2024 has gotten of to a productive start. 2022 & 2023 I simply felt like i was chasing my tail the entire time. My desire to do everything seemingly lead me to spread myself a little thin & never really feel like i was doing anything as well as I'd like to be doing it. At the conclusion of last year i basically had two options. 1, Leave sport behind for good, or, 2, do things better. Thanks to the belief that those around me have in my athletic ability, I decided on the latter.
Setting a plan has always been fundamental to my sporting endeavours. The biggest obstacle I've been experiencing these past couple of years has been my inability to follow a plan. My role with the Ineos Grenadiers cycling team is to be on standby all the time which makes it difficult to follow a stringent plan. So instead of trying to follow a stringent pan, i need to be able to adapt to whatever it is that pops up on my schedule. I realised i needed to allow myself to be more fluid & work with my coaches to work within this framework & ensure we build the foundations to continue improving throughout the year. Most importantly for me from an Ironman perspective, the final block towards Kona will be uninterrupted & be able to be carefully planned out. The 6 months of the year prior to that is the time to build all the blocks to be able to piece them together for the race that matters most to me in Hawaii.
With that being said we came up with the following frame work. Phase 1, The Australian Summer. Swim Focus, really make the most of the Aussie swim culture & move that discipline to a new level. Strength training, dynamic, core & mobility. Running, Speed, Drills. High intensity on the bike to prepare for the Spring Classics.
Phase 2, Spring. Nail Kona Qualification in South Africa or Lanzarote if i feel I'm not ready. Hit the classics hard & run after races whenever possible. Maintain the swimming & running foundations that i established in Australia over the summer.
Phase 3, Target the Ironman Pro Series races, 2 x 70.3's, 2 x IM's. Race Vittoria Gastez & aim to improve on my 2nd place back in 2022. Start to build the big training volume weeks. Block of bike races in August to boost the fitness to begin the final build up for kona. Basically get as fit as possible over the summer. I absolutely love training & competing during the European summer.
Phase 4, Final build up & put everything together in Kona on October 26.
So now i had what I felt was a very manageable plan as a base level, & some flexibility to add to it as the year progressed. With this in mind, the biggest adjustment we made was choosing some key workouts that had to be done, non negotiable's if you like. From there we had a bunch of other workouts i could plug in depending on the days i had to train between the bike races & any other commitments that's popped up. Making this small adjustments completely changed my mindset. Basically I went from constantly panic training with my swimming & particularly running, between bike races. To all of a sudden feeling like i was doing what was required & anything ontop of these core sessions & bike races was an added bonus.
These non negotiable's were quite simple. 3 swims, one Vo2/Threshold session of 100's & 50's, One endurance swim of 3km @ Ironman Pace, one continuous swim of 50 minutes or IM swim race time. Next was 2 runs, one threshold/track session & one Ironman Pace run 21-23km. I didn't plan to do any cycling specific training during this period as i felt the bike racing was enough to at worst case get me through a kona qualifier. Truth be told, I rode my Triathlon bike 5 times between January & Ironman South Africa. Perhaps a little audacious however I felt I'd strong enough to be in the race with that & I'd use all my energy to ensure i had a good swim & would be able to defend myself on the Marathon. So long as i did these core swim & run sessions, & with the loading from the bike racing ontop of that, I was very confident in laying the foundations for the season ahead.
My summer all went to plan & before i knew it i was in Europe for the opening weekend of the classics. I recently did a podcast with Greg Bennett where we discussed in detail this period of the year, if you're at all interested in how that all went down. https://bewithchampions.podbean.com/e/cam-wurf-olympic-rower-to-pro-cycling-and-ironman-phenom/
Opening weekend in Belgium also signified the beginning of my spring campaign & first real test of my new strategy & approach to my kona Qualification. As in previous years my schedule changed a number of times throughout the spring. Through that however I never ever missed a core workout in any week during this period in the build up to South Africa. The one major change i had negotiate was certainly not one I'd even anticipated happening which was to miss Paris Roubaix & instead race the following week in the hillier classics. This last minister came about when Tom Pidcock decided to race Paris Roubaix & he told me that it gives me a chance to get an extra good weekend of swimming & running in. Being 2-3 weeks out from the Ironman this proved vital to be able to achieve my objectives in South Africa. I was able to have the biggest swim week I'd had all spring, & also complete a 2hr 45min steady run giving me the confidence that i could go the distance in the Ironman. Until this point id only done my 23km runs & while i felt good i had no idea what that would mean in the back half of the marathon. I always like to simulate in training as much as possible what i'll experience in the race so this 'free' weekend proved to be invaluable. Thanks Tom!
