and it for you know all the age group is this thing as well And uh it was refreshing to hear someone who's clearly surrounded by that professional athlete um, you know schedule and timeline and time availability of things day to day and not usually training with People who are perhaps dancing other things outside of their professional sport as much as well Um, yeah, I guess it does make to realize what you what you can fit in and um at the same time also gives an insight into You know watch the other side of events could look like um and that as he is you sometimes have to be

25:00patient and you know not overdo it because you do have all that time during the day, you know Like he's still training a lot, but there's a lot more hours in the day than he is training So it was interesting to see that sort of discipline as well to do what's required but not sound Fill the time we've you know things that might negatively impact your performance as well So just uh, I guess as I've referred to before he's leaning into that simplicity Uh of getting the right things done and not overdoing it with other, you know, complicating things that are training or system stress as well, but um Yeah, it was uh yet really nice of him to to say those those nice things about about the bike I think that's good to hear isn't it uh That if you've got more time available doesn't necessarily mean you have to spend every minute doing that You know, it's being smarter about the time you've got available So that's a really good thing to hear as well when we know that from when people go on holidays That all of a sudden they're not working and they end up training the house down and and putting them Putting themselves into a big hole Because they've all of a sudden they've got eight hours a day to train and they train like a pro and um and the body's just not used to it

26:04You can't just jump from you know Not zero to hero, but from you know doing 10 hours a week to do in 25 So it's it's a really good reminder is it just because you've got the time available Even a guy like kb is not training every day all day um Uh, and yeah, I think that's that's a really key important point to make And so dad what was the conversation between you two because yeah kb turns up and he says Tom He's my schedule for the week, you know, you're gonna come along You know, I'm gonna go to the truck and do 2400s and it's a it's a great opportunity to train with the world champ But you also don't want to derail your own prep by just jumping into another program So how did you how did you think about that plan? Yeah, Tom and I had a really good discussion about that and Um, and in hindsight, it's also we've had a discussion in the last couple of days about that and so did we get that right Uh, did we get that wrong um, and there's no right and wrong in this uh When you get an opportunity like this, you know We're not gonna bury our head and say no. I'm sticking to my program here I my encouragement to Tom was get on board with whatever he's doing and try to manipulate the session

27:10So that you can still do it in your zones But be present in there in the pool or in the track that he's running or on the bike And so I think Tom did a reasonable job with that But as we both discussed after the race probably Did a little bit too much than we would like to have done Um, but I I reckon that's worth it for for one race in a in a career of 50 I think it's worth sacrificing your own that would be an exception to a lot of the rules I'm not a big fan of people just jumping and following people blindly But we didn't do that You know Tom went to the pool did his own thing side-by-side with uh with Christian in one lane and him and another and Went to the track Christians doing 400's Tom did a different session But they were at the track together and on the bike together they were doing slightly varied sessions but together So I think I think we did a good job with that I don't know I'd have to ask Tom whether he felt that that was that was Worth while or not the way we the way we planned it out. Yeah, 100 percent

28:10I think it was um I wouldn't have chosen to do it any differently in hindsight now or as it was to be honest as Jared said it was a you know, very much a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to try and alongside someone like Christian um and for someone if she's level and you know Palma is to be open and willing enough to have someone just you know Join him with him as well, which was unreal like he was very happy for me to join every single session to everything he was doing He wasn't sort of you know closed and uh cautious about you know not sharing or not wanting to you know Be held up by someone who's you know not an Olympic Iman 70 points very well champion level So that was awesome with him and I think yeah, I definitely went into it knowing that You know doing five hours plus more than my usual training week the week before race week wasn't going to be You know the most 100% ideal prep but I also tried to look at it as a nice little micro boost um to then freshen up before the race And I'll see how that went as well. So um I made sure as Jared said to you know not do anything

29:13Outrageous in terms of intensity or you know start ripping 400s on the track that my my Achilles are definitely not used to um So I just adjusted things to be appropriate for my training level and where I was at um but tried to join in and just learn from him and Enjoy having someone Such as himself a company in China as much as possible um and I guess as Jared alluded to in hindsight, you know Maybe it was a little bit too much lower than an ideal race prep, but I would you know without a doubt do it all again You know to be maybe you know 30 seconds a minute quicker on waste day for one waste where I'm you know in the sort of middle of the field Anyway, um that experience was worth it's waiting goal for me and um obviously it's so appreciate and grateful to get the opportunity to do it It brings up a really interesting conversation because Tom you're so humble um that you you talk so graciously about the whole experience and But we also want to be careful because there's two contrasting truths here You don't want to put athletes on a pedestal that are like unattainable iron reachable

30:13I like you've explained. He's a very very regular guy and um and you get that experience You know and and you're in that profile. You know you deserve to be there But at the same time Christian is an outlier and he is in terms of his ability is is generational And he potentially will go down as the greatest tri-fit endurance athlete in history So far by the time he's done his career like what he's doing is is out of this world and hasn't been done before so That that part is true as well, you know, he kind of do put him in a pedestal because he's he's that good, but um, you know Yeah, hopefully for you, you know, you're for you both you're both so early in your careers This isn't a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You know, you get more and more access to mixing them with these guys and training with them More regularly and and roll and holding your own on the news of champs world circuit Using the Hayden Wild on the bike leg by by six seconds. You know, I know I know it's not a proper race But yeah rolling your bike time this weekend was you know, you're not you're in that field you're with them You know, you're not yeah, you're not apart from them. So um, I guess rolling you flew in and managed a couple rides with them as well And there was a there was a great video shot of a group ride with you UKB wild and a few of the others um

