Interview – Beyond Going Long 1st Feb 2013
Recently I was delighted to be interviewed by the very popular UK and Irish long distance triathlon website, Beyond Going Long. Here is a copy of the interview. Check out www.beyondgoinglong.co.uk for all the latest goings on in the long distance triathlon world.
Alan Ryan – Ireland’s Kona podium athlete
Irish age-grouper Alan Ryan, is a triathlete with a very special record. To date, he is the only Irishman from the Republic of Ireland who has ever stood on a Kona podium, and right now he is looking to go two places better by taking an age-group world title at Ironman Hawaii 2013.
Last week, I interviewed Liam Dolan, and afterwards I was sent many emails and tweets asking that I add Alan to the site, pointing out he is one of Ireland’s greats in terms of character and achievement over the long distance. I found a wonderful interviewee, who had raced many of the worlds biggest tri’s and is still super motivated whilst competing in 45-49 and provided a fascinating insight into his world of triathlon.
Enjoy the interview.
Hi Alan. I recently interviewed Liam Dolan, who described your Kona performances as ‘phenomenal’ – tell us a bit about your experiences on the big island and your top performances that you have had out there.
Yeah I read that interview, it was very decent of him to say so and Liam the cheque is in the post.
I have always come away from the Big Island very pleased with how things have gone. The bike and run courses suit me – there is very little cornering and it’s nice and hot. I have raced there three times, 07, 09 and 12. In 07 the trip doubled up with my wedding.
Before going over in 2007, I had seen all the video clips of meltdowns and crawl offs on the Queen K and Ali’i Drive. I figured if it could happen to Macca and Paula Newby Fraser it was probably going to happen to me. Even though it was to be my fourth Ironman I have to admit to being a little scared in the lead up and rather intimidated by all the real athletes milling around, not to mention their bling.
My swim was relatively slow but my bike pulled me well up the field. I had buttonholed Dave Scott at the Expo a few days previously for some bike advice. I expected him to say just take it easy and save yourself for the run, but of course he didn’t. He suggested I just go for it on the bike – so I did.
I took the first half of the marathon very easy then picked the pace up. I finished without having to crawl and immediately started to think about how I was going to get back to do it all again. Macca didn’t have a melt down either and won his first World Championship. A relative unknown named Chrissie Wellington claimed the women’s title.
In 09 I went back and meant business. Ten minutes before the swim start I was up at the front. By the time the gun went off I had lost my nerve and moved well back. But my confidence came back as the race progressed and despite having to stop five times including once for a flat tyre I finished strongly. I was shocked with my result. To finish on the podium in my age group was never on the radar.
My preparations for 2012 were disrupted for the first seven months of the year by a non-sleeping baby and toddler, but luckily I managed some very good training in August and September when their sleeping patterns changed. The way things are with the family at the moment I have had to forego a lot of the long rides I used to do and instead move much of my cycling indoors; sneaking in an hour or two whenever the kids were sleeping. I landed in Hawaii fit and in good shape but with little endurance in the cycle legs.
Despite the setbacks I still had ambitions for my race. It was my first time travelling alone and I could only justify the time away from my family if I was going there to do my best and really compete.
More so than any other race I find Kona is raced in your head. The wind coming back on the Queen K this year was very nasty and the lack of long rides was making itself known to my legs as I fought against it. Never before was I so close to sitting up or even getting off the bike – but my head kept me in. Once on the run I felt much better and ran well for me and finished strongly. I took great pleasure in overtaking Laurent Jalabert coming out of the Energy Lab. That was probably the highlight of my race, especially after the speed with which he tore past me on the bike.
Overall I was delighted with my race and how deep I had to go on the bike and still managed to overtake nearly 1000 other competitors. My swim was my slowest yet but my previous two swims in Kona were in the now outlawed neoprene swim skins. This year I was just sporting a trisuit so I wasn’t too surprised or disappointed. My only problem with my performance is that I finished feeling too good and I am now wondering if I settled a bit on the run and could have pushed harder.
I found out that I came third when my father rang me from home with the result. I didn’t trust his internet skills so waited for Eimear to confirm before I believed him.
My only little gripe about what is a brilliant race and experience is the new addition of a number of extra professional only aide stations on the marathon. With the thirty minute head start it is already turning into a different race for the professionals. The early start for them does make sense but I would like to see everything else a level playing field.
You have a string of age-group titles to your name and have raced at some of the biggest events in Europe. Which race is your favourite out there?
It never ceases to impress me the amount of organisation that goes into putting on a long distance triathlon and I can honestly say I have enjoyed every race I have done. They have all had their own individual character and charm.
I have been to both Roth and Austria -two of the bigger races out there- a number of times. Austria is stunning and the first race I did, so it has a special appeal. But if I was forced to choose it would be between two of the smaller races I have completed and both of them are no more. I did Ironman UK in 2008, the last time it was in Sherborne and even though it was not my type of course at all and it was just grey and cold I had great fun on the day and really liked the Ccountry fete feel to it. Ironman Regensburg last year was also a relatively small event but the organisation and location were top class. I think I would probably have to go for Regensburg, but if Challenge Barcelona were to move their run course to the beach front then that might just edge it!
