"ONE MUST SUFFER FOR SUCCESS."

Olympic champion Kate Allen, 36, wants to crown her career with a medal at the Ironman Hawaii on October 21, after placing seventh and fifth in previous editions of the event. In part one of this interview, she talks about her steely preparation, top favorite Natascha Badmann and mental tricks to keep going.

This interview is being made about four weeks before Hawaii, while you’re on Majorca fine-tuning your fitness. How would you describe your training program?

The most important thing is cycle training – I’ve never done so many miles before in my life! We are also testing different wheels, in order to get to grips better with the strong winds on Hawaii. My goal is to improve my time on the bike by ten minutes, that alone would help me finish among the top three.


Which part of your preparation is the most fun, which requires the greatest effort?

Training is terribly hard. If you have a good day it’s fun to spend seven hours on the bike or running for two or three hours. But if you have a bad day, you hate every single minute of it.

Which psychological tricks do you use to keep your “weaker self” at bay?

I don’t have a particular trick, but just keep encouraging myself: “Come on, ten miles to go” or “Come along, grit your teeth for another week, then this training block is done“. And I always keep my goal in mind and tell myself that every training unit done half-heartedly is time wasted on the way to the goal. That motivates.

You subordinate your entire life to a sport that is extemenly demanding both mentally and physically. How would you explain your reasons for submitting to this torture to, for instance, a child?

Hm ... I think I would say that nothing in life is fun alone and that one sometimes has to accept inconveniences and effort in order to achieve something worthwhile, that is important for oneself.

Six-times Ironman winner Natascha Badmann is the top favourite in the battle for victory. Which of her strengths do you admire, which of her weaknesses are you hoping to be able to exploit?

Weaknesses? I don’t think Natascha has any. She is such a hard worker and pays enormous attention to her equipment as well, keeps testing new material and fine-tuning her sitting position on the bike to improve the aerodynamics even more. I watch her very carefully, in order to learn from her findings, but she is always one step ahead.

Although triathletes are considered selfish solo fighters, you both have a caring side: Natascha is Special Representative for UNICEF; you , Kate, trained as a hospital nurse. It seems that attitudes to life in competition and the private sphere don’t have to be connected?

In sport I have to be 100% selfish and 100% professional in oder to be successful. This applies also to the structure in my team, which must be there solely and exclusively for my success. And it also applies to my relationship: Marcel knows that he has to subordinate himself to my sport. But obviously different rules apply outside this environment.