31:15Yes, absolutely motoring the the uh long grab the uh the coastal road How is that TT experience what once you came down? Yeah, again, as Tommy said it was just surreal and um, you know Fortunately, um had that experience with Hayden early in the year so it managed to sort of tee up You know a bit of a group ride on the Saturday morning with Christian and Hayden and just to sort of, you know More or so for the atmosphere experience sort of thing, but um, you know, just also a bit of just fun, you know Um, but yeah, it was incredible and as Tommy said, you know I think the same goes for um Hayden and you know a lot of these top-end athletes So but they are just you know at the end of the day that they are people You know, you sort of forget that fact when you see them doing these godly like sort of performances You know at the end of the day, yeah, they're just super down to earth And genuine people and I had a conversation with Christian and and mentioned it to him But I thought and you know one of the things that I think's really you know, I don't know about him Is that as Tommy said he's you know, it's just very approachable, you know

32:19I think you know from the experiences that you know, you know A lot of people probably had over the weekend. They got a chance to have a quick chat with him or get a photo with him But he's just so he's got a lot of time for you know a lot of people even um, you know You know, example by him having you know Not the performance he was looking for in New Zealand and then sticking around High-fiving people on the run course and sticking around to the end of the race You know, I'm sure he was pretty upset, but you know, I think that takes you know, it shows a good you know good character to stick around and do that um, so yeah, it was You know, quite surreal just to see that and you know get an appreciation that It's it's one thing to be an incredible athlete, but also probably more importantly You know about being a good person at the end of the day too Yeah, but um I mean As I said that those those two riders I think were possibly the highlight of the weekend for me I think I just Didn't want to end really and so I was a bit you know, nervous about the race, but as I said not expecting much

33:23So I just actually just didn't want Saturday to end really because you know all this big hit is rolling around Yeah, the gains was out riding at the same time that we were out with Christian Hayden I was filled a little bit bad for him because I was like oh So he's not part of the group, so I feel like we should have invited him Yeah, yeah Yeah, but as you cuddle It was also great to see you guys go for swim together with Christian and Hayden and Roland and Tom And you know, they got changed in the trivalo tent, which was really good for for for our little coaching community and just a little story one of our guys Damien Wood who's got a Cadix bike the same as Christian and he absolutely loves Christian thinks he's you know the best thing in the world He brought a gold pen with him and and sort him out and Christian signed his Cadix bike and That that was more more value to to Damien than the race was and Damien raised unbelievably well in the weekend. I think he was inspired so But those things you know those things that that these guys do for

34:26For the the age group athletes I don't think they understand how And really special it is for those people and and for those guys to see you all go off for swim together and Tom come out of the water first That was great to see Even though you cut across the course that's okay I wanted to ask your dad that you've been around in top-level pro athletes for For decades as well as hundreds or thousands of age groupers And so yeah, we're lucky enough to have the guys kb and wild at the trivalo tent on the sat day You know Getting around the athletes. What was your experience watching them prepare and perform and based on what you've seen over your career And and lessons for the age group as well Yeah, I think I think everybody does things differently That's the first thing that hit me that when I looked at what kb was doing Well, I looked at what Hayden was doing and their their chatter. It was it was really intriguing how

35:26varied their personality was which is to be expected but quite chilled and It's you know one of many races they're going to do in their career and and they're not being defined by one race That was the big thing that I was hearing all the time You know that the races on this weekend tomorrow. This is on the Saturday But yeah, then we've got this this is in this and and so what happens tomorrow is not defining me And I think that was the attitude that I was hearing and I I was loving that because as age group is we don't do that We we put everything into this one one race and I'm forever telling to our athletes that you know When you get to a race you you have to race to the form you you got on that day and and we're in this because we love the sport We love competing. We love pushing ourselves. We love challenging ourselves And there's just going to be another race somewhere and for Roland To have that experience at good to windy which was really disappointing for him And I didn't want him to repeat that but he comes down with a really good attitude

36:29And has an absolutely great swim fantastic ride really Mixing it up with Ben and really riding well together and you know We know he's the fastest 70.3 bike time at Port Mack in the last lot of a lot of races Roland's been the top pro bike rider So he was back in form. How is that possible two weeks ago when you weren't It's got to be a little bit of a recovery with your body and fatigue shedding that but also the mindset of being relaxed and And not having pressure the weight of the world on you. So So I think there's a lot of lessons, you know You would have felt that Roland wouldn't you you race differently with the attitude you had absolutely and I think It almost ended up being a bit of a double-edged sword because as you say I didn't have that expectation going in So I thought it was feeling the you know on the Friday and the Saturday going for a ride I had noticed a change in how I was feeling on the bike And so I thought oh I could actually you know turn up feeling okay on on the Sunday

37:31And then you know try it out the new wetsuit on the Saturday the the graduation wetsuit which I know is probably not The best strategy trying something new before the race day, but you know that was I think you know having that sensation of a new suit and you know It was really performing well with that um and so I was really happy with how that was feeling And so it just gave me a bit of an extra confidence boost coming into the race just to sort of see oh You know, what what I could do potentially without you know the The expectation of for myself to try and eke out a you know a personal best performance Um, but as I was saying I think that maybe hindered me coming in To towards the run where you know, I've gone fairly hard on the bike and you know exerted myself quite decently probably more so than what I've been used to in recent weeks and so It gets to the point where the goings getting tough and you need to really hunker down and have a bit of um you know The fire and the belly which maybe I was lacking a little bit on the run

