If you’re a few weeks or months on from your Ironman A-race and the post-race blues have got you feeling down, you’re probably not alone. Perhaps you’re a multiple-Ironman finisher or Kona alumnus? Regardless of where you sit on the spectrum, if you feel like you’ve reached the pinnacle of your triathlon career, think again. It’s time to talk Ultraman.
 
Ultraman is a three-day stage triathlon, comprised of a 10km swim and 140km bike (Day 1); 281.1km bike (Day 2) and 84.3km run (Day 3). Each day has a cut off time of 12 hours. Unlike Ironman, participants do not have event support and therefore must provide their own support crew (with at least two land-members), including their own swim escort to accompany them during the entire swim portion of the event.
 
The inaugural Ultraman was held on the Big Island of Hawaii in 1983. From its humble beginnings with just three participants, Ultraman races are now held in various locations throughout the world including Brazil, Canada, Spain, Israel, the USA and in Noosa, Australia.
 
In recent years, interest in Ultraman has gained momentum, however participant numbers for each event are capped at 50, and prospective athletes must apply for a slot. Athletes from all walks of life and athletic backgrounds are attracted to this unique stage-race – from professional triathletes to weekend warriors and everyone in between.
 
Given Ultraman Australia 2019 wrapped up recently, you may have (possibly briefly) contemplated whether you have what it takes to step up and take on this epic endurance challenge. So, who better to put your reservations at bay than our own T:Zero Head Coach, current Ultraman World Champion and Ultraman World Record holder Richard Thompson? Not only is Coach Rich an Ultraman specialist in his own right, but Richard and T:Zero Multisport have coached a number of athletes worldwide to achieve their own Ultraman success, including five Ultraman Australia podium place-getters. When it comes to all things Ultraman, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more qualified contributor.
 
We recently asked Coach Rich a few common questions that may have crossed the minds of prospective Ultraman athletes…
 
Q: What makes Ultraman unique or different to anything an athlete may have done before?
​

1. Distance
   The first is obvious. The massive distances across the three disciplines is something you won’t find in a normal triathlon race. Add to this the fact that the race takes place over three consecutive days and you’ve got yourself quite a unique event.  
2. Recovery
   Given the race is staged over three days, the element of recovery becomes crucial – so crucial that it could almost be considered the fourth discipline. In an Ironman, it’s all about the ONE-day performance – it doesn’t matter what state you’re in the next day (and don’t we know it!). Conversely, in a stage-race such as Ultraman, if you’ve had a great day on Day 1 but then fall in a heap on Day 2, you’re not going to have a successful time. The focus in this race needs be on recovery and how you best manage that in enduring the event so you can #liveyourpotential on all three days.  The importance of recovery and the crucial role it plays in the Ultraman puzzle cannot be overstated
3. Team 
   Finally, Ultraman is a TEAM event. No support is provided by the organisers during the event, so each day it’s up to the athlete to bring together their support crew. From the kayaker who must escort you around the swim course, to the people you choose to have in your team support vehicle giving you water, food and encouragement – it’s the outside assistance that makes this event unique. Obviously, in regular triathlons once the gun goes off you’re on your own until the finish line. In Ultraman, you physically couldn’t participate in the event without team support, thus it adds this extra dynamic and challenge of how you manage and bring your team together. What roles exist in your support team? Who takes on each role? It adds another exciting dimension.

 
Q: What are the special aspects of training for an Ultraman that athletes may not have considered?

1. There is no running off the bike required!
   This one is self-explanatory and I’m sure will be music to the ears of many
2. There’s only one transition day
   Day 2 is a complete bike day and Day 3 is a complete run day which leaves only the swim-bike transition on Day 1. This said, it’s certainly an element many athletes don’t focus enough on in training – 10 kilometre swim to 145 kilometre bike - but it’s an element of training that we recommend you pay a lot of attention to. In the lead into the event you should focus heavily on getting your body used to swimming a long way in the water and then immediately being able to jump on the bike and ride.
3. Time spent training
   In terms of time spent training, it is similar to Ironman preparation, perhaps with the exception of the final six weeks where there may be slightly more hours required. This said, there are more complete rest days during Ultraman training, so while the hours may be similar to Ironman training, it’s more about how you place the training that becomes integral. For example, you may have two complete rest days in a week but then the training load is banked over the remaining five days, so perhaps your Friday-Saturday-Sunday training load is massive but you take Thursday and Monday off. Tuesday and Wednesday are your mid-week massive training days. So really, you’re training on only five of seven days but the training hours are very similar to Ironman.
4. The run leg starts fresh on Day 3
   This means you can effectively simulate that same feeling in training without any risk of injury. The biggest issue in Ironman training is that we don’t often get to ride 180km at race pace and then run (say) 25km at race pace and know what it feels like to be at that point in the race. In Ultraman, you can simulate in training how tired your legs will be (or not) on Day 3 and then run fresh, training your body that way.
   
