Go behind the scenes with Kat Matthews, Kristian Høgenhaug, Harry Palmer, and Lizzie Rayner as they prepare to take on IRONMAN 70.3 Swansea in the latest episode of A Fighting Chance presented by HOKA.
From race-week routines to mindset and motivation, we follow these pros as they chase valuable points in the IRONMAN Pro Series on one of the UK’s most scenic courses.
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Heat. Heat. [Music] I’m already four weeks deep in my Kona block and Laura Phillip is now four weeks behind. But I’m totally focusing on myself. [Music] Good morning, C. Hello. How are you? I’m okay, thank you. Beautiful day. Um, just been for a little swim. Um, we’re going to head out on the bike course mainly, so a couple of hours. Um, a bit more than I’d probably do normally during race week, but I’m going to try and ride some of the hills properly. Um, and yeah, just have a look at some of the turns, make sure that I’m taking speed off appropriately, things like that. So, yeah, that’s really it. And then chill out a little bit. The gear back from which race? I don’t know. Where is our number three at? So, Texas. Texas was a great first race of the season. Everything’s smooth. Great to take the win. Since Hamburg, everything has gone adequately. Goodness. Sun cream in the UK. First time ever, right? Approximately. Yeah. I’m preparing for Kona. Um, and that started after I feel like I sort of recovered from Hamburg. So, this race is part of the pro series. I’m fit, I’m healthy, I’m raring to go. And I’ve been training for about consistently for I guess about three weeks now. So I’m sort of end of a training block as my sort of base prep for Kona in 12 weeks time. Yeah. So Pro Series overall win or at least as close as possible to the front without any uh risk to um my sort of health I guess. But my personal goals I guess are um the ones that I can control. So things like my intensity level uh and effort on the bike is the biggie. Like I’d really like to um put some effort down on the bike and sort of see where that puts me in the race to then run. But it’s a very I think arrogant thing to think that you can control elements of a race like this. There’s so many other dynamics going on. There’s some really good swimmers here. I don’t know how that will affect the rest of the cycle like the packs on the bike. whether there will be packs cuz the hills the depth is sort of statistically very deep don’t know so yeah I think that that will affect how the race goes [Music] well we don’t want to keep you too much from your your pre-race uh training what you got plans I was just going to go get ice cream actually to be honest [Music] There he is. Seeing you guys there. How are you doing? I’m good, mate. How are you, mate? What’s happening? Well, just out for my final prep session before 70.3 Swansea this weekend. And uh yeah, it’s pretty warm, not going to lie, mate. Returning champ. Returning champ. Yeah. Uh this year although it is going to be pro series so competition is quite a lot harder than last year. Not to say last year was easy but this year it’s going to be different gravy but I’m really looking forward to getting stuck in and uh just yeah giving everything I got. I think yeah there’s some amazing guys on the start list. But my main competition Leon Shiovalier and Freddy Web. So Leon, I I really want to beat him because I train with him every single day and so yeah, as long as I beat Leon, I’ll be happy. But I can’t underestimate the raging bull, Freddy Web. He could do damage. So there’s plenty of guys on the start list. Um and I’m just really looking forward to getting stuck in. Perfect scenario would be I out swim by a few minutes. He will There’s a very good bike course for Leon, so he is a really good cyclist, so he’ll probably put in a little bit of time to me. Hopefully not too much. He is a better runner than me, but I like my chances on the day. So, if I Yeah, I reckon I reckon I can have him. But he is a fierce competitor. He will not give me anything. As soon as the gun goes, he’s not pulling any punches. He is going to go full ham. So, I’m going to have to give it everything I got. You’re not going to get much benefit from sitting in. you will in some situations on the bike course, but I think for the most part it’s a strong riders course and it’s it’s a very difficult course and so I do back myself to do fairly well. I don’t think you’re if you’re someone who likes to sit in and and surf the wheels, I think you you will struggle a little bit. So, it is going to be difficult. It’s an amazing course. Uh really challenging. Um tough British conditions. Um although we’re going to have lovely sun hopefully on the weekend, so not quite British conditions. Um, and the spectating is