38:34And so when that you know fairly conservatively or well conservatively, I guess Which again probably not the worst thing but yeah on the on the wetsuit thing I don't think it's a problem like it's just trying at the day before at least you're trying You know it's not brand brand new on the race day all evening You haven't found my full 1900 meters in it. Um, I don't think that's too bad So we'll talk from the bike speed and times in second, but take us back to the swim and and Yeah, we'll kind of review the race from there and and plus get your thoughts on on how the pros went So you know one by one We'll go through the swim rolling how did your swim pace go and how did you compare to to other years and Against the pack. Yeah, we'll look I think I knew obviously it's a top-class field But I didn't feel like there was quite as much Fear coming into the swim this year compared to last um, I think Last year when there was there was quite a lot of I think the depth of field was actually probably stronger in last year's race Which sounds a bit silly when you're comparing it to you know this year, but there was like quite a lot of you know really

39:35Fast guys there last year Whereas the top three were obviously you know the best in the world here But then it there was a quite a steep drop off. I guess in the you know comparative quality Um, so yeah, I went into the swim with just a bit of you know Uh The the fall in my mind that I'm just gonna try and you know I really want to just make that first or main chase pack Um and stick with them for as long as I could Um, so I tried to get a good position on the start line um so that I could You know, as you add in front, you know, use my heart to an advantage and try and keep on running while everybody else has to start swimming essentially um, and then Yeah, I stuck with the main group. I think I was actually Christian was breathing as I was breathing was sort of locking locking eyes essentially for the first K Which was pretty surreal and I was thinking I was sitting on his hip and I was like oh, I'm probably slowing him down And I don't want to slow him down because I really want him to win So I'll slot him behind his feet now so that I'm not hindering him

40:35Um, because I would feel terrible if you know watch that back and then sort that he got slowed down I don't know anyway. I was probably analyzing it too much at the time It was just focused on my own race and been a bit more selfish, but um Yeah, it was you did quite surreal and I was I always stick with that main pack up until I think the first sort of turnboy Which is about 800 900 meters in and then you know the elastic band just got stretched a bit going around that and Yeah, just fell off the back, but um, you still You know managed to come around and I think you what I'd probably call like one of my best swims I've probably had in one of these races I think looking at the times I did around 24 minutes for the swim Which isn't earth shattering, but um, you know, it's consistent improvement for me Um, and I was about 90 seconds back off that pack and then comparing that to last year. I think it was about a minute faster um, so I was I was happy with the swim Obviously, I could have improved it and you know, I've had completely different race result Had I managed to stick with that that group with Christian and Hayden and um, you know stuck with them

41:38But um, yeah look can't complain and there's there's room for improvement there Which is which is always a positive thing It is so true what you just said then had had you been out? It was just get on the back coat tails of that That group then you've got a completely different ride You know You've got that even though the 20 meter rules in there you've still got that bunch mentality of of being able to ride together and And you know, and we get to talk to Tom about that later on but but it is such an advantage and a disadvantage if you're not You know with a group and uh, yeah, that that's so decisive isn't the swim Really dictates what happens next absolutely. I think at these you know, really competitive races where you've got guys that can do all three disciplines really well If you're not making it to swim Unfortunately, you're probably not going to feature at the point in it um And you know, especially when there's other factors at play, you know, if there's there's more motorbikes up the road Um, that you know, they're invariably getting a benefit from you can't directly say how much but um, you know

42:43There's always a bit more of a benefit there as opposed to you know, you know for Tom and myself who are sort of out the back You know, just you're doing a more or less solo um, yeah, I think it obviously Makes a bit of a difference. It's we see that in the cycling bunch as well What you talked about with you know sitting on his hips and then sliding back into his feet You know cyclists talk all the time about let's say they're there in the the front of the bunch with with the world champs You know vandipol or polgacher or something or or they get in a break with them They kind of feel like they can't be dictating the race or or or making a move and and dad you always say to athletes In any race in a in a degrade crit race or um or or a triathlon or or anything You're always saying to athletes don't let anyone tell you what to do or where you should be or not You're in the race you deserve to be there and if you're there you're there and it happens a lot in cycling road races The crit races where guys love to yell and guys love to have that power and dad your thoughts are always I don't care what someone says to me. I deserve to be here and and I think you experience that yourself at the pro level dad But also just in in amateur racing

43:45for sure and You know, I always laugh at people who are going to give out advice about what I should be doing That's mainly going to be suiting them So I need you to do this so that I can be better and I always laugh. It's like you know You have no right to tell me what to do at any point. I'm in charge of my own destiny And so for for me to hear you say that rollin about trying to be kind for kb That's very gracious of you. I love that attitude, but I'll be swimming over the top of him in me And put his head underwater now. I'm joking, but But you know, you've got to get a little bit more mongrel and you know You deserve to be there mate And so you should have stayed there because when you turned that turning boy you if you had a beam probably on his hip You might not have been behind the person who lost we shouldn't say lost the wheel because that's the cycling turn But lost the feet of of that front pack so so that's actually a little you know In hindsight, you should say yourself No, I'm staying here because this is the this is the guy I should be with and and yeah

44:47Their decisions that are going to kind of really dictate what happens next. Absolutely Yeah, well having as I said, I think it was Almost a hindrance, you know, having spent a bit of time with Christian beforehand and seeing how nice the guy he was but also just you know Yeah, as you say with you Jordy, you know when you're around these These you know almost they had a daddy like figures within the sport they have that this aura around them You know the earn their respect, you know and rightfully so you know being one of the best, you know endurance athletes in the world You know in my mind, I'm like okay. I think he's at the end of the right to have not some you know semi pros the hobbyist you know to athletes of you know getting these way Oh hobbyist that's great The humbleness keeps keeps coming. I understand how you got there though mentally Tom How did you rate your swim pace wise? Execution in terms of the packs time compared to previous years. Yeah