   

Q: Why on earth would someone want to do Ultraman?
The answer lies with athletes who have done their “Ironman thing” or who have already completed another form of long-course/ultra-endurance event and are looking for their next challenge.
 
Stage racing is an incredibly awesome event and a challenging but equally rewarding journey to train for. Ultraman presents as an option for those athletes who are tired of Ironman or perhaps those who have achieved or resolved to set aside their Hawaii aspirations. Ultraman is the next level of seeing what is possible and what you are capable of achieving.
 
When everyone started Ironman (for the people who’ve been in the sport for a while) there was that lure in being genuinely uncertain about whether you could actually DO an Ironman. Now that this has become achievable for many more people, Ultraman becomes the next step –  the opportunity to start a new journey not knowing whether you’re going to be able to go the distance. A new challenge.
 
Q: What are the common misconceptions about Ultraman that may deter prospective athletes?

1. The training load is huge
   Ultraman requires maybe only marginally more training, if not the same, than Ironman. It’s simply about how you position the training during the week. In fact, Ultraman training has the potential to be a more enjoyable journey because you’re able to simulate in training what each race day will feel like. All those question marks Ironman athletes have about how it should feel or what it will feel like on race day are removed.
2. It’s really hard to prepare for…
   Ultraman is not as hard to prepare for as people think. Provided you’ve done an Ironman or two, with enough time and with the right team to support you, you can definitely achieve it. It comes down to your team having the experience and certainly a couple of people in the team knowing you very well. It’s important that your chosen support team have an understanding about what the sport entails. Ultraman is an incredible journey of self-discovery; of team discovery, and I would highly recommend anyone who has reached the end of their Ironman journey and is looking for the next challenge to rip into it.
3. Swimming 10km? GET OUT.
   ​I personally had misconceptions about swimming 10 kilometres, but the body is an amazing thing. You can teach it and train it marginally and with consistency and periodisation whereby you don’t even realise you’re getting it done… and all of a sudden? You’re doing it.

 
So, there you have it. The seed has been planted.
 
Ultraman Australia 2020? Challenge accepted! Superb … follow us this way.
 
If you think you’re up for the challenge or just curious to know more, get in touch with T:Zero Multisport and let us help you reach your next level and #liveyourpotential

Coach Rich says he is a bit of a bad influence when it comes to setting the bar with races.  And he’s right.  Watching my work friend Dave Kalinowski and Richard do Ultraman had certainly lit a tiny little fire in me deep down, and I knew I would love to do Ultraman, but I would never have suggested it.  Partly because it seemed laughable.  And partly because I just couldn’t get my head around running a double marathon. Also because I would never have put my hand up for a goal I wasn’t sure I could achieve!

So, when I sat down after my first IM and said “You see my data.  What should I do next?” and Richard said, “Have you ever thought about doing Ultraman?” it was probably like throwing accelerant on that little ember! I muttered about the double marathon and he assured me that he knew I could do this race.  Yes – he is undoubtedly a bad influence.  But without that influence I would have missed out on an amazing and life changing race that must surely have been the athletic highlight of my life!

I thought about doing a traditional race report, but nobody needs to hear the blow by blow about how much I swore when I found I had no gears on day 2, or how I nearly threw up my gel at the 70km mark of the run, so this is more about the things that I think were critical to success in the event and the ways in which it changed me.

