All roads lead to Port Macquaire in New South Wales so far as intrepid Dubai triathletes Julie Hall and Neil Rooney are concerned.
With the venue hosting the 2007 Panthers Ironman Aust-ralia Triathlon on Sunday, Hall and Rooney will join more than 1,600 triathletes from all corners of the globe in subjecting their bodies to the ultimate test of speed, strength and endurance as they tackle a 3.8km swim, 180km on the bike and a full 42km marathon to finish.
“The preparations for Ironman Australia are going great I have been training hard since June,'' said Rooney.
“It was hard work in the summer months and the intense heat meant the training sessions were not very long but as soon as October came around I was doing between 15 and 20 hours a week. We had some excellent races here in Dubai and that makes preparations a lot better.''
Hall was not quite as upbeat as her fellow competitor. “It's not been perfect. Unless you are a full-time professional athlete it's virtually impossible to fit in the ideal amount of training required for an ironman,'' she said.
“For me it's fitting the training into an already hectic seven-day-a-week schedule of teaching fitness classes, triathlon coaching and running the Triathlon Club,'' added Hall referring to the Dubai Tri Club which organises triathlon events across the UAE.
Rooney said the climate in Dubai helps preparations.
“The current weather is great. The main reason I chose to race in Australia is that the weather on race day will be similar to the weather we have had here over the past few months.''
Hall agreed. “Yes, it's really helped with the long five to six hours spent out on the bike and the long runs. I hope next winter will be the same,'' she said.
“The Ironman Australia is probably the most competitive ironman in the world behind the Ironman World Championships held annually in Hawaii,'' said Rooney.
“This race will be my seventh triathlon but the first ironman race and I am looking forward to the challenge. Winning is not an issue when you are up against full time professional athletes. I want to race as best I can and try to enjoy the day,'' he added.
Neil's Training
Sunday: Cycle
Monday: Morning swim, evening run
Tuesday: Cycle, run, cycle, run
Wednesday: Morning swim, evening run
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Morning cycle and run
Saturday: Morning swim, evening run
Julie's Typical Day
5am-11am: Long cycle or ‘brick' session (ride and run)
12-2pm: Eat, office work, meetings for Tri Club
3pm: One-to-one coaching
4.15pm: Class
5.30pm: One-to-one coaching
6.45pm: Teach RPM
8.15pm: Coach swim squad
What Is An Ironman?
An extended triathlon – 3.8km swim, 180km cycle ride and a full 42km marathon.
More Info
Contact Dubai Tri Club's Julie Hall on 050-774 6581
www.dubaitriclub.net
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Hall and Rooney are the only competitors from Dubai at this year's Ironman Australia but the numbers could increase in the future if the sport continues to gain in popularity. “Triathlon is definitely growing,'' said Hall.
“Ironman – well that's just for extreme triathletes, you have to be a bit nuts. However Triathlon as a sport is definitely on the up in the UAE. The growth reflects the current global trend in the sport.
“Since taking over the Triathlon Club two years ago, the names on our database and the numbers participating consistently in races has more than doubled which is great. The downside is that Dubai is expanding so rapidly that we are running out of places to swim, cycle and run safely so our last event had to be held in Abu Dhabi.''
