I share a few things with James Cunnama. Dislike of people who feel the need to talk all the time, eating KFC before big races, and a love for this song:

True story.

Out of those 3, the KFC might stand out. In fact, the talented people in my office always know its race day on the weekend if I arrive back from lunch on a Friday with a bag of KFC. The idea is that its the last day of fat loading, before a day of higher carbs leading into the race on Sunday. I have had success employing a high fat diet for years now, teaching my body to use fat for fuel even when I rest, essentially upping the fat oxidation rate and improving body composition. It didn’t happen overnight though.

Don’t believe me, read this article, by the lady who started it all in 2000 when she did her thesis on this. Julia Goedecke, we thank you for this contribution to the world of endurance sports.

Make the tough choice. Cut the sugar, up the fat…

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As was now the tradition, there was much talk about doing the same trip we did last year, with less tar and more remote areas. 2010′s version did not disappoint. As is tradition, TheHousemate does much of the administrative side to the Tour and I bring the crew and am director of photography. This year we had a pretty rad crew, what with current World Number 1 Long Distance Triathlete – James Cunnama, neo pro Ryan Redman and the Yin / Yang combo of Collin Allin and TheHousemate (Guy Veysey) to compliment my own energy to the trip.

To say the boys were looking forward to the trip is quite an understatement. Email banter, threats, jokes and general smack talk started long before the 5 of us (+ Matt Blake, our expert return driver of the car to make sure we had no option but to ride) got in the car. World Smack Talk Champs ensued. 6 boys together in confined space makes for some radical conversation I tell you. This is not a trip you can bring a weak link or an unreasonable person on. The others would eat him alive and leave him out in the bush to be fed on by the giant red locusts that frequent the greater Klein Karoo area. We all have to get along, full stop.

The Rock Pedal Classic is a 2 day, 130km adventure for us to gently start the tour. 2 days of drinking beer, loading on food and sorting the bike issues before we head off into the wilderness to emerge a few days later, leaner, stronger and with a bit of blood here and there. Proper boys adventure, this trip. The idea is to throw yourself in the deep end and see if you can swim out. Some of us throw ourselves in super deep and others take a more measured approach, but really the week is about energy management, fatigue management and seeing some of the most beautiful scenery you will come across in the world.

The first 2 days are super chill with much of it being spent on getting James used to the mountain bike, sorting some tech issues with the newly built 29er bikes (no bike shops out here for a first service) and getting the 5 boys to gel well. James & myself set pace for most of the 2 days making sure the others were hurting just a tad at times so make sure their metabolisms kicked hard and their heads got into what is commonly referred to as the “Willingness To Suffer Zone” or the WTSZ. This involves some HTFU and some WTFY but in the end, we are all ready for the next few days. The Montagu Pass was exceptional with some great video being recorded by Ryan on his Go Pro camera. I will get this up once we’ve loaded the gigs of video to the interwebs.

We were completely spoilt at The Goose Wines with a double rainbow which left us all very quiet and it was almost a sign of the amazing spaces we would be in for the next week, but we were all far too boyish to admit all of that. Instead we sipped our Jack Blacks and silently appreciated the full double rainbow overhanging the Outeniqua Mountains. There was also the realization that 2 days with limited vertical gain (1200m a day) and limited miles were over. The fun stuff was about to begin.

Day 3 for us is always a special one. Bit of a warm-up (read: 70km off road ride) to Oudtshoorn for a smashing breki in our spot there, with a 28km ride to the Cango Caves where we have another quick stop before we pop over (read: suffer) the incredible Swartberg pass into what is a super fun descent into Prins Albert for a legendary dinner. But first, we pack our tiny bags and enough bars, gels and powder to last a week and gingerly pedal out the door. Some early pace governance was the order of the day as the Yin/Yang combo have a habit of taking it out early with gusto. A couple of mentions of pace by James & myself seemed to calm them down and we were riding very, very nicely with everyone talking and me trying to take some photos in places where I could get a bit ahead of behind the crew. A wrong turn had us add 12km to the trip, but nothing we couldn’t manage from our side.