1. Just do it! So this sounds a bit Nike advert, but one of the very best things I did was train on the Day 2 course on Easter Saturday.  It was the most shitty, wet, windy, miserable day.  I got on the bike and it rained.  My knicks were full of road grit, my bike’s drivetrain sounded awful (despite getting cleaned and re-lubed twice during the day) and I just kept grinding it out.  I was at the 214km mark of this 240km training day, when I got a flat on a piece of glass on the road at Coolum.  I didn’t see the glass in time because it was getting dark early due to the weather.  I pulled over and checked – yep – a flat rear tire.  Duane pulled in behind me and jumped out ready to change it.  And it started to pour raining.  I told him in no uncertain terms that I was done.  It was dark.  It was raining.  And I was done.  214km was going to have to be enough that day.  I was busy beating myself up over cutting the session short.  But Richard sent a message that I had battled well. And then Dave smartened me up at work telling me that those sorts of days are good for the legs and good for the head.  And besides, I was out there when nobody else was. And he was right.  It was a very tough day out there.  And when I lost my gears on Day 2 and was looking down a very long and sad day on the same course, that hideous day stood me in such good stead.  Because I had been hit with far worse already and I had survived.  So I was able to keep on going.
2. It’s Ok to lose your shit sometimes.  Just don’t unpack and live there! When I found myself without gears at the start of Day 2 (looks like when they changed my wheel back over after my Day 1 flat tire, it must have dislodged the cable outer) it was a pretty big moment.  I had two usable gears on the big ring, and three usable gears on the small ring.  All were in the middle of the block.  So nothing for top end speed and nothing for climbing hills!  Bugger!  I saw the race slip away from me.  I saw a year of hard work result in an unfinished race and no medal for the wall.  I saw another year of hardship for the household while I chased unfinished business.  And, worst of all, the little voice in my head said, “well at least you have a good excuse now for not getting in on time Day 2!”  It was going to be a tough ask for me to get in on Day 2 as it was without that noise going on in my head!  I did allow myself a small tantrum.  The toys were thrown around in the cot a bit while I asked my crew to find a bike mechanic and start prepping my back up bike in case I needed it.  They did ask (rather ill-advisedly) where they could find a bike mechanic.  I have to admit yelling at them, “How the f*ck would I know?  Why are you f*cking asking me?”  Probably my worst moments.  But then the officials were waiting at 40km and they took a quick look and one of them managed to do a barrel adjustment that at least got me the bottom gears.  I was back in business, because I could at least get up the hills with some comfort.  I launched up the hill towards Cooroy and started to regroup.  I had truly turned myself inside out pedalling those couple of gears during the early sector, as this was the nice flat ‘free speed’ section where I was supposed to build a nice buffer in my average speed to be eaten up by the coming hills!  I had blown my power plan and I had to get back on track.  I decided to press ‘Lap’ so I could concentrate on regrouping in the next section of the course and get back on track with the power plan.  I used this strategy multiple times during this long day.  In preparation for this event, I relearned “The Man From Snowy River” and it copped a serious reciting at various points of this day.  It really resonated in me that the underestimated ‘stripling on a small and weedy beast’ came through in the end, as I would also come through.
3. Things happen for a reason.  Obviously it was not ideal to lose gears.  And it was absolutely wonderful that the Event Director from Mexico’s UM race was a half decent bike wrangler and was able to get me some gears back.  But I still could not access my top three cogs.  This meant I was effectively speed limited (under my own steam) to 30km/h at a cadence of 92+rpm.  I’m here to tell you that my thighs (which are a bit like Arnie’s) are not really good for 92+rpm for extended periods of time.  Once I got to 100km left to go, and I had done enough maths to convince myself that a serious effort would get me home in time, I had little choice but to use every bit of downhill to the max, pedal like hell in my hardest gear until I couldn’t sustain the cadence anymore, and then coast until my speed dropped to about 32km/h and then start to pedal like hell again.  Not really ideal for the big old time trial up the coast to home with a nice tailwind!  But it was the only choice I had and I took it, and I made it with 15minutes to spare.  The good thing was, that if I had had all my hardest gears, in all reality I would still have flogged it home, in a much harder gear, maybe got home 5 minutes quicker, but would almost certainly have cooked my quads and glutes for the next day’s run. Instead I spun like a demon and had legs left for the next day. Happy ending!
