She hails from
the land Down Under, but for this Australian native, training for the Ironman
World Championship and receiving a crack at the opportunity to be crowned the
best triathlete on earth is truly a life-altering dedication.
“I’m
continually working to improve and push my limits further and further,” says
2014 IWC champion Mirinda Carfrae, who claimed her second straight title—third
overall. “It’s the whole package of training and racing, and developing as an
athlete year upon year. I love it.”
Last year, it
was more than basic focus and standard physical ability that came into play
when Carfrae crushed the race’s 26.2-mile marathon segment and claimed a new
women’s running record. Her body went through an aerobic transformation that
can only be described as amazingly explosive.
“No one aspect
of training enables that sort of performance,” explains Carfrae, who also last
year set a women’s world championship course record. “Instead, it's the 15
years of consistent, dedicated training and the collective experience. If I
were to name what I consider my top talent, it would have to be my resistance
to injury, enabling me to train consistently year-in and year-out. I have never
had an injury that has stopped me from training, which is fairly rare in our
sport.”
Ahead of the
Ironman World Championship on Oct. 10 in Kona, Carfrae provided SI.com with
detailed insight into her training and nutrition, and what’s required to reach
the apex of the triathlon community.
Body fat percentage: “I honestly have no idea.”
Training regimen in preparation for the
IWC: “This can vary
somewhat depending on a variety of factors—for example, the volume will
decrease if I’m doing a race on the weekend, or I’ll skip sessions and rest if
I become ill. But a snapshot of an average high-volume week geared toward
Ironman includes 30-35 hours of training. That includes six swims, seven runs
and five rides totaling 20 km swimming, 450 km on the bike and between 80-100
km running, plus two to three gym sessions.”
Unique training techniques: “Not really, I’m fairly
straightforward and old school. Aside from a lot of swimming, biking and
running, I do gym work with Erin Carson, who is an excellent strength and
conditioning coach at Rally Sport in Boulder, Colorado. We focus on strength,
functional movement and plyometrics.”
On training at a certain percentage of
maximum heart rate and focusing on oxygen uptake: “Again, I’m into old school
training—easy means easy, hard means hard. Two of my weekly runs, two of my
weekly rides and two to three of my weekly swims are at a hard intensity. I
know there are a number of theories and techniques for more complex
numbers-based training, and many people wonder what that secret sauce might be
at the world champion level. For me, it boils down to years of dedicated hard
work and tried-and-true old school techniques—hardly rocket science.”
Regimen and tapering in the weeks
immediately before the IWC: “I fly into Kona two weeks and one day before the race. I have
that Saturday and Sunday as longer aerobic days on the bike and run. Then, I
take a couple of days off to really rest. After that, it's all about sharpening
the tools. … No more long sessions—nothing over three hours on the bike or 75
minutes on the run—but I do have a couple of key sessions left before the big
day. My last really hard bike is a week and a half out and includes an hour of
work, plus warm up and cool down. The last really hard run is the next day,
with about 40 minutes of work. And I have one final short hard hit the Monday
of race week. Everything between those sessions is aerobic and for feel. It’s
about keeping the body moving—nothing too taxing, but just enough so that I
don’t start to feel stagnant.”
Nutritional intake before the race: “I start to carb-load 48 hours before
the race. I cut out fiber and mostly increase my caloric intake through
calorie-rich fluids. In my experience, especially with the reduced training
intensity, overeating just makes me feel bloated. … The night before the race I
always have the same meal: chicken and rice, and salt. It’s super simple and
easy to digest.”
About Kona’s physical demands: “Any Ironman race is taxing on the
body but Kona is a different animal, entirely. First off, the ocean swim is
super salty. That’s great for buoyancy since you don’t wear a wetsuit, but can
also cause your lips and mouth to feel a bit swollen, and if you miss a spot
when lubing up, you can have horrible chafing from your speed suit.