As i was rested for Roubaix it meant i was now required to race the following week instead. This presented a new challenge for me as i would be racing on the bike the same week i was racing an Ironman. Whether it was good or bad for my performance in the Ironman is irrelevant. I had a Job to do for the team on the Sunday & Wednesday in Europe prior to the Ironman in South Africa 3 days later. As this week was set in stone i was able to plan out the logistics & sessions i wanted to do around the races meticulously to be confident for the Ironman.
As I'd expected him to, the week got off to the perfect start with Tom Pidcock winning the Amstel Gold Race. I was very confident Tom would win when he decided to race Roubaix the weekend before. To me it was obvious he wanted that hard hitout to prepare his body for Amstel which is perfectly suited to his characteristics. When you have this confidence in your leader it's incredibly easy to execute your role for the team. Mine was simple, ensure the correct manageable break formed in the early stages & then control the race for the first 150km. Basically meant riding on the front alone keeping 4 riders at around 3 minutes gap. This gap is easy to shut down when the big guns start firing out of the peleton on that kind of course. Once my job was done the rest of the guys kept Tom in the perfect position for him to make his move in the final 20km. From there it just seemed to be a formality that he'd win which he duly did in a 4 rider sprint to the line. The week was off to the perfect start & gave me a great feeling that I'd have a successful Sunday in a weeks time.
Between the race on Sunday & the next race on Wednesday i had a chance to do my key pre race sessions in the pool & on the run. These are pretty basic sessions, a 12km run with 2 X 3km at IM pace 4minutes per km, & a swim with 12 x 100m @ IM Pace with some 50's race rehearsal start speed practice. I felt great in both of these sessions & knew my body was ready to race, i simply had to get through Wednesdays race without incident & I'd be on the plane to South Africa.
Wednesdays bike race, started out perfectly. Once again we'd ensured the manageable sized breakaway & i set about controlling the peleton. We once again had huge confidence in Tom & where riding with our tails up from his win on Sunday. Just when everything seemed to be going perfectly a crazy rain/hail/snow storm came out of the blew & the next thing i knew our entire team was back on the bus shivering on the verge of hypothermia wondering what on earth just hit us. Personally I've never been that cold in my life & I've been in some freezing situations during my rowing days! My hands hurt so much i couldn't even slide my hand through the sleeve of a rain coat. Anyways not a lot of point dwelling on that one, we weren't even in the race, literally, all of us were on the bus with 50km of the race remaining. Only 30 riders of the 170 starters finished that day. Obviously some really do have thicker skin than others!!
My biggest concern after being this cold was obviously getting sick. I followed all the protocols the team doc gave me to regain my core temperature most effectively & also supplementation to give the immune system a massive boost. Basically this meant 10 tablets of vitamin C, some crushed garlic, & plenty of water to flush the system. It worked a treat & 24hrs later i was on the ground in South Africa putting my bike together. It was the tail end of summer in that part of the world which was a pleasant warming of the bones after the events of 24hrs prior! I went through my final checklist of activities in the last couple of days leading into the race.
Two days out i like to do an easy 50min or race time swim on the ocean. Obviously a very easy swim, normally 3km +- where i again do a little start & mid race speed speed practice, familiarity with wearing a wetsuit again & make sure that all fits properly. To me this is the most important session in those final couple of days to give me the confidence im ready for a good swim on race day. Next up is a ride to ensure the bike is working all as it should. I usually do around 10minutes at race pace just to get the feel for that, ensure I'm comfortable in the position & obviously just to prime the muscles to what's expected of them in 48hrs time. Next up is you guessed it, a short run, usually 5k. I slowly build up to Ironman tempo, again that's 4minute/km pace & lock in the feeling i want to have on race day.
Once these 3 sessions are done i feel like I'm ready. The day before the race i don't do any structured exercise at all. Simply ride around the car park & make sure the bikes ready to go, & jog up and down the hallway of the hotel to make sure my shoes & socks still fit me. From there pre race day is spent prepping all my food & anything else that needs to be organised for race day. Unlike when I'm with the cycling team i need to take responsibility first this job myself as I'm on my own out there. The rules are pretty simple in Ironman racing, zero outside assistance, only what you carry yourself or what you can take from the feed zones on the course. Worst case scenario you dont bring any food of falls of your bike there's more than enough on course to get you through a race. It's obviously part of your preparation to use the nutrition & hydration you've trained your body to function best on. Again similar to race type training, gives you the confidence that you'll have the energy onboard to execute your race.