45:48It's always a little bit tricky analyzing some always, you know You're disappointed and wish I was swimming faster, but to be honest. I think I probably swam about what I'd expected to Was much the same as last year Unfortunately, I felt like my swimming. It's sort of declined a little bit in I guess the nine months since this time last year And then I'd feel like I've sort of got back to about the point Um that I was a gelong last year and that sort of showed pretty evidently I think are on the weekend I said pretty much the same time maybe 10 seconds faster or something Uh and much the same again. I was probably with a uh I could see a few people as well and alluded to there was probably a bit more of a spread out in the field Maybe in the middle of the field this year So there were a few people that I was sort of just Couldn't quite say in touch we've before the first boy But after the sort of initial career 400, you know, they were I could see them like 10 meters in front of me And I just couldn't get there to swim with them Which was bet like an improvement I think on last year

46:50I'll you know solo much earlier last year Um, but then yeah from there was a pretty low in the swim unfortunately So uh knowing that you know, I can swim at 110% uh exertion or I can swim at about 95 and I go You know, probably faster if I'm trying to swim at 95 of my uh, there's sort of race effort anyway I looked at just walking to the most official rhythm I could make sure my sighting was good. That's something that um At sunny coast when I was off the backweed one other guy our line new course was pretty poor So that was a good learning there and I tried to make sure that I was not for me any further than necessarily Uh, and just get through the courses best I could as efficiently as I could um praying that the wounds profiled wouldn't catch me and looking to Execute the best swim that I could with the position I was in at the time But uh as we get discussed at length and bronze alluded to you know every group that you swim Higher up with and for me it would be just making at least the you know the back chase group

47:50Uh, would enormously change how the waist plays out from there um and full credit to Roland He's had some Swings I think last year that really didn't reflect where he was at Uh, in terms of his swimming So it was really good to see him actually being the mix with some guys that he could ride with properly on the bike Um, because his swimming is you know at a level that he deserves to be there And that's something that I've just got to keep chipping away to uh to get there um and to You know be able to be in the race time and it's a little bit earlier um, but there was nothing unexpected to what I'd uh and just played it going in um Wasn't better wasn't significantly worse. There's pretty much on top of what I would have said was a path not I think you're spot on tom uh A lot of the times and this might sound harsh And you know the reason I'm saying is sometimes sometimes we get what we deserve and and That's a really cruel thing to say But you haven't been able to train because you've had day shifts night shifts in your job where the squad swims at six a.m

48:54Or five a.m. And you're You know you've just been at work all all through the night and so you're missing a lot of those opportunities that are no no fault of your own So everybody out there needs to hear that Tom is trying his best to improve his swimmies You know is with Brenton Ford one of the best swim uh an analyst going around in the world Um from method for swimming and and just can't get to a lot of those swim squad sessions because of your work roster And so that's really limiting So so that's what I mean by you get what you deserve you haven't been able to do the sessions and so You know It's going to be Each year you're swimming much better even though you're not improving You're a better swimmer than you were a year ago and two years ago But you know you just need a little bit of a crack at getting to those squad sessions that we talked about yesterday After our race analysis where we really got a real good plan ahead Where get some open water swimming get used to like we talk with the long run Like we talk with the long ride. Why aren't we doing long swims in the ocean

49:57You know they're going to be helpful for your swimming fitness and And so whilst the opportunity is still here when the weather's reasonable You know get down there when you don't you only need 15 or 20 or 25 minutes to go and swim a K or 1500 Where you're getting used to just like you do with your long run Um, and you don't have to swim hard to just have to get your body used to it So there's a lot of things Tom is really trying to do but just with his work schedule It's been quite restrictive so so you end up feeling like stagnating Um because swimming so Different to riding and running you can ride and run whenever you like because you're doing it mostly by yourself But to improve in swimming you need to be with a group and be challenged and be pushed and have a Have a you know someone there to actually help you with your technique because swimming is more technique than Than any other sport that I know it's a skill that you have to really work on and uh, so I feel for you But I think there's good things coming. That's what I feel and I can't wait To see you Join the back of a pack and then ride where you don't have to ride by yourself and you're getting the same

51:02Fatigue levels as everybody else in the field Whereas you're riding solo and getting much more fatigue and then having to run Uh, you know after doing your individual time travel as everybody else has got someone around them Where they're getting some periods of rest. So your day will come. Don't you worry about that? It's scary thought to you to think uh, what'll happen when he makes that does this impact still I think you don't you it's really the only missing pace for him at this point I think and it's quite worrying for myself because I think that's the only The only thing I've got, you know, one percent only by over um, so It's especially where do you two guys always finish within 20 to one minute 30 Yeah Yeah, I'm I've really got to try and you know think what I can do to just kick It's step ahead of you It's getting tricky Well, your bike time on the on the weekend is certainly something that yeah It's going to be hard to catch what what did you end up with Rowland and and is that your best bike leg ever for 70.3 course? Um, I think I did a bit of time at Sony Coast last year um and obviously they're two different courses um