By the time we hit Oudtshoorn the lads were hungry and we opted for burgers and/or omelets (plural if you`re name is James), a fill of the bottles and a hop back onto the bikes for the ride through the flat pass to Cango Caves. The heat was rising and we opted for a stop to refill there, under the roof. The nervous energy was building what with a 1200m vertical rise left after 100km on the bike already. Last year Collin suffered immensely up the climb and was determined to exact some revenge. His willingness to cash in chips was exemplary of throwing yourself in the deep end when you know that tomorrow is just going to be bigger. We pedaled out of the pit stop to find it had increased in temperature somewhat and I had a little smile to myself. This trip brings out the best in us and the weather had been great all day. The new microwave type heat was just nature’s way of saying… “you are not done yet, son”. A couple profound words were heard as we turned to the Pass, which by the way, has a killer 15km section before you hit the tar. Do NOT overdo the first piece, all on tar. We learned this the year before.

My legs felt fantastic and I was happy to see all the training before Hawaii was still in there somewhere. James, Collin and myself pedaled off on the tar leaving Ryan & Guy to process the scenario for themselves. Day 1 is often the hardest when going ultra distance, so a moment here or there for someone is always going to happen when they are thinking WTF did I get myself into here. Day 2 is always better. We all regrouped at the bottom of the dirt road and we each went our own pace, James & myself setting out at a manageable pace with energy left for the kickers. I had no doubt he still had loads in the tank and I was riding at my aerobic limit, saving energy for the rest of the week while he was taking in the sights. A privilege to ride with someone who exemplified “economy of movement” to eloquently.

A couple stops on the way up to wait for the dudes to catch up and Collin had ridden a full 45min faster up the pass this year. He was suitably stoked and the rest of us were happy to admire the views and the peace at the top. It was one of the moments along the way when you realize why we do these crazy trips. To get up high, where the air is thin, on your own power with the element of adventure sets the mind free. There is no speak of work, of material things up there. There is merely the clear mind that comes from conquering the hill and your own doubts. No matter how bad it seems halfway up, the top always comes and the view is always amazing. Oh, and the ride down is simply the best, check this out:

The reward is going down that at 50km/h, passing cars and screaming like a fat kid at a cake buffet for more more more!! We rolled into Prins Albert to a great venue for the evening and proceeded to smash 6 beers, pizza and waffles after the snack of yoghurt, apple pie and 2 cokes upon arrival. Life was simple and there was the realization that the 151km we covered on this day would take us far less time than the 100km we had to cover tomorrow, which is always the toughest day on Tour. The new guys had no idea what was coming and it would live up to its name of The Hell in the morning. But I`ll tell you all about that tomorrow.

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I wanted to do a catch-up with James since the last interview we did, purely because I love the way he thinks and believe you could all benefit from hearing it straight from the horses mouth. He doesn’t need introductions, so we`ll get straight to the interview:

Its been a really successful year since we last spoke, give us an run down of life post Ironman South Africa until now…

2010 has been a bit of a year of up and downs… well, it was mostly down in the first half, and has been picking up since. Ironman South Africa was a big disappointment, being forced to withdraw due to a stomach problem. Thereafter I went to Europe and where I crashed my bike, punctured in a major race (Challenge France), had a worse crash on my bike (writing off my Cervelo P4!) and was forced to DNS Ironman Austria with a stomach virus.

But it has since turned around – two weeks after Austria I came 6th at Challenge Roth, two weeks later I won the Alpe D’Huez Triathlon, and 3 weeks later I came a close 2nd to Marcel Zamora at the extremely tough Embrunman in France. Now I am in the USA and my first race here, last weekend at Rev3 Cedar Point, Ohio was my best ever – winning in 8h21, with a 2h43:35 run split.

One of the key things was overcoming adversity. How, as a professional athlete, do you deal with your essential work tool (your body) not working, almost at all?

Shit happens. And most people would do well to remember that. As a pro, it is often easier to deal with the disappointment of a bad race, or even the frustration of not being able to train properly as there is always another event just around the corner, whereas an age-grouper may need to wait a year for another chance. But sometimes your body simply does not perform. It is tough to tell sometimes whether it is motivational and you need to push through to that ‘next level’, or throw the towel in and live to fight another day. Knowing the answer to this question is always difficult, because when your body is failing, people tell you its in your head, and when your head is not in it, its easy to feel like it is your body shutting down. Learning to be honest with yourself is the most important thing an athlete can learn.

I know track running is a big part of your week. How should Ironman athletes approach track running and when in their seasons should they be doing track, if at all?

We do track sessions regularly in the team. But the track is merely a tool, like a power meter or heart rate monitor – It allows us to control the speed and intensity very precisely for a session. The illusion that we are on the track and therefore must be working really hard or fast is exactly that, an illusion. As with any tool which gives you an honest measure of where you are, like time trialling, track sessions can be used any time, but should be used carefully as if the feedback is not what you want, it can cause it to backfire badly!

