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Torbjørn Sindballe On Kona Qualifying, New Business Ventures And The Future Of Ironman

  • By Super Administrator
  • Published Feb 22, 2011

Triathlete.com: What do you miss most about racing? What about specifically racing in Kona?

Sindballe was considered one of the great scientists of the sport and was constantly searching for ways to cool his 6'3" frame during hot races.

Sindballe: Being a pro athlete is intense as you are living your dream 24/7 year-round. You need to commit your mind and body to race the best of the best at one race each year where everything is at stake. Not only the time and energy put into the process, but also your livelihood, social sacrifice and more that is invested in the fight to win or reach the ultimate dream of the perfect race. While there are many joys of being able to pursue a strictly personal dream and the lifestyle surrounding it, the pressure is what makes it so intense and sends you on an emotional rollercoaster, which is hard to replicate in normal life both positively and negatively.

I missed that intensity for quite a while. I missed the feeling of being in great shape hammering down the road untouchable and running to eternity. I missed the feeling of crossing the line having given everything with no regrets. At the same time, however, I also found many upsides to not living in such strict routines and boxes as needed when training all the time. I have found much more time for my family and I have a better balance in life, which is equally rewarding, just in another dimension. I love the work I am doing now and I still enjoy going for a swim, a run or a bike ride reconnecting with myself in the beatify of nature when time permits. I still follow the sport and actually still feel the excitement over the upcoming race season and look forward to follow my athletes as they race around the world.

Triathlete.com: Who do you think are the future champions of Ironman?

Sindballe: The sport is evolving fast these days and the current crop of champions is all in their late 30s, which is probably close to the end for most of them. Ironman is no doubt a sport that requires many years to perfect, and over the years we have seen an influx from Olympic and 70.3 distances that has turned up the heat at the front of the race culminating so far last year with the Macca/[Andreas] Raelert duel. You can no longer have a weak swim or a weak leg at all; you need to be well-rounded, solid, world-class across the board. You need to be able to build consistently from year to year and not burn yourself out from overtraining or overracing.

The one who stands out currently on the men’s side is Michael Raelert as he is five to eight years younger than all the others and has the potential to win Kona already at this stage. There are also several 70.3 names waiting to step up like Joe Gambles and Tim O’Donnell, which will be interesting to watch, but I also believe there is some hidden talent in ITU racing that will make a significant impact when or if they decide to go for the full distance. The Ironman champ who started and ended his career doing 140.6 miles is gone. Those who hone their speed for years before entering the “mega-mileage” world of Ironman and don’t forget to maintain their quickness are the future champions.

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Super Administrator

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