ULTRAMAN 101 - are you up for the ultimate challenge?

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?
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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