Onto race day. I had the best pre race sleep I've had before an Ironman. I was in bed at 8pm & didn't stir until my alarm went off at 4:30am. At the time i was greatful for the sleep but deep down i knew it meant i was tired! I put that quickly out of my mind though & instead drew on the positives that i'd had a great sleep & was ready to race! I went through all my pre race routines, checking the bike, stretching, & getting myself into the wetsuit ready to dive into the Indian Ocean. Finally it was time to put my new training strategy to the test & see if i could qualify for kona on a much reduced yet strategic preparation.
Once i was in the water i knew i was going to have a great day. I quickly positioned myself in the main front group, comfortable in the knowledge that only 2 quicker swimmers were dangling just of the front of our group. To qualify for Kona i needed a top 4 finish position. My strategy was simple, be in the top 4 from start to finish. I the swim, we swim in a group, i was happy with 4th being in my group. So in this case the swim was already going better than expected as the leader of our group was in 3rd place. I exited the water in the excellent position & can honestly it was one of, if not the best swim I've ever had in Ironman. It felt incredibly comfortable & in was right at the front of the race. The first test of our new training strategy had been a success.
Once on the bike i quickly dropped the group of guys id swam with & set about chasing down the 2 guys up the road. They were only 90 seconds in front so with 20km i was already at the front of the race. At this point things couldn't have been going anymore perfectly & I continued to grow in confidence believing that not only could i qualify for Kona today but potentially be in contention to win the race aswell. 45km into the ride we hit the first turnaround which gave me an opportunity to see the entire field & asses where everybody was. I was incredibly happy to already be leading at this point & also i thought quite happy with where everyone else was in relation to me. Around 60km into the ride i got quite a shock when the giant suede Rasmus Svenningsen blasted straight past me. He must've made up close to a 2-3minute gap on me after the swim & was absolutely flying. Like a dog to a bone I obviously upped my pace to stay with him.
For the next 100km or so we swapped positions at the front of the race & continued to put time between us & everybody else. It was obvious that the winner on the day would be one of us, was just a matter of who would execute there race the best. Approaching the final 30km of the ride i was really on the limit, Rasmus was really putting me to the sword. I decided the leave my cycling ego at the door which i don't often do & back off to a more comfortable pace, confident that I'd be able to run him down. Yes that's right, i had confidence in my running legs that that was my best chance of winning the race. In all honesty i knew if i tried to maintain Rasmus's pace on the bike it'd be highly likely I'd pay for that big time on the run. So confident was i in my foundation of work i did in Australia over the summer & had maintained during the spring, that I'd turn this into a running race. Most definitely a tactical first for me haha.
Onto the Run with a 2 minute gap to Rasmus. At this point i was very confident i could close that down & win the race. I'm always excited to get onto the run especially when I believe i can run well. I realise that sounds obvious but it's for a certain reason. To me, the swim & the bike both have unforeseen problems that can arise that are capable of ruining your day. You can get wacked in the face & lose your googles, swim off course following the others & lose time for example. When you're on the bike you can crash or get a flat tire. Once onto the run its simply you on your own two feet. It's the only time in an Ironman i truly feel in charge of what i'm doing. I simply cannot wait to slide into my running shoes.
Back to the marathon in South Africa. I didn't rush the process of chasing down Rasmus. I simply settled into my own rhythm that'd enable me to slowly but surely claw him back, & take the lead in the later stages of the marathon. The race for qualification seemed to be under control assuming I didn't do anything silly with 3rd & 4th 8+ minutes behind, & fifth almost 10 minutes back. I knew that with a high 2:40's to a low 2:50's marathon I'd be safe & sound for kona qualification. So i slotted into my marathon pace I'd been knocking out during my non negotiable sessions throughout the spring. 4min per km +- had me on track for a 2:50ish marathon. The course was 4 laps meaning 8 opportunities to see your opposition.
Everything went perfectly to plan in the first half marathon. I was slowly but surely catching Rasmus & keeping 5th place at a safe distance away from me. My wife as always was fundamental in feeding me information about what was happening around me although its hard to hear her at times as Wyatts cheering is next level. He really has a set of lungs on him that boy! He asked me the night before to try & win this race. I told him i always try to win, most often I'm simply not good enough to win. He said can you try even harder this time! I said of course mate. So obviously when he roared at me each lap on the run I definitely picked up my heals.
Around 25km into the run i passed Fallon & Wyatt this time in 1st place (photo attached). Fallon had to move a little further away from him to ensure i could hear what was going on behind me as it was crunch time in the race, he was going absolutely wild with encouragement, gave me goosebumps. While I'd ultimately fade & finish 3rd, it was nice talking through the race with my son about coming from behind & getting into the lead & atleast giving myself a chance to win, however once again not being good enough to win. We agreed i need to try a bit harder next time!