4. You need to rely on people.  I have always been independent, self-regulating, a bit OCD, basically pretty difficult to take care of.  I like to look after my own self and I find it hard to trust that anybody will do what needs to be done as well as I can, or the way that I like it done.  But you cannot do this race yourself.  I chose my sister to be my crew captain.  She is so like me it hurts.  I could not have had anybody else do it.  She was magnificent.  But it was very difficult for me to let go and trust that they would have the right stuff in the right place when it was needed.  I made lists.  I wrote plans.  I bought supplies.  I had stationary.  I had crates and containers.  I had spares of all sorts of things.  It was all sorted.  But I still found it hard to trust.  By the end of the first day I was so tired I could hardly think straight and I had to let it all go.  I did.  I have amazing friends, an amazing partner, an amazing child, an amazing sister.  They took care of me perfectly.  It was a huge growth in me to rely on them.  They kept me on pace.  They got me home in time on three out of three days.  They did it with good humour.  Some of them cried because they were so invested in my dream.  What more could you ever ask of your family and friends.  They. Were. Awesome!
5. Damn I love this body (and mind).  I am guilty. I hate being fat shamed.  And yet I am most guilty of doing it to myself.  I’m ok until I see a photo or a mirror, because I feel much trimmer than I really am.  It’s some really weird kind of reverse body dysmorphia! But when I turn up events like this, I feel like an old Mack Truck turning up to a Maserati convention!  I look at the inevitable group photo at the end of the training camp or event and think “Wow! One of those things is not like the other things!  One of those things just doesn’t belong!” (with due thanks to Sesame Street there).  And I felt no different turning up here – quite intimidated really.  But I did all of the training.  I was meticulously prepared.  I got out there and gave it everything.  Damnit – I ran the equivalent of running from Aspley to Mooloolaba Surf Club (so Rich tells me) and did a PB for the marathon on the way!  I was physically strong.  And I was mentally tough.  I looked after my body and arrived on race day uninjured.  I made it through the course on time every day.  I ran the whole second marathon with a torn calf and hardly gave away any time on my first marathon.  I was the oldest chick in the field and I was not the last finisher.  I got the job done.  And for once, I am so proud of this body and this mind and what they can do together.
6. The mushy stuff.  I am an engineer.  I love my facts and figures.  I worship at the altar of logic and reason.  I am not generally so much one for the sentimental.  People talked about the Ohana – the family feeling of this event.  People said how anybody who has done it becomes ‘one of the family.’  I kind of went, “Well yeah.  But that’s for other people.  The people that belong.” (See point 5 – I’m an idiot).  But I have to say this race was life changing.  There were only 50 people in the field.  And as many again in the organising crew.  And probably 3 times that many in support crews.  I have never in my life felt such an outpouring of support in an event.  People helped each other.  Crews supported other teams’ athletes. I have never been hugged by so many tall buff strangers in all my life, who called me by name and told me what an amazing job I did.  And they meant it!  One lady came up to me at the presentation dinner and told me, in all earnestness, that she had to leave early, but that she had followed me (because her athlete was just behind me a lot) for three days, and she couldn’t leave without telling me that I have the best calves she has ever seen!  Bloody hilarious!  For some reason it didn’t seem to matter that I suffered a bit slower than most out there, the suffering has made me a part of that family and they made me feel like I belong.  And like I earned my medal and trophy like everybody else.  I’m a Maserati on the inside!
7. Preparation again – because it is the most important thing.  I was icy calm.  I waited, as I did at my first Ironman, for the nervousness to start.  To get edgy and worry about whether “I had this!”  It didn’t arrive.  I think it boils down to the fact that I have total trust that Rich would never let me roll up to the start line without being prepared.  As I did at that first IM, I stood there in my wetsuit to start this race, and I was as cool as a cucumber.  Each day I woke up and checked how I felt.  My body felt good (because I was really well prepped for multiple long days of suffering).  I felt a bit tired mentally, and once or twice uttered the “Do I have to do this again!?” But really, it lasted but a minute and I just figured it was like another training day and off I went.  And it was fine.  Thanks Rich – looks like I can do anything you say I can!

