Post Hawaii Interview with Liam Dolan

ST: So Liam, Good weekend?

LD: The whole event was a great experience, absolutely top class. In terms of organisation was a small step up from Austria, but it is the buzz and atmosphere of the event which I am sure no other Ironman can emulate. The race completely takes over the town of Kona, everywhere bike and run companies are handing out stuff while the pros are out and about. Its like tri geek heaven.

ST: You got to Hawaii nearly a week before the race, did all your gear get there ok?

LD Had a really straight forward trip out, everything arrived with me and had no long layovers in airports, Still its a tough journey, Dublin to London, onto LA is 12 hours and LA Kona is another 6 hours. Kona airport is so laid back.

ST: How did you spend your time in the days before the race?

LD Actually a lot of sitting around watching movies on my laptop! Would usually go for a swim at the pier every morning and then hrt bikes and runs. Anyone who had done an Ironman knows that the few days before hand are fairly boring.

ST: Did you stay with other Athletes....like was there a main area where everyone stayed or what was the setup?

LD Everyone seemed  to be in condos along Ali'i Drive. No matter what the time there was someone runnin up and down that road.

ST: Tell us about the day before the race, how you felt, what you did, what the the atmosphere like around?

LD Definitely nervous before hand and also excited. As I said the atmosphere is just electric and there is a tempetation to spend all your time out training and get caught up in the hype. It takes a bit of will power to take a step back from it all and say no I have to relax and rest up before hand.

ST: Alarm goes off the day of the race, what went through your head? (Oh shit or Nice one, lefts go!)

LD Its race day your too nervous/excited to sleep to the alarm! Actually didnt sleep to bad the night before hand. I just tend to wakeup and your onto automatic pilot, know what I need to eat, getting race food ready. The real hype starts when you get down to the pier.

ST: As you say yourself, you swim was bad by your standards, was there any major reason for this, did you get a punch? go off course etc?

LD I wish I could say all of the above but no nothing was wrong. I dont know what happened, my performance in the pool had been dropping off a little of late but I had thought with a good rest my "speed" would come back.

ST: Your bike split was savage, one of the fastest age groupers, with passing so many people did you fear they may come back at you during the run?

LD No that never really crossed my mind, while I had a good bike split its an ironman so you never really going that hard. I was concentrating on geting the salt and calories in.

ST: Was there any friendly faces along the route?

LD Plenty and even one or two Irish. The Americans are great and always have words of support for you. Best thing I saw was someg uy who was in the race pulled over on the side of the road on his mobile. Can you imagine what he was saying "yeah love I'll get some milk on the way home, just have to finish this bike ride and go for a quck run"

ST: The heat seemed to be a major factor along the way for everybody, have you ever experienced anything like it?

LD No the heat was unreal, but a much bigger factor was the humidity, that was the real killer.

ST: How did it feel to be among some of the best triathletes on the planet....at home or overawed?

LD I dont feel I am among the best at anything, except maybe talking crap. Is that a skill?

ST: Did you recognize ay of the elite athletes as you left them behind!

LD I passed a few of the top women on the run. Watching the pros come the other way, they looked just as bad as I felt. You hear all about how Chrissie Wllington never stops smiling, when I saw her at mile 21 of her run she looked like death. Macca looked like he would rather be anywhere else in the world.

ST: The run was bound to be hard after so much effort on the bike, how was it compared to Austria?

LD Mentally is was so tough. It starts in Kona and is really well supported for the first 8/9 miles, people are cheering you on was guys dressed in banana outfits and of course Borat was out in the mankini! Then you hit the Queen K again and the heat is crazy and there is no support, with some 16 miles to go. The Natural Energy Lab is hell on earth!

ST: 2k from home....whats it like, you know your nearly there....whats going through your head

LD I hope I dont fall over going down Palini Road as its steep and my legs are f*%*ed!!!!

ST: and crossing the finish line?

LD Amazing, absolutely amazing. You know you have finished the biggest and probably the hardest event in the sport.

ST: The next day....what was worse, the sunburn or the pain!

LD Actually the next day isnt too bad, it was the day after that again, sunburn, stiffness, aches, little chaffing marks everywhere.

ST: Your staying an extra few days in Hawaii, getting up to anything nice?

LD Hav been deep sea fishing, diving with Mantra Rays, Swimming with Turtles, been to a coffee plantation and as soon as I finish this are leaving for the volcano, so to answer your question....No :-)

ST: Finally Liam, thanks for your time and whats the plans for the winter & next year?

LD Next year not sure yet, winter just keep tipping away at the training.
 
I also want to thank everyone in Setanta for their support, hard to believe the amount of people who spent their Saturday night and Sunday morning looking at a computer to see how some eject was getting on running a round a rock in the ocean on the other side of the world.