You’ve stated on your website that your ambition is to win your age group in Kona. How far away do you feel from hitting this ambition and what do you need to do to take that next step?
I like to think it’s in me.
When I first got on the podium in 09 I thought it was a fluke but to do it again and improve by two places on my next visit to the Big Island has given me a little more belief in myself. Funnily enough I think my performance in 09 although a little slower was still the better one.
The first two in my age group this year were a good few minutes ahead of me and even if I had swam a lot faster and had been aware of my position during the run there was no way I could have closed the gap.
If I am going to win my age group I need to find time across all three disciplines and I think I can. My bike and run training will benefit by the fact the sleepless nights seem to be over for now. My swim needs a lot of specialist attention which I will get and I have never spent enough time in the pool, something I am now rectifying.
My bike offers the best potential time improvements. I don’t intend to change much here except to hopefully get a little more time in the saddle on a few local mountains.
Hawaii was the first time I managed to get a complete GPS file for my marathon. It pointed to areas especially just after every aide stations where I appeared to lose concentration and my pace dropped off significantly until I very consciously had to pick it up again. If I can save a little bit of time here and there, it might all add up over the whole race to something significant – hopefully.
What races will you be doing this year and what will you be looking to take away from them?
Everything is still up in the air at the moment for this season. If I can put the support in place I would love another crack at Kona and my whole season would revolve around trying to qualify and achieve something there.
I have a much younger but not quite so handsome brother Justin doing Ironman Switzerland this year and I would love to do that race and keep an eye on him. Justin is based in London and has ambitions to qualify for Kona down the road. I think he has the ability too; he just needs to get his head right and learn to hurt a little more. Apparently there are still a few spots left for Switzerland so I have to decide soon.
If Hawaii is not feasible, I would lean towards a late season long distance race somewhere closer, maybe chase a good time instead. I hope to do a few halves here in Ireland and in the UK where I can fire up the brother a bit, especially if I don’t make Ironman Switzerland with him.
You arrived to triathlon as a relative veteran to the sport and have had great success. Do you ever wonder what might have been had you raced in your twenties or lived as an athlete from an earlier age?
Sometime I wonder what might have been if some git had not nicked my bike back in 1979 and why it took me nearly twenty five years to replace it. The eighties would have been a great time to get involved in triathlon. There were some big races in Ireland at the time. Internationally even though it was a new sport it was a golden age for triathlon.
I was living in a tree in outback Australia the day Mark Allen and Dave Scott had their epic battle. I was totally unaware of it and was more concerned about keeping my beer cool (placed in a wet sock and hung from a branch does the trick nicely) and rationing my meagre smoke supply.
Sometimes now as I am daydreaming on my turbo trainer I picture a younger version of myself; after a crap swim sneaking up behind Dave and Mark and getting the jump on the two of them – just before Mark makes his deceive move at the aid station.
But I get a lot enjoyment from competing now. It’s good for me and maybe I wouldn’t enjoy it so much if it had been more than just a pastime. There is no point looking back, I am enjoying the present and feel very lucky. I am proud of what I achieved and like how things have turned out. I am not actually very competitive and I don’t live at all as an athlete. If I am going to progress perhaps I should be more competitive and a little more professional about my training and diet, for a while anyway.
What ambitions remain for you in the sport? Do you aim to continue your competitive record in iron-distance racing?
As long as I am healthy and can keep training a bit I will continue to race. I am lucky with injury, I have the usual niggles, aches and pains that are all constantly under care and maintenance but they never prevent me training for too long.
Iron distance racing will always be my preference. I enjoy the rhythm, the mind games with myself and the challenge of racing for hours on end that the distance commands.
I should have gone sub nine in 2011. Despite a few problems I got close and was fine with that but its beginning to annoy me now and as I said earlier I can’t really leave it with a third place at the World Championships and not have another go. I still have a lot to learn and there is plenty of room for improvement across all three disciplines.
Racing so often as an age grouper must be challenging, what support networks, training support and any sponsors do you have on the scene to help you meet your athletic ambitions?
I would love to be able to thank all my sponsors but I can’t because I don’t have any. I do have a great and very understanding beautiful wife Eimear and two very young children who are far too innocent to realise I am raiding their college funds to pursue my dreams. Hopefully they will understand when they get older.
I have met a lot of great people in this sport who have helped me out, offered advice and lent me stuff when needed. I have been happy to do the same where I could. Special mention must go to my brother Ferg for his bikes, Dave Lonnen from Frome coaching for the run programme last year, James Dooley and Margaret Sinnott for their tireless efforts to teach me to swim properly. Thanks to Kelly’s Hotel in Rosslare for letting me put my bike in their Sauna a couple of times and the Waterfront in Enniscorthy for the swim time in the lead up to Kona.
If I am to get back to Kona and have a serious crack at the top spot on the podium I would need help and am open to all sponsorship offers. It would be fun and mutually beneficial I have no doubt.
Thanks so much Alan, it’s been as pleasure and best wishes to you and your brother this season.