For a new Ironman athlete, how many years of training would you recommend, as a coach, at a base level effort before they would be seeing any glimpse of their true talent? What I am getting at is the misconception that miracles happen in a season when it comes to “Going Long”.

Ironman requires levels of strength and endurance which take years to build. Using myself as an example, no-one would deny that I have the talent, particularly in running, but only now, more than three years since my first Ironman, have I even come close to running to my potential. And I am the exception – my rate of improvement is far faster than most people experience. 3-4yrs of consistent training at or near the level of a pro is roughly what it takes before you can judge someone’s Ironman abilities, never mind reach the pinnacle of those abilities. Unfortunately not everyone gets the breaks I have gotten to invest the time…

Music is a big part of life. Most athletes train with music. In the Challenge races, you are allowed music on the run (iPods). Do you feel this is an unfair “aid”?

I very seldom train with music, and normally it is only in easier session when my mind is allowed to wander. However team-mates (such as Bek Keat) use music all the time. Including in Challenge races. Race day is about your ability to focus. Music doesn’t help me do that. Bek turns hers off half-way through the marathon. I don’t think I would ever turn mine on! Personally I don’t think the advantage is very big, if there is any. But perhaps not having music is fairer on all sides…

What’s left until the end of the year for you?

To wrap up 2010 I will be racing in Ironman 70.3 Austin on 17 Oct, then Ironman Florida on 6 Nov. Then probably home to SA for the first time in 7 months (or perhaps a short trip to Thailand for Ironman 70.3 Phuket…). From December I start building again for Ironman 70.3 SA in January, before repeating most of what I did in 2010 again in 2011, but with better results… ;)

I get so many people telling me I should be pro. I don’t think so, purely because of how far I am actually behind where you are racing. Could you tell my readers about the time it took you to be a real pro, as well as the sacrifices you had to make to get there?

Being a Pro is more of a jump than most people realize. Yeah, you can sign the forms and race an event or two, such as IMSA, as a Pro… but for what? All you get then is some kudos from your mates, and maybe a tiny prize purse if you crack the top 10.

If you really want to turn Pro – racing often, making money, investing training time – it means a major lifestyle change and years of dedication and sacrifice.

Making ends meet is the hardest part, which everyone knows about, but even if you have a way to ‘break even’ while investing 3-4yrs while you build up as mentioned in Q4, there is still no guarantee of financial reward at the end of it.

And once you do ‘go Pro‘ properly, the biggest change (one which I am still trying to come to terms with) is all the travel and time away from home. South Africa only has 2 major events per year, so travel is not optional. In fact, having been away now for almost 6months, I feel I don’t where ‘home’ is any more! This unsettled lifestyle with very little time at home is a big sacrifice in terms of relationships, family and friends. Thank goodness for Skype, but even with Skype, relationships are nearly impossible, you miss your best friends’ weddings and your family get-together’s. These are not what you think of when you see me cross that finish-line first… but they, and all the other sacrifices, are what I am thinking of! Is it easy? No. Is it all worth it? For me, yes. But every Pro, or potential Pro, needs to find their own answer…

+++the end+++

I think its rather informative to know the sacrifices and levels of mental toughness it requires in this game, at the pro level. James always has an open ear for me to ask questions and relay ideas to, which is more valuable to me than many of you know.

Whilst he is not in Kona this year, he is racking up big wins and gaining experience so that he can really make good at The Big Show in the near future.

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I wanted to do some interviews leading into IMSA and James is a good mate, so wanted to start with him, as he is also graciously allowing me back into his space before IMSA this year. Here we go.

1. It had been quite a year for you. Give us a quick run-down where you were a year ago and the year that followed you to here.

It was quite a year! I can hardly believe it has been only 12 months with the amount that has changed and how far my career has gone in a year. A little over a year ago I was what I guess you could call a ‘wanna-be’ pro, training almost full-time, but making little to no money out of the sport. I was then introduced to Brett Sutton and invited to a try-out camp in the Philippines, where I secured a spot on TeamTBB. The year that followed was exceptional and a lot of dreams started turning into reality. Briefly, it consisted of another camp in the Philippines and a subsequent 6th at IMSA, then a breakthrough summer in Europe with multiple podium places in big races such as Challenge France and Germany, Alpe D-Huez triathlon, Embrunman and of course Ironman Austria. I also made my first trip to Kona and that was a good experience, if not a great race for me.