“[During] the
bike, the heat and humidity kick in, along with the wind. The degree of
difficulty is hugely influenced by Madame Pele—if it’s a windy year, there are
extra factors to account for. It’s absolutely critical to hydrate and fuel
steadily throughout the day, but if you’re white-knuckling your bars for fear
of being blown over—it happens—it’s easy to forget to reach for food or a
bottle. Also, when the wind evaporates your sweat quickly, you may have a false
sense that you’re not losing too much fluid through sweat. Bottom line, if you
stay on plan and hydrate and fuel steadily from the get-go, you’ll be fine.
Anything short of that means almost certain failure.
“The marathon
is arguably the toughest aspect of the race and generally where you see those
ugly, epic meltdowns. The day is heating up, and you’re in close proximity to
the burning asphalt. I always put ice in my top and in my shorts, plus dump
water on my head to try and stay cool. … [Coming] straight off the bike and onto
the run, your legs inevitably feel like bricks for the first few miles. In
training, a lot of runs are done directly off the bike in order to get used to
that feeling and gain the confidence that you can successfully push through.
The key is to focus on form. … Then, it’s all about finding the fastest pace
you can sustain over the distance. At times you might feel wretched and have to
ease up slightly; at other times you might feel like everything’s clicking and
relatively easy, and you can test yourself and push a bit harder. But it’s
always a balance of weighing your effort against the distance still ahead. On
the best of days, even though it’s obviously incredibly hard, the run feels
fluid and rhythmic, and in a sense, light.”
On keeping the body functioning at an
optimal level during the IWC: “I use GU Energy Gels and GU Roctane electrolyte drinks on the
bike to set the foundation for my day. The goal is to take in 1.5 grams of
carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight, per hour. So for me, that's 75-80 grams
of carbohydrates per hour on the bike. I also supplement with salt and a lot of
water.
“On the run, I
carry two GU flasks filled with GU Roctane gels. I don’t have a specific
formula per hour but I rely on feedback from my stomach as to how much I need
to ingest. I also [ingest] both water and Coke at every aid station. It’s not
easy to drink very much while running fast, so I just do my best to get in as
much fluid as possible without slowing down.”
Craziest thing her body has been
through during an Ironman race: “In 2012, I messed up my nutrition and paid the price. One of
my key electrolyte/carbohydrate bottles launched off my bike at mile one and I
didn't realize it was gone until 10 miles later. I was able to hold on to third
place that year, but my body was depleted like never before. I lost 10 lbs.
during that race, which for me was about 8 percent of my bodyweight.”
Let’s talk about mental health—140.6
miles can put a strain on the mind: “One of the most important factors is to stay focused on
yourself and racing your own race to the best of your ability. In Kona
especially, with so much pressure zeroed in on that one day, you really have to
keep your mind as calm as possible and turned inward. And that starts well
before the gun goes off. The intensity builds and builds, so you really have to
become protective of your energy and time, and learn to stay calm and restful
in the midst of it all. I have always been the sort of athlete that thrives on
nervous energy and excitement, but I’ve also learned over the years—in Kona—the
importance of that calm focus.
“During race
week, my management team helps make sure that I don’t overdo it in terms of
appearances or socializing. And it helps that Tim [O’Donnell] and I both
race—we can be together as a couple and support one another; yet each of us is
totally honed in on what we need for our own race.
“It’s the same
thing on race day. Every single one of my rivals is on that same start line,
and every single one of them wants that win. Trust me, I want to beat every one
of them, but I don’t let my thoughts go to those athletes too much. … I’m
confident that I’ve done what it takes to give my best performance on the day—I
trust in that and follow my plan. So, while I do get into a zone—it’s [almost
a] hypnotic rhythm when my run is going well—keeping the focus is a very
pragmatic thing.
“There are
times when negative thoughts start to creep in—when I’m hurting or down so far
off the bike that a victory seems completely out of reach. When they do, I try
to turn my thinking [toward] my body: How are my legs feeling? How’s my
stomach? Do I need more GU? Are my arms relaxed? Am I hydrated? Can I push a
little harder? I make sure everything is in order and firing on all cylinders.
It’s a very practical way to keep myself in the moment.”
Guilty pleasure: Ice cream, burgers, fries, chocolate
and “lots of wine.”
Favorite drink to celebrate with: Milkshakes, margaritas and wine. “Not
all at once, though!”