52:08So yeah, uh, this I think this time was just just under two hours which uh, I'll take that time So I think that's you know something you know when I first got into it. I you're for those impossible So yeah, you know, you know credit to you know the the Travelli coaching, you know Way you didn't did manage to squeeze as much out of me as you pretty much can so that's great um But looking at my tower. I think it's you know probably PV power for a race absolutely um I ended up averaging like 382 watts. I think for the two hours Always just just under two Um, and then normalize powers like around 391. So it was pretty pretty constant Uh, pressure on the pedals um, but yeah pretty Pretty um standout performance. I think from that perspective especially what I was expecting to go in with Um, it was still a little bit confused to be honest I mean as to how I bled still so much time from the the front guys

53:09I think you still had four minutes put into us um from you know the Hayden Wild Um, you know Christian sort of a group um Uh, in your own obviously these guys are Also, you know the best in the world so not unsurprising, but also you know, whether or not there's a bit of a Dynamic at play with with other race factors like the motorbikes and other other things that we we spoke about But it's one of those things you you you can't say for sure and you don't know and what you can Can control sorry is your own race isn't at the end of the day and so You just have to keep on working away to make sure that you're in the mix from the get go um, so yeah I think uh You know Some perspective here. You're talking about the three best athletes going around who are you know The standout they're the standard and you're that close, you know Two and a half minutes fine. Yeah Yeah, Hayden was a little bit further, but Christian and yellow and yellow were literally two and a half minutes ahead of you

54:12Uh, and you know, that's the perspective you need to see you are that close and and Tom rode by himself when he was Any two and a half minutes behind you wrong, which is you know even even more impressed Yeah, even though that means it's five or six minutes behind Christian, but but Tom's the only one riding by himself Whereas everybody else has got someone to ride with yet as I had you know Been heel and ex-pro cyclist. I think he's the ex lead out man. Tell me was telling me for the Teddy Pogaccio So Poggy Poggy used to lead Ben A young a young lady used to be Ben's lead out man, which is a good climb to Fama, Hurricane That's cool That kind of power three or two was said it was the best power ever um How did you feel with that power? And you feel a little bit more with the run legs of run legs We're probably never going to be there anyway based on form and then also what's what kind of percentage of your if you have tp is that You're holding um Yeah, look as it was feeling during the rafes the felt fantastic, you know

55:14It's always a good sign. I think if you can you know have a few words back to you know Some of the other people supporting you on the course, which you know, I like to try and pay them back by being out there and Screaming at me. So try to you know make a few remarks that to them Um, so those are good good sign that the legs are feeling good um unfortunately My I had a bit of a mishap with the nutrition where I think I forgot to fully connect one of the straws to On the bike and so my main reservoir of nutrition on the bike I couldn't actually have access to on the ride So I really had only about you know 30% of the The Matarga nutrition for the bike ride which Didn't probably Inhibit my riding as much, but I think it's probably had a little bit of an impact on on the rum and coming off um, but I mean you it's not the first time we've we've done one of these things now. We're fairly seasoned in terms of um, you know coming into the you know racing and Uh, I've made my mistakes previously in terms of going out far too hard and paying for it later on in the run

56:20And so even with that you know in my insane that I'm going to be underdone with my nutrition I went in thinking that look I'm just going to go out and try and pace this as best I can and you know Minimize my losses, especially knowing that there's you know going to be a furious doctor page You know trucking out behind me um, you know as with other you know exceptional athletes as well So that that's sorry sort of you know had that mentality coming in and Look, uh, I felt like I was sucking second gear on the run essentially um, which is a good sign I guess because it I was thinking you know Through 10 kilometers that if this were an iron man, I probably would actually feel quite comfortable right now Which I think it's a great sign But I just couldn't really elevate to that next level You know to you know really mix it with you you know to With the you know that middle echelon of um, you know athletes And I think I came off of the bike in around 7th or 8th with Ben Hill and he asked me if it started the run

57:22He said oh, what are you going to try and run now? And I said we'll look you know, probably a 118 to 120 Um, there's just being you know realistic essentially and Um as I touched on earlier potentially I was in my own the mind about it And I've you know some maybe caged myself there, but at the same time I had it jared in my mind saying you know just Go easy to start and see how you're going feeling through 10 kilometers and you can reassess from there Um, and so essentially yeah, just plotted through the 10 kilometer mark and then saw the pace was around 350 to the 355 Um, and then I could see every time it turned around that there was you know, uh Um, a group of about you know five to six people um, cruising in fairly quickly on me and you know Little by little I did get overtaken by you know three or four Four guys you were running pretty pretty intensely um, but As I got closer towards the finish, I you know started just slowly ramp up and managed to you know a reasonable sort of negative split towards the end

58:27Um to to close out what was and otherwise um I don't see mediocre, but you know lower than one and arm capable of run Yeah, that's that's fantastic breakdown. I um, I do wonder uh How much uh the bike The unbelievable bike leg Impacted your run plus the nutrition. I didn't know that part so that that's interesting to hear it now But but I asked you before about the percentage of ftp and I wondered what you have it as because um Because I had it as I think you're best with us for 60 minutes or of all time is I don't know is it four or two watts or four eleven watts for Probably four or two Yeah, but yeah, um, I reckon that's on a different power meter as well Uh top Tom and I have both got these maging power meters Which I think between ourselves anecdotally we've decided really a little bit under um, so I haven't done a formal ftp test on this power meter where I'm feeling 100% but I think my my all-time sort of ftp test that I've done