I am no longer a ‘wanna-be’ pro and am now making a living from the sport I love! Living the dream!

2. Training hours are quite the debate in training. Won’t you give us a typical breakdown in hours, of a base week, a peak week, and a taper week for yourself.

Whether I tell you 20hrs or 40hrs a week, it means little unless you know what was done in those hours (and that would be telling!). Actually it probably varies somewhere between those two numbers, depending on many factors. Within a camp environment, where there are no distractions and all we do is eat, sleep and train, 40hrs is not that hard to hit. But normally it is around 30hrs I think.

As for base/peak/taper numbers, we don’t really follow a normal periodisation. Generally it is more like ‘at home’, ‘at camp’ and ‘off-season’ mileage. Ironman doesn’t really have a season, so although we work towards specific races we generally try to simply build up our training performance. If you can hit your goal numbers in training, the races take care of themselves.

It’s important to remember that your mileage or hours done in a week plays a very limited role in performance improvement.
The secret: If you can push your body enough that it is stress beyond normal and recover enough that it adapts to the stress, you will get stronger and faster.

Period.

Whether you achieve that with more hours, higher intensity or new and varied challenges is up to you, your lifestyle and your goals.

3. How do you find balance as a pro athlete – surely it can be all consuming to eat, sleep & train ALL day.

The previous year was my first as a full-time Pro, and finding the balance took some time. Having a good coach made a big difference and I can certainly see why so many new pro’s burn themselves out in their first year or two. It is VERY difficult to spend enough time recovering when you have nothing else to do! After 2-3 hours of couch-sitting you feel completely recovered and ready for another session, but of course your body is barely beginning the recovery process!

Finding ways to keep yourself busy with other things is important, and trying to keep those things limited to non-physical and non-triathlon related as much as possible is the challenge. I think that focusing on triathlon 24-7 also is a major factor in newbie-pro burnout. I spend a lot of time watching TV and movies, and when in SA I try to spend time with mates who are not into triathlon as often as possible.

4. There surely is enough training advice out there, but what were they key adaptations you made to move from being an age grouper to a pro in terms of your training?

As alluded to in the previous answer, the biggest difference is probably not so much training related, as it is recovery related. Having the time to sleep or just veg out between sessions allows for the sessions to be that much more effective.

This improved recovery also allows me to do more high-intensity work and sessions that drain me completely more often – 1-2 days of real recovery and I can be back at it, where it would previously have taken 3-5 days to recover.

5. Who is supporting your cause this year in terms of sponsors?

In 2010 I will again be in the colours of TeamTBB, and the team is my main support providing a salary, coaching and training camps to attend. The team itself is sponsored this year by The Bike Boutique, Cervelo (new P4 next week!), Avia shoes, 3T, blueseventy, Louis Garneau and Scody clothing.

Oakley has also come on board and have given me some awesome eyewear!

6. Your view on the new professional license from the WTC?

Urm… Well, it is a tough question and I am not yet too sure of my answer.

On the one hand it seems like a big positive step in the direction of getting Ironman professionals and the sport as a whole organised, something that is badly needed. Improved drug-testing protocols have been needed for a while and having an official body providing pro-licenses helps to give the sport a professional face.

On the other hand, I can’t help but feel it is another money-making ploy by WTC. WTC promotes the system by saying that it will save me many entry fees as they are now all free with the license, but in my last 2 years as a pro I have never paid for an entry fee (except to WTC at Kona). Now I am forced to pay $750 and still have to pay Kona entry fee, meaning I will be paying upwards of $1350 to WTC this year, compared to the $500 paid last year for Kona. That extra money should be covering better drug testing, but we already see that failing as no-one was tested at Ironman 70.3 in East London this year!

What I really hope is that this system provides the catalyst for forming some sort of Pro union that can stand up to WTC and its monopoly on the sport, demanding bigger prize purses, better testing and giving the athletes themselves some say in the running of their sport – something that is badly lacking with WTC’s current dictatorship.

7. Who are your biggest competitors for IMSA in April and why specifically?

Honestly, I have no idea who will be racing Ironman SA yet! And probably won’t until I get to the press conference before the race. If Marino Vanhoenacker returns, he will be the hot favourite, and obviously Raynard Tissink is always a contender. I will be focusing on having my best possible race on the day, and we’ll just have to see who can keep up…

8. Is there anything specific you want to show us? I heard you got a new bike this week.

Unfortunately I don’t yet have my new Cervelo P4, but will be getting it on Tuesday. I fly out to Singapore on Monday (22nd) and pick up my new P4, kitted out with SRAM Red and 3T bars, before heading on the Krabi, Thailand for a 7 week training camp with the team before I return for IMSA in April. (I will send you photos of my new toy as soon as I have it!)