Normally when you take the lead late in the race like that you're home and hosed. I couldn't have be more wrong & perhaps i lost some intensity thinking i had it. I built up a good lead, however, Rasmus had a second wind in him. With around 8km to go Rasmus surged past me like I was standing still, similar to the way he had on the bike 5hrs earlier. While on that occasion i was able to steady myself & claw him back on the run, this time it was a knockout blow. I was definitely running low on reserves. The week of bike racing & travel felt like it was finally catching up with me & the adrenaline had well & truly worn off. As much as I wanted to respond again & chase him down I physically couldn't a 2nd time. It was now time to forget about Rasmus & the win & instead focus on qualifying for Kona, the main objective is had for the event.
Fortunately i was in a comfortable position provided i kept jogging. Once you slow to walk you burn minutes very very quickly. With 7km to go i still had 3 minutes up my sleeve on 4th & 4minutes on 5th. 3rd was somewhere in between but to be honest i was more worried about where 4th & 5th were. It was simple, I couldn't lose more than 30 seconds per km. At that stage in a marathon it's unlikely for anyone to be running 3:45 per km in the final part of the race, 4:15's & i was safe. I slowed to this for a few km's just to regain my composure & energy a little in case i was pressured in the final few km's. 3rd place was the fastest runner on the course & sped past me inside the final 2km. At this point i knew so long as i stayed strong i was safe & sound in 3rd, however, having suffered the qualification attempt failures the previous 2 years i wasn't prepared to risk that again & fight Mathias for 2nd.
I rolled into the final 500m & saw Fallon & Wyatt for the final time. Wyatt gave me the best advice I've ever heard in an Ironman. He simply said Dadda, go to the finish line, our work here was done in other words haha, i was definitely ready to cross that finish line. 3rd place & qualification secured i was extremely satisfied running down the finish shoot. When i crossed the line I was totally exhausted, not so much physically but more mentally. Failing the qualifying the previous years had really scared me & I didn't want to experience that again. I dug so deep into all the reserves my body possessed to manage the spring & week I'd just been through with all the events that I was simply out of gas.
I wrapped up the post race formalities, podium, interviews ect, & walked across the road to the hotel to reunite with the family. I walked into the room, jumped in the shower & popped straight into bed. Despite having 1000mg of caffeine racing through my veins i went lights out. I was asleep within 1hr of crossing the line basically, that'd never happened before. Normally you're too wired & sore to even contemplate relaxing enough to close your eyes. Following the best afternoon siesta i think i think Wyatt must woken me when he stirred from a similar nap. He said "you didn't win Dadda but you definitely tried" haha he summed it up extremely well, i told he was very correct & that i definitely gave it everything i had.
So that was the almost perfect end to a great spring. A spring where i finally had a plan, was able to stick to it, believe in it, & for sure this belief in the preparation allowed me to get the job done in South Africa. Being apart of Tom's win in Amstel Gold Race 7 days earlier was a huge boost. I so desperately wanted to win myself but sometimes a win comes in other forms, in this case qualification felt incredibly satisfying.
With the spring now behind me I'm incredibly excited to get stuck into the summer. I'll have time to train a lot more & I love the summer races in the hot weather. Unlike previous years, I physically feel much fresher than i have in the past. This strategy to hold back a lot in the first half of the year has definitely had the effect i was hoping it would have. I plan to target the Ironman Pro Series with Les Sable 70.3, Ironman Vitoria Gasteiz, & Ironman Lake Placid looking like my most likely races in June/July. In August i'll some more bike races from the team hitch will kick start the final build up to Kona. Europe really comes alive in the summer & that energy gives me great motivation to train & race my ass off. At the ripe old age of 40 I feel like I've finally found a method to my madness.
CJW
P.s.
A comment on a previous Blog had a significant impact on me believing in the strategy I've adopted this season. Whoever the anonymous person was I really have placed a lot of belief in your ideas to give me the best chance of success in October Haha!! Jokes aside, thankyou, it really resonated with me.
"AnonymousMarch 30, 2023 at 6:55 PM
Great read.
I kind of like that you didnt do 100km+ back to back run weeks this year in Jan-February as I wonder whether that might actually be a bit detrimental to the final push into Kona.
However, given that you ran out of legs after an hour in this marathon, would a 60-70km run week base in Jan-Feb be a good option for an early ironman like South Africa. It seems to me that having a long run day (2hrs morning, 30-40 miuntes in the evening) and once 'quality' session of between 40-60 minutes (plus one or two other shorter runs during the week) would provide enough base to tick off 4min/km for the whole marathon in an such an early race, and still leave you fresh (and with an appropriate base) for the rest of the season.