59:31Um, I think is part of what you know one of those the the tribello Thursday night race series efforts. Yeah, um was around I think for 55 to 460 Yeah, um, so probably 33 minutes or 35 minutes. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, I think it might have been yeah, they're good 20 minute Test five. Oh, I just tried to test again. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, so um Can just quickly What was the three 80 over 460? Yeah, so around that 80% mark. Yeah. Yeah, two percent mark Well, okay, but that's so that's different power meters Different power meters. Yeah, so we kind of compared because so you rethink this new power meter reads higher reads like Well, uh, because your best outdoor well your best outdoor if that you know if we take 402 on the old power meter I wasn't making sense to me because I'm going 382 watts is literally 95% of 402 which is like an incredible amount to hold For two hours But we'd have to get a proper test. That's where the mass wasn't that out for me That's why I wanted a few new things going. It sounds like I'm in trouble for the coming weeks

1:00:34So Tom you wrote a you wrote a 203 How did you feel about your bike speed in that time? How does that compare to other years and and the power that you could hold on the day? Yeah Interestingly, because my ride was probably you know more competitive in the field than in the must swim But I've played most disappointed with my ride um It wasn't it wasn't terrible, but I was just hoping for a bit more. We've done a good Recon of the course with the travel I grew you know a few weeks earlier um And you know even with stopping at traffic lights and a few things Not having full race kit on I'd written a little bit quicker um So I was I sort of just going into hoping to I don't think I would have I know I wouldn't have even on my best I said to Jared I was never going to ride the speed that roll in a bend road on the day Even if on my best I think maybe like around a 201 something was probably like my peak performance on the weekend Um, so I felt like I was just a minute 90 seconds off what I probably hoped to uh to be right and just based on The power numbs. I've been riding in training um power numbs. I rode on the day and then similarly speeds

1:01:37You know in training on the same course. Obviously give her a day and can't compare um But I interestingly like almost the opposite to roll enough. I felt a little bit stuck in second year on the bike Um exactly as Roland said, you know, I was sort of stuck around that like Uh 300 to 310 what like average mark in the sections, you know I've been gone through the race of Jared. I was pushing more my target power in the sort of 320 to 330 range and doing that for some good sections But overall just bled a bit of time through some other sections that sort of I think reduce the overall power on speed to more in the free oh somethings which is Uh, yeah, pretty much like down as low as I've written power was um More or less than the last couple of years um But uh, yeah again felt like my because in my heart I was coming down on the second lap I just couldn't really push the pedal um and I was I was trying my best to as well as trying to be as efficient as I could on the course Um by my legs do you feel a bit a bit heavy and sore more so than I would like to feel sharp and punchy for race day um

1:02:38And then I think to be there that probably you know In almost the opposite way to roll and help me on the run because I'd probably underridden for you know This sort of exertion my legs were used to um Just not being able to quite get the system revving but I felt like I was you know in a pretty good position starting the run to To uh, you know, get a good stride um I had this acknowledge availability. I fortunately lost a bottle on the bike as well, which was um Silly mistaken mind using a different slightly different bottle to what I've trained with because I've never lost the modeling training on these roads And I used a different size slightly different material that just popped out one of those speed bumps Despite you know, I've been hitting them pretty hard in training to make sure so That was full of my own and how to you know get an aid station um as efficiently as I could to get some gels on the bike But uh, you know happens to roll and probably happen to every other person I'm of course on the weekend. So not unique to me at all But um a few things that I think yeah probably just Could have sharpened up a little bit um

1:03:38So you know add that 10 to 15 watts and hopefully, you know, maybe half a K&L with that And I probably would have been a bit more pleased with the light, but um I think it did give me the uh, I guess energy and uh system availability to to close off with a better run But I've previously yeah, and that that said I mean you're running keeps improving you're you're in you just you You're training runs where you've done you've done PB after PB. I think in training over the last few months Just as training runs not even all out half marathon efforts where I think you're down to the one 13's now Is that right in some some training, you know, progressing efforts, which is yeah, yeah And then you've done a PB on the weekend of 115 25, which is very very impressive at the back end You're fastest ever half marathon off the bike very close to your to your fresh running Well, what you're capable of so so you have to spot all that that's that was a great way to finish the race And mentally really tough when you've had two legs that you weren't stoked with to come and pull that out how that must have felt all right Yeah, for sure for sure. I think I was um As I'd actually been I've actually been riding quite well in training in the you know the month leading up

1:04:42So I was I was pretty keen to get out on the new giant trinity and and letter grip is best. I could as well But um, yeah, it was I guess a little bit frustrated closing out the ride knowing else at all And at 203 mark rather than closer to the two-hour point that I've been sort of striving for so um Again as Jared always says you just control what's in front of you trying and focus on you know What is it within your control and not let the you know results or You know external factors sort of the influence what's happening and um just looked to hear a good rhythm With my run and Yeah, it was but it was really pleased to be able to to get a best run today I reckon I don't know how rolling feels but chatting to a few people I think the slight changing course is probably a little bit tougher as well this year Was a little bit more of a up and down hill again out the east end of the course that I felt like it was a bit harder I should keep the pace higher than the previous course. So Um, yeah to run faster than last year which it was a runoff happy with as well was um, yeah, it was really pleasing and

1:05:43Nice to know that that's pretty. It's not you know leaps and bounds um in terms of performance But it is really pleasing to just slowly be etching away sort of 20 30 seconds here and there on the run and um, I think I've had a chat to Jared I guess it's probably leads into moving forward a little bit that You know trying to probably raise my ceiling a little bit in the run now We've as you've mentioned running close each to like my fresh Um, you know best pace Uh, that might be something to look at to try and run what I guess my parent fresh babies Uh off the bike particularly if I and you know realistically still going to be coming through the field um and with the 20 meter Will you know me giving even you know people that are riding in a group But it will be more of an honest ride in the legs I've been continuing to home home my run and ensure that I can make my way through the field As far as possible um will be really going to feature laces this year and beyond fantastic here I want to throw it to the coach and just get your reflections on on all that Yeah, just on uh tom's tom's runner, which is really uh