 
So now I just need to realise that it is done.  It wasn’t just another big long training weekend (where Steve Foster helped me down the stairs onto the boardwalk at the end – OMG major fan moment!) but the real thing.  I achieved what I set out to do.  I am an Ultraman.  It’s just taking a really long time to sink in.  I quietly went back to swim squad this morning, and when I poked my head up at the end of my first 100m the whole squad was clapping because Codie (Grimsey) had told them what I had done.  Embarrassing! Nup – still hasn’t sunk in! 😊

​My world-beating race nutrition strategy & tips for Mooloolaba Triathlon race nutrition
 By Richard Thompson 

​Triathlon can be an incredibly complex sport with so many different elements affecting an athlete’s race-day performance. Elements such as preparation and managing injury spring to mind, amongst others.  
 
At T:Zero Multisport, we do everything possible to get you to the race in your best possible shape. But once you arrive at the start line, you can’t possibly get any fitter. Only three things can impact the outcome of the day for any athlete:

1. Pacing
2. Mindset
3. Nutrition

Whilst any of our coaches are more than happy to discuss pacing strategy and provide you with the tools to take your mindset and make it a weapon, it’s your race day nutrition that I want to focus on in this article.   
 
Nutrition is something we certainly hold dear to us at T:Zero Multisport. Head Coach and Co-Founder Scotty Farrell is a qualified nutritionist and I was so grateful to have him in my corner for the Ultraman World Championships, particularly when it came to developing a plan of attack for my race-day nutrition. Further, having such a wonderfully long-standing relationship with CLIF Bar Australia, it wasn’t difficult to find the right nutrition within their extensive range to suit the plan that Scotty had developed for me.  Indeed, their help enabled me to live my potential in Hawaii last November.
 
Fuelling during an Ultraman is different to a standard Olympic distance triathlon in that you have the opportunity to fuel during the swim with the assistance of an escort in a kayak paddling next to you and further, there is no run off either portion of the bike leg; the result being that you can afford to eat heavily in the backend of the ride knowing that you won’t be running until the Day 3 double marathon. For Ultraman, our fuelling plan was based on grams of carbohydrate per hour.
 
 
SWIM – DAY 1 (10km)
 
In the swim, our plan of attack was to hit roughly 60 grams of carbohydrate per hour. Following the adage that one should consume small amounts often as opposed to a large amount at once, I was aiming to fuel myself with 15 grams of carbohydrate every 15 minutes (versus having one big hit of 60 grams at the one-hour mark). There are obvious benefits to this, most notably not overloading the stomach when you want your blood to be directed to other parts of the body as opposed to your digestive system only.
 
Obviously, it’s pretty difficult to chew under water and I didn’t want to stop swimming completely so the Citrus CLIF Shot Energy Gel (with 25mg caffeine) was my go-to here. To prepare, I squeezed the required amount into a drink bottle and added water, shaking it up until it became one consistent liquid. I then marked the bottle, indicating where I’d need to drink to for each 15-minute increment. This had worked perfectly for Ultraman Australia where we broke the world record and again worked well in Hawaii at the World Championships.
 
BIKE – DAY 1 (145km)
 
Both Day 1 and Day 2 were very similar in that we were trying to hit 80 grams of carbohydrates per hour. Again, I was aiming to digest something every 5 to 10 minutes, following the principle that consuming carbohydrates when your body is working hard is a lot easier when they’re ingested in small increments as opposed to one large hit. 
 
I managed to execute my bike nutrition plan with precision on Day 1, consuming only the CLIF Bloks in Mountain Berry, Strawberry and Margarita (extra sodium boost) flavours, aiming to take-in 1.5 packets per hour (roughly).
 
Once I crossed the finish line on Day 1, I went straight into recovery on the wind trainer to ensure I cooled down effectively, not dissimilar to how professional cyclists warm down during the big cycling tours. I also immediately consumed both carbohydrates and protein in the form of CLIF Bar’s greatest flavour of all time – Chocolate Almond Fudge.
 
