First Time Ironman to Kona Qualifier

When Kerryn came to us 12 weeks ago to help her with the final part of her build to her first Ironman, our goal was to ultimately hear the words at the finish-line “YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!” And not only did Kerryn hear those magical words, the follow day it was followed with “YOU’RE HEADING TO THE WORLD CHAMPS!” “I still can’t believe that!” she said after she qualified.

Kerryn had a fantastic 3 months leading into Busso. We’d done enough to feel confident and capable, but not too much that we over cooked it. We logged some big training days (and weeks) in preparation, trialled and dialled in nutrition, done the heat prep and planned for all the ‘what if’s’ that can happen in an Ironman race day…

“Completing Ironman Western Australia in Busselton was one of the most physically and mentally demanding things I’ve done but also equally the most rewarding. It was capped off when I received a qualifying slot for Kona…I still can’t believe that!

Overall, for me, it was about finishing my first ironman and ideally hoping to do it in 12.5-13 hours. I found the windy conditions tough, so to sneak in at 12 hours 58 minutes was a relief! It was my first ever marathon and I wasn’t sure how I’d go doing it off the back of the swim and ride. I’m proud to have run most of it. I realised it was going to be touch and go on the last few km to get under 13 hours, so I told my brain and legs to shut up and ignore the pain I was feeling so I could pick the pace back up! Running along the famous foreshore past the crowds in that last km is something I’ll always remember and I felt like I was flying! 😀

Thanks to Sarah for your coaching support over the past months to help me achieve this goal. I’ve learnt a lot from you.

I’m looking forward to the next chapter and training for Kona… but also looking forward to  a little break and eating icecream! I also now appreciate what the ‘post-Ironman walk’ feels like!” ~Kerryn

Swim: 1:38
Bike: 6:27
Run: 4:37
Overall: 12:58.11

Congrats again Kerryn, welcome to the IRONMAN club! And here’s to another Ironman build next year! ;-p

First Time Ironman nailed it to a tee!

“Sarah – you believed in me this entire journey and we blardy did it!” – Matt

When most individuals set themselves a goal of completing their first Ironman, as a coach, I generally always give the advice of ‘first and foremost, the goal is to complete the Ironman, from start to finish, in as best shape possible.’ For most, that is enough, for many, even that won’t happen. Ironman is a long day. For most, anywhere from 10-15hours is where their day will finish. And for many, it will incorporate walking.

But when you are someone with natural ability, with an engine built on a swimming background, the willingness to do the hard yards and an eagerness to get the most out of himself, I knew this was going to be more than ‘just finishing’.

So starting his Ironman campaign in June, local to Echuca Moama, Matt Brooks set about the task of first racing in just his second Half Ironman at Sunshine Coast in September where he nailed the target goals we set and came in in 4:52.

As another ‘general rule of thumb’. If all things being equal, double your Half Ironman time and add 30min (give or take) and it can give you a rough guide on what an ironman time may predict. So for Matt, a rough prediction for him was a 10hrs:15min. He told me he would be stoked with that.

But as his training progressed, I knew we would be working on a faster time, as he continued to train, absorb the training load and improve. Matt was knew to cycling and so another few months in the legs and he was only going to get stronger. Plus the work we were doing with his race nutrition and hydration plan – including a sweat test which confirmed what we already knew – he was a prolific sweater! This was going to be super important going in to a race like Busso.

Fast forward to the weekend at Ironman Western Australia 2024, and Matt was so well prepared. His training went relatively stress free, he ticked off session after session, wekk after week. He trained mainly solo – which is no mean feat! And worked on keeping his body healthy and injury free during that time. Which is imperative to an Ironman build!

My main message going into the race: Ride your own race!
We knew Matt was going to get out of the swim at the pointy end of the field, but I also knew there would be a lot stronger riders around him. So it was imperative for him to settle in and ride his own race. To not get swept up in the moment and with others. And he stayed true to the plan and this paid dividends to his whole race overall!

THE RESULT: A sub 10 hour Ironman!

Based on the training and the conditions on the day, check out my predictions v’s Matts actual. Impressive!

PREDICTED:
Swim: 55-60min
Bike: 5:10-5:20hrs
Run: 3:25-3:35hrs

ACTUAL:
Swim: 1:01:59, 4th AG
Bike: 5:08:31, 22nd AG
Run: 3:30:45, 14th AG
Overall: 9:55:21, 15th AG

Full results here.

I couldn’t have imagined a better first Ironman experience. I was so nervous about the weather and conditions, with heavy chop in the swim and crazy headwinds and rain on the bike and run… But I stuck to our race plan and just enjoyed the entire day! We can’t do it without the volunteers who are literally the best. And the support from home has been overwhelming so thanks to everyone and particularly Coach Sarah – you believed in me this entire journey and we blardy did it!” ~Matt

Congrats Matt – you deserved that result wholeheartedly!!