1:06:47I always push in uh in our age group athletes that try valo perspective and Just not to forget where you were running not that long ago when you first you know Really got into the sport in a big way You know you would have been happy to break one 20 and then one nine-eens then one seven-eens And roll is the same, you know Uh, it doesn't it doesn't happen in six months It's it's a journey over a long period of time which The motivated athlete absolutely hates because we want it now and And you know you're now down to one-fifteen's and you know There was a time there where you couldn't break one 20 and You literally running five minutes faster and still riding You know as competitively as ever and I think that perspective is super important that you don't lose sight of that And I think you know thinking about the week with kb and and having a little bit of you know probably more duration in the week's training than you would normally have so you're not actually peaking the way you want to I think we can't underestimate that and also when you're

1:07:50chasing an event Like when you're coming out the back, you know Lionel Sanders has a really good feel of what you're going through um You have more tension in your body and the example was the day we had did the uh Recon ride You rode with a relaxed attitude where there's no one you're up the front now. You're not chasing anybody You're getting into the rhythm whereas you know You're trying to chase the field and it puts more pressure even though you don't think it does These are the things that make you ride less well less efficiently If you're always under this tense muscle action where You know, I've got I've got to really make every second count Whereas if you just got that relaxed attitude You can actually just ride as efficiently without the you know same effort and but I think uh Yeah, lots to be positive about And I think your attitude of making the most of the run even though I'm disappointed Badly with my swim disappointed Not so badly with the ride but you're you're hard on yourself

1:08:51But here you do you come out and you absolutely Concentrate on now. I've got the run Not carried baggage from the swim or the ride and the age groupers could take a lot out of that You know, and you got the best out of that time you actually got yourself to 14th place Whereas it was looking like you were going to come in the you know 20th 24th You know you've run you've run really well and got something out of that and and had some confidence boosting Uh feel about the the event and uh I think that's important to remember and And Rollins the other way, you know really having great swim and great ride and then Then saying okay, I'm not going to make the mistake of just trying to run with Ben You know that's going to blow me up totally and have a shocker of a run So you actually held you held and limited your losses very well rolling by By you know Taking your own advice because you've done that many times you've done it at Jolong where Tom was actually passed you in the last 600 meters to lose the race By starting at 320's then ended up running at 350's and you've done it the other way around

1:09:53350's and finished at 320's What a different experience for you and you know and you held your held your position rather than You know absolutely have no no impact on what you can do and you're just relying on other people not passing you Whereas you were able to Stave them off um, which I'm super proud of so yeah two contrasting races, but uh you both really uh I'm improved athletes way beyond what you think you are and you've you've got to remember that Yeah, and I want to put some perspective on that as well and unless you guys had something to add to that Race reflection wise or oh, I was just gonna say I think Tommy's Overly harder than himself because he's still I think Gone sub 350 on a much harder course than it was last year too Which is an improvement on you know the time you know that he did and as he said that the run course was significantly harder in my opinion That's a minute or two stars. So yeah, I think it's play a bit of a impressive complement table tennis and say to uh to a hell To roll onto a held tough and still uh running consistent like respectable run

1:10:55Though he's you know, we all know he can run a fast half marathon off the bike, but after running for your energy What's for two hours less than two hours uh the best better part of it was uh yeah pretty impressive I was uh it was pretty I'm able to see not you know fall apart and Just tried to worry but actually hold strong any by the looks of having a quick deep dive of his uh his driver file Looked like he finished strong as well. So he he manages effort really well I think for the way he was out of the day. So very commendable be far and and look like the times you guys are doing You know 349 for a 70.3 again compared to where you've come from but also the field It's like you guys are improving but the field is also just improving and and seriously if you look at the drill long results from 2022 or or earlier the winners are running 71 minutes 72 minutes You know the top athletes are running 73 minutes um and you're within reach there But it's just because freaking kb's run 66 and and yellow and Hayden in front 67 age that it looks so much extreme And the guys at the very very top are dramatically improving still

1:11:55So you've got to keep up with him and the whole field is is shifting up as well But but that's making it very competitive But you know you take these times and from we've come from the last couple of years the improvement is massive And then it's just kind of relative to the field. It's getting very strong. So yeah I also think you know, it's really good that that kb keeps telling people You know when we ask him you know the journey for the Olympic Games was a 10-year journey Like Tom how long have you been doing triathlons for or maybe better part of four or five years? I feel the must have been Yeah, yeah probably about the same So you know It's really an obvious statement, but but we don't acknowledge it that you're very early in your careers You know you're in your early 20s Kb started doing this when he was 17 18 and now he's 20 Yeah, 20 32 yeah, so yeah to clarify that he said it was a 10-year journey to the Olympics which was 2021

1:13:00You know 2020 and then it's been six more years since then. So this is a 16-year career for him to be in this position You know, so I think that's really good perspective Yeah, for sure That's the point that's the point I'm trying to get is you know your 10 years behind where he is in terms of longevity in the sport which Don't disregard that's impactful in in an almost way and we always talk about it as you know as people who come to the sport You start to see really good improvements initially and then at the two three four-year mark all the sudden You get this big jump and then you think about what happens when you get to five six seven years It's it's you're just and you're already doing that you guys you know You would have been happy breaking four hours here and then three 55s and three 52s now you're both under three 50 and You know that's that's taken five years But you know you're 11 and 12 minutes quicker than you were on a course. It's arguably a little bit tough Yeah, it's awesome. It's a cool amount of you too and and yeah You just keep shipping away and and sometimes you do get like big jumps which happens to a lot of athletes