BIKE – DAY 2 (275km)
 
We always knew Day 2 on the bike was going to be a long day, and during the first half of the ride my heart rate and effort was going to be much more controlled than in the back half. Therefore, whilst we were trying to maintain 75 to 80 grams of carbohydrate per hour, we were happy to consume some more solid food in the first hour of the day. This constituted a combination of CLIF Bars and the ever-trusty vegemite sandwich. Once I began climbing up the volcano (a 40km climb), I diverted to my Day 1 method of 1.5 packets of CLIF Bloks per hour. This continued until the latter stages of the day, whereby – for a complete variation - I changed to a bottle of diluted CLIF Shot Energy Gels.
 
This strategy and well-paced nutrition plan not only allowed me to feel full of energy but also maximised my ability on the bike without having sluggish side-effects at any point in time.
In the final 40 kilometres of the bike leg, I managed to average 303 watts; and this was after 7.5 hours of hard riding. I attribute a lot of this to both a well-developed nutrition plan and high quality nutrition products that complemented it perfectly.     
 
RUN – DAY 3 (84.4km)
 
A much more difficult prospect came in the form of the double marathon run from Hawi to Kona (point to point) on Day 3. Again, the plan of attack was to hit 70 to 75 grams of carbohydrates per hour. Throughout the day I relied solely upon CLIF Bloks, moving to Coke only in the latter stages of the run.  
 
Often, it’s not until the run leg that we as athletes get “found-out” on a nutrition level. On the bike, it’s generally always too early to know whether or not you’ve paced your nutrition well. Too much nutrition and you’re going to feel bloated as you head off out of T2, but too little and you’re going to feel lightheaded and despondent.  Whenever I feel that my mind is turning negative on the run, my first thought is to my nutrition. In my experience, the mind turning against you is the first trigger that you may need more fuel and it’s a good reminder to ask yourself how well you’re fuelling at that current moment in time.
 
My race at the Ultraman World Championships was executed with precision by my entire team and we were thrilled to cross that finish line in first place, in such a great state. While I couldn’t walk properly for a few days following, at no point in the race did I feel like I had a carbohydrate deficit or surplus. We planned and implemented our nutrition strategy to perfection and I am so thankful to CLIF Bar Australia for helping me perform at my peak.
 
Nutrition Tips for Mooloolaba Triathlon   
 
Pre-Swim

• If you’re an athlete that requires something solid in their stomach before a swim, lean towards the CLIF Bars. The quantity of bar consumed will vary depending on what you’ve practiced in your training
• Most athletes swim in the morning in training so this is a great opportunity to test your nutrition plan that you want to implement within an hour of your swim start on race day  
• If you don’t like or need something solid in your stomach, go with a portion of a CLIF Shot Energy Gel or a couple of the CLIF Bloks to get extra carbohydrates in your system before the gun goes off

T1

• This is not a time for fuelling
• Focus on controlling your heart rate and intensity and ready yourself for the ride
• A sip of water here is all you need

 
Bike

• Implement the carbohydrates/hour that you want to aim for (anywhere between 60 and 80 carbohydrates per hour is your honey hole here) but give yourself 5 to 10 minutes of leeway at the start of the bike to get your legs used to the ride
• Similarly, back off the nutrition in the last 5 minutes before you head into the run
• Consume CLIF Bloks or CLIF Shot Energy Gels during this leg

 
T2

• Another great opportunity to control your heart rate and intensity
• Focus on the job at hand which is getting your running shoes on and yourself out onto the run course

 
Run

• This will be largely dependent upon how you fuel with your runs off the bike in training, but, especially at Mooloolaba, I like to hit some carbohydrates when I’m running down the hill the first time. It provides a perfect opportunity to lessen your intensity and consume some carbohydrates – remember – small portions more often is much better than large amounts infrequently
• Avoid taking in too many carbohydrates when running back up the hill (into town) but again – small amounts often. I suggest CLIF Shot Energy Gels. If you find they are too thick, throw a couple into a flask with some water and shake to dilute
• If you’re well-nourished leading to the last climb up the hill before the finish line, then you’ll have enough on board to get you to the end in one piece

 
As always, when it comes to nutrition the overall principle is: do not try anything new on race day. Practice makes perfect so keep testing your nutrition and honing your plan until you’re 100% confident it’s right for you; then you won’t go wrong. 
 
T:Zero Multisport wishes everyone all the best for their training. Stay safe, and have a wonderful race at Mooloolaba.