9. If people wanted to follow your movements, what are your blog addresses, facebook pages, etc?

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/jamescunnama
• Blog: http://blogs.teamtbb.com/jamescunnama/
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/JamesCunnama

10. Are there any secrets to the IMSA course that you feel make your day just that little bit easier because you know about it? Local knowledge is often the most powerful thing.

Having some local knowledge certainly helps, and I live on the course so I know every pothole personally. But the IMSA course is not technical at all so the advantage is limited. Perhaps the only thing you can learn is where there are ‘false flats’ as there are a few areas of the course where things suddenly feel tough despite being on seemingly flat road. Knowing where these are and how to push through them helps a bit.

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I had a rather strange morning, going to Stellies to collect a car for my pops (check out his rear fender accessory here) and have 2 quick meetings, one with the honorable Dan Hugo, the other with a client.

After waiting for an hour (first meeting quick and klaar early) my 2nd meeting cancelled on me, wait for it, 15 minutes before the meeting was supposed to commence. Via email nogal, which made the taste that more woolies sour worm-ish.

Nevertheless, I took off towards the SafeHouse2.0, with some running gear in the car, and on the way had a look up at the sky, and made the decision to run early, over lunch today. What a decision.

Shirtless, I ran the trail around Lions Head and Signal Hill. 1 hour 7min today. I kid you not, the view was this good towards Clifton…

It was perfectly still.

Since the weekend, and Ironman Hawai, I have had this image stuck in my head, and its jumped back a few times in actual conversation with people.

This is the image…

Its one of the best images I have seen in ages, and gave me goosebumps when I first saw it. Its two guys, at the TOP of their game, in battle. Some people choose to fight battles with their fists, others with their minds. As a guy who loves Ironman, we choose to fight a loooong fight, in the ocean, then over land on a bike, and finally, we don our running shoes for the marathon.

The two guys in the picture are amazing, humble guys in person, from what Dan tells me about Andreas, and from what I know about Crowie, having met the dude last year. I also saw a tweet about them all being together at a braai tonight, chilling, having a good time. Those same two guys.

In that moment, they would not share a potato if it was the last thing on earth, even if they are friendly. They would not give each other an inch. Its the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, and a big paycheck is on the line, as well as a huge amount of honor and history.

Nobody remembers 2nd place in Kona.

F A C T

Pure competition only lasts as long as the competition is running. Further from that, its rivalry that extends to a personal dislike of that said person. Competition isn’t personal. Thats why I love it.

The image has had me thinking about the choices Pro’s make to give up corporate jobs to be there, IN THE MOMENT, in battle, competition, because that’s why they train, for the love of competition. Its why they race, for the love of competition. Yes, there is the money aspect, but I bet if you asked Tiger Woods if he would be happy being a semi-wealthy guy, instead of a billionaire, if the competitions were the same, I bet he would.

That’s why guys CHOOSE to throw their whole lives into the eggbasket of a small sport, in spite of there being limited cash involved.

Its for the competition, to go Mano e Mano on the playing field.

Its pure…

and I am in love with that feeling. To be right there, in the moment. Nothing else exists.

Could that be me? YES, I believe if I had the financial backing to take 3 years to get there, I could be there. I would have to give up just about everything I know, move countries, expectations, life goals, etc to be that guy, and that is why guys like James Cunnama do it, to be there, in that moment, racing the other guy, with ALL you have got.

Its honorable beyond belief in a society filled with fast solutions. There is no fast solution to get to the top. Something reiterated by Dan today during coffee. The kid is looking lean and mean, and knows the value of hard work, but he knows he still has hours to do, to pay his dues, to get to the top. He too, is taking the life I am talking about here.

I salute you, every single pro out there, in any sport, living the dream of being involved in competition in the moment. You are amazing.

I have a tiny drop of jealousy going about this, but value the life I am carving for myself just as much, because I took the chance to pursue a passion really close to me too, which is storytelling, which I now do for a living, leaving the corporate side for this. I have NO regrets. Life is GOOD.

Its alot of thought for a one hour run, but time did seem to stand still there for that while, running there, in the moment, at lunch time on a Tuesday, above one of the most beautiful coastlines in the whole world.

There is very little I would swop that for…

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