absolutely amazing. So, it’s it’s a really great race venue. People people come out in force and they support and I think the Welsh do an amazing job of that and it’s yeah, it’s just an awesome race. So, I’m really looking forward to it. I just need to make the right decisions on race day and then hopefully the body will the body will deliver and follow. You made it. Finish. How’s the heat? She’s warm today. She’s warm, but it’s probably going to be like this on race day, so better get used to it. Yeah. Time for a iced coffee and a Coke, I reckon. No ice cream. Maybe no ice cream. Maybe don’t get it on camera. I’ll probably have one. [Music] Echo, come here. This is Ekko. This is my little training partner, confidant, therapist, best friend. [Music] Hello. Welcome to England. How’s my acting? Perfect. But yeah, we’re in um southwest of the UK near near Bath. It’s the easiest way to describe it for most people. Swansea in 2022 was my first pro race. This will be my fourth year. I’d say third full year. So Swansea in 22 was my first second ever middle distance race, first pro race. So really jumped in at the deep end there. Oh my god, I love it. Sometimes we just come and sit down here and just do this all for a couple of hours. It’s quite nice head space as well actually. I mean obviously yeah local local race so that’s idea. We’ve got family quite nearby which is nice but equally it does suit me. I quite like a bit of climbing and obviously it’s the kind of like we the road surfaces are what we get to ride on every day and um those short punchy climbs are basically what the UK is made of. So it kind of it suits me and also the the crowd is just amazing. I don’t know if it’s the heritage of I’m Wales but um it’s always everyone shows up. Don’t know what to do with my face. That’s nice. You had a look at the star list. Yeah. Obviously Cat’s shoe in favorite and then I think because there’s a probably a few of us that could fight for the rest the other two spots on the podium really because we we’ve seen you set a new 10k PB what? Yeah, it has been a focus um this year I think. Um I’ve been really lucky touchwood that I’ve actually had some really good consistency with the running and um I feel like I’m running the best I ever I’ve ever run on a flat course. might might not suit me as well as a twisty turny hilly, but we’ll see. Quite good technically and I’m quite a good descender. So, I think actually having don’t actually have that much fear. So, on a course like this, it probably suits me quite well. What’s the story with the tattoo? I said get I’d get a tattoo when I got my first pro win. So, uh when I won in Qashqai, Portugal, the day after my friend Estee and I went to the tattoo parlor. It’s um Santa Maria Lighthouse. It’s like on the wrong course. I’ve got a really cool picture of me running by it. I think for Swansea, knowing how hard that first 30k is that actually that could make a real difference. Um I’m not going to give away all of my secrets, but equally it’s it’s now like looking at course and knowing when’s the best place to actually fuel and take in energy cuz obviously Cat’s really good like a proper powerhouse. It’ be fun to see what she how she rides this course. Um it’d be cool to try and go with her, but how long that’ll last, I don’t know. [Music] I I literally have no idea where the body will be on Sunday. [Music] There he is. How are you? Good. You? Yeah. All right. Get the the bike assembled and then check out the course and the cows and the sheeps. I think there’s a bit bit to be gain like just having ridden the course at least at least once. Would you say Frankfurt is like deepest you’ve ever gone in a race? Yeah, close. Yeah, probably. I would say it’s on my top three on how uh on on the like soreness in the legs after I would say normally after nine man I would really prioritize recovery and not be afraid to lose any fitness. And of course, I’ve also had to prioritize recovery, but I’ve gotten into training a lot quicker than I normally would. And then with the goal that I can then yeah, just one or two easy days leading into the race and then hope that that is enough then to be ready to race. And also my my biggest fear is like after this race I have another week where I also would like just to get into training quite fast again because otherwise it would be like a taper week leading into Frankfurt. uh a recovery week after then a taper week leading into Swansea and then a recovery/t leading into Lake Placid and then a recovery period after and then quickly it becomes 4 weeks without any real training. So therefore we are trying to not force but also a bit force the the body back into training. Heat. Heat. N. [Music] [Music] [Music]
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