When Germany’s Sebastian Kienle crossed the finish line of
the 2014 Ironman World Championship, en route to his first title on Hawaii’s
vicious Big Island, he may have been a bit shocked by what he originally
perceived as ill preparation for one of the most difficult endurance races in
the world.
“I was a little bit surprised by my performance to be
honest,” Kienle tells SI.com. “I had a very weak result at the 70.3 Worlds five
weeks earlier and did not feel very well [prepared] leading up to [Kona]. Just
the last two or three hard sessions went very well. And then, I just had a
close to perfect day.”
But in preparation for this year’s world championship on
Oct. 10, Kienle has taken to a solid training regimen which is sure to help
rocket the 5'11" triathlete toward another opportunity at conquering the
race’s draining 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run.
“I feel that I’m still gaining shape toward the race,”
Kienle explains. “It’s a good feeling to get better and fitter every week. I
will be a contender again.”
Before the big race, Kienle gave SI.com a look inside what
it takes to be at the apex of what’s arguably the world’s toughest single-day
endurance event.
Body fat percentage: 6.5%
Body fat percentage: 6.5%
Training regimen
during the year, in preparation for the IWC: “After a three-week break, I
started back with training in the end of December. [During] the first three
months, the focus is on technique, speed and endurance in swimming. … On the
bike, it’s a lot of base and strength work. … In running, I had to be a little bit
careful because of an Achilles injury. Also, I'm in the weight room two to
three times a week. In total, the volume in this phase is about 30 hours a
week.
“At the end of April, I did my first race. The training gets
more intense and there’s more variation in the weeks—a hard week is now up to
40 hours training and an easy week is 15 hours. The training is getting more
specific, with more intervals and race intensity. Also, there are more brick
sessions where you combine a bike with a run session to adapt the muscles.
“In July, I had my first ‘A’ race—Ironman European
Championship. After that, I had a break of two weeks of just easy training.
Then, we repeated the whole preparation again, just with shorter phases.
“I arrived five weeks prior to the [IWC] to adapt to the
climate and give my body some time to get in the time zone.”
Unique training
techniques: “I like to combine endurance with strength work—a little bit
like CrossFit. You could do that on a trainer, on the treadmill or in the pool.
At the end, your muscular fatigue is what really sets the limit in Ironman
racing.”
On training for a percentage of maximum heart rate: “I did
not train with a heart rate monitor in the last 10 years. I like to use a GPS
watch and power meter—for short intervals your heart rate reacts too slow. But
I think if you’re new to the sport, heart rate is a good thing to set up—your
feeling for intensity with data. You learn more about your body, faster.”
On tapering training
before the IWC: “The tapering starts about 12 days before the race, after a
last hard block of three to four days. I have a day off followed by two to
three days of very easy training and another rest day. Then, the intensity gets
higher again but the volume remains relatively low—40-50% of the [previous]
week. … Then, one or two last hard sessions three to four days before the race
to wake up the system, again.”
Nutritional intake
before the IWC: “Of course you want to watch your electrolytes and fluid
intake, but you’re not a camel—you cannot save water. A lot of people seem to
behave like they are camels in Kona.
“My rule [for dieting] is: in everyday training, as
diversified as possible; before the race, as simple as possible—not too much
fiber [and] nothing you haven’t tried before. … The night before the race I eat
pasta with chicken.”
On Kona’s physical
demands: “You need to be adapted to the heat. You need to be ready to
handle the winds on the bike. This could be hard on the legs but also on the
upper body as you try to stay on your aerobars.
“In the run, the pace is not very high compared to a lot of
runs you do in training, but your legs are [in] pure pain. The muscular fatigue
is very high and you often struggle mentally because of the heat.”
Nutrition/hydration
during the IWC: “You need to start drinking and eating right after you get
on the bike. It’s very difficult to digest a lot of calories during the run, so
I try to get about 75 grams of carbohydrates per hour on the bike—at the
beginning, some pieces of PowerBar; later, gels, which I have in a bike bottle.
… In total, I drink about six to seven liters on the bike—at the beginning, two
bottles of electrolyte drink and water [later on]. … On the run, I have a small
handheld bottle on every special need station with a liquid gel taped on it.
After the half-marathon, I also drink coke.”
Nuttiest thing his
body has been through during an Ironman: “In Ironman Arizona, I had a
pretty good day on the bike—I was super fast and super excited, I just forgot
to eat and drink enough. After a flat tire, I was very aggressive to catch the
lead group, again. Then, I ran out of fuel—I went from 45 km per hour to 20. I
stopped at an aid station and was ready to quit. I thought I [was] about to
pass out, [and] after a five-minute break I went back on the bike and still
finished [in the] top 10. The best engine is nothing without fuel.”
On mental health and
the IWC: “Indeed, the best advice is to never think about the distance, not
in training, not in racing—just one step after another. If it’s getting really
tough, you need to remember that this is exactly the moment you trained for,
and if you’re able to stay strong in these moments, that’s what it’s all about
in the end. You want to challenge yourself—don’t be afraid of the moment the
race will challenge you.”
Guilty pleasure:
“I often forget that I’m an athlete when I see the dessert menu.”
Favorite drink to
celebrate with: “It depends on the race venue. There is nothing better than
a blueberry lavender mojito on a beach in Hawaii. At home, we have a very good
Champagne beer. To celebrate a good day of training, I like a glass of good red
[wine].”
Active rest and
recreation: “All things car-racing, go-kart, and watching others
[participate] in sports, especially the NFL, college football and MTB. But the
thing which is getting more and more important if you travel a lot—and probably
if you’re over 30—is friends and family.”