1:14:01You see it all across sports in in running or cycling or triathlon where just suddenly things just start clicking You get big jumps or otherwise just keep getting these little with improvements and so good to see and and when you're riding PBs when you're cracking two hours consistently rolling when you're running a PB off the bike Tom It's it's cool just to when you keep getting that it adds up over time, which is awesome. I wanted to um Finish with just a bit of a race review of what you thought of the pros you probably didn't see much of the pros because you were racing But men's and women's there was some epic racing at the front So after seeing the replays and stuff what what you guys thoughts on that? Yeah, I mean, it was pretty surreal. I mean I mean, Tommy will probably touch on it But we got some almost front row seats are sort of watching them and turn around or saw KB sort of hanging off on the back on the bike And for all know he could be at a bit of danger here and I got a bit worried for him And I saw ahead and off the front enough sort of you know I think like most thought that you know he's going to get away with it here um And then on the run I just got snippets where I was on the top of the hill they were down on the waterfront and I could see KB like a man possessed running and I got some you know

1:15:01Tom's partner Sophie told that told me that you know KBs coming through the field and you know Yeah, I definitely got excited by that and then I think as I was just coming through town to finish off my last lap KB was coming the other way to the finish line and I gave him a bit of a cheer and he got a small back So that was you know Got me going for the last bit of my run too, so that was fantastic. Yeah, and I was uh unreal I was uh Similarly a little bit apprehensive seeing him just dangling off the back of that front group on the bike at each of the sort of Alan back sections Um, trying my best to get my head down, but I couldn't help but notice him there But it was impressive that he I think he wrote a he wrote really uh Really intelligently, I think he just wrote to you know a lot less surgy um, but stating touch and definitely lost a bit more time than I think he would have liked too ideally uh with a bit of the traffic on the second lap perhaps but um I'm not sure how one gets off the bike and been at 40 damn and hate him wild and uh just boders up and fix right? Let's uh, let's have it and just goes for it. It was um

1:16:03Pretty pretty amazing to see and catch up and then take the lead and uh, I have to say out at the you can probably look through my heart rate data every time I cross paths in was absolutely shrieking at him to uh to go for um and it definitely yeah It honestly was extremely entertaining to you know do half a lap of the course and crossback over again and see what was happening um Was actually a really nice mental freshen up Uh, and I think I probably dropped a few slightly too quick caves in the middle when I saw him hit the front have a lead I was just Driving with adrenaline. I was absolutely uh, so pumped for him um, and so I realized he was about finished I still had to run the final seven pay or whatever had left out And reality she home a little bit, but um, oh as Roland said would you know with the swim We were absolutely rooting for him all day and um was so so pleased Um, that he could have such a phenomenal performance Uh run and run the way he did some of the I'm sure people would seen who listen to this podcast some of the videos of him running Are just the most mesmerizing view of dedication and commitment and just

1:17:05Absolute grit and determination like he's you know in some of these videos He's got 10k to go and he looks like he must be running again a finishing shoot. He's just put himself to the absolute Limits of his performance. So it was super inspiring to see um to see such a yet world-class performance Injolongful places credit to him. I mean he he coached himself perfectly through it He did a huge Ironman block felt like he was ready for the Ironman didn't turn out because he got sick Then he said right. I'm getting my speed legs back and he told us in the podcast and he he trained with you Tom he said I'm doing these 20 by 400s all sub three minute pace all off a minute getting that turnover And then he ran like it in the race, you know, he was he he said on the pod I want I want that three or five to three 10 pace to feel comfortable Which is just bull-listering pace for a marathon and he did it and he just looked he looked like he was running a 10k In in the ITU world champs, you know, he was he was holding it for for the half marathon. It was it was What it was so good to watch crazy? I think uh the final sunday like a week out from race day. I just had a you know easy

1:18:05hour, hour and a half run And I sort of joining through his track warm up and then just did my my session on the side and uh came back and you know said how's the session I saw him do his last pair of actually just still got a video Which is pretty cool um and said he was you know thought he was running at you know 68 sort of pace and You know by the end he was running 61s a couple of seconds quicker per 400 than he was even thinking more feeling like he was and I think you On a start of the field pretty dangerous around that time for the upcoming race and it was great to come to fruition and send it We can actually just uh end up with a thanks so much guys with With the time you've given us today, and I know you times precious wrongs got to get to night shift duty And uh tom's got a bit of a training session to go to uh Jordy's dropped out because he obviously got better things to do and And so i just really want to reiterate how grateful we are that you're given your time made and For both of you to uh to be so generous. It's really really good because one day you guys will be in christian's position

1:19:06I'm sure if you stick at this and uh and your your attitude and your generosity is uh, and you know It's it's really fantastic for all their age group is out there to hear your stories So so once again, thanks so much guys for being on board and uh and for really giving your time. No, thanks very Just grateful to be part of the um trouble other community and you know give back what we can Absolutely, yeah, please don't jump on there's only one big blue, but if we are kick shipping away, Jordy never know where the the two of the fellas might end up That's right fantastic guys. All right talk to you on jade. Thank you Cheers dude. Kiss you What