Training With An Ironman World Champion For A Day *Brutal*

We are up early this morning, it's just gone 6 a.m., because I've been invited to go and train with Anne Haug for a day. 2019 Ironman World Champion. We're about a week out from the World Championships. First off, run. Founder Anne, thank you for inviting me along today. I'm not really sure what I've got in store for, so what are we doing then? Just a one-hour easy run in the morning. Just a one-hour easy run with Anne. Then a three-hour easy bike set for you. What is easy, most importantly? Easy is how it feels. You never know before. It's very cryptic. Yes, you always have to consider what you're doing. Any pace, sort of? Yes, so for 10-ish, for 15-ish pace. It's not like hanging about. Okay, cool. Then a bit of breakfast, then we're heading out on the bike later. That's a bit of testing, like recceing the course. Yes, I want to see the downhill again. We have some new tires we want to test. My whole race bike setup pretty much, the last test before the race, and then see how it goes, and if everything is all right, and that it's ready for race day. Super. Well, I think I'm looking forward to this. Should we get on with it then? Perfect. We've lost our cameraman, so you're going to have to help with my videography today. Eager to get to know you a little bit, so I know obviously all about your accolades and your results over the years, but I also just want to go right back to the start because I know we're here ahead of the Ironman World Champs, could easily just talk all about that all day, but how did you get into triathlon? I understand it was quite late on, wasn't it? Yes, I started as a tennis player when I was really young with five years, and I grew up in a very sporty family, so my dad was a sports teacher and he wanted me to try every kind of sport. At the age of 20, I decided to try triathlon, that's how I get into it. I hear that you used to do winter triathlon as well. Yes, because I couldn't swim, so I did triathlon, winter triathlon, I do triathlon, winter triathlon, and I was pretty good at that. You traded out the swimming for skiing. Exactly. That makes you a handy skier then. I mean, I used to because I grew up in the mountains, or kind of mountains, and after school, I went to the Olympic Training Center in Upolding for Biathlon and did a social year there, social work here. I really like skiing, but I hardly do it anymore. I've got to say, it is taming me a little bit how easily you're just chipping along there. I'm like, nodding away. Actually, I want to ask a question. You touched on your short course career earlier. I think a lot of people probably now just know you as Anne Howe, 2019 Ironman World Champion, long course athlete, but you had a phenomenal short course career. How did you find the switch from that into long course? It was difficult. It was really difficult, not so much in terms of training volume because we trained quite a lot as a short course athlete as well, but the switch to the T-bike was quite a big one. The new position and the whole riding part is so different to ITU because ITU, you need the super sharp, super short, high-intensity workouts. Here, you have to push high watts for a ridiculous long amount of time. It's pretty mind-numbing sometimes, isn't it? It is. Do you train with anyone now? No, not really. Presumably, you used to. Yes, I was used to training in a squad when I was an ITU athlete, but because I think you need a squad for the speed, and because I have a speedy background, I need to train on my own to get the base endurance in. Yes, I really enjoy it. Now and then, I have a bit of company at the swim, and I do enjoy that, but I want to stick to my own training plan and that stuff. I think getting mixed up in a track session with some speedy youngsters probably doesn't go too well for Ironman training, does it? No, not really. You really have to pace yourself well because otherwise, you're dead in one week. I survived. It was a good run. I was quite impressed. We didn't manage to chat that much because we averaged about 410, I think, in the end, 410 kilometers or something like that. Something like that. It was fast, faster than I was expecting anyway. I think we're going to have a coffee, a little chill, and then I've got three hours on the bike. It's like race day. I'm actually a bit nervous. What's the plan today? We just do a three-hour easy bike ride and have a little look on the race course, especially have a deeper look inside the downhill sections, maybe practice a few of the corners to get comfortable with because it's always a bit different to do it on a fully loaded GT bike than on a race bike or a normal road bike. Yes, I really didn't fall in that. Nothing special. Just easy cruising around. We are currently cutting up through to, I'm going to say, approximately a third of the way into the course. Pick the course up a little bit, cut across, and then use the opportunity to practice some of the technical descent stuff, make sure tires are all good. At least, that's what I understand. I'm along for the ride. We're on to a speedy part of the course. Not getting a whole lot of draft from Anna, but good job Sebastian. Our mechanic and partner has come along, so nicely tucking in behind him. Sebastian's panicking about his course planning here. We're cutting across now, but we might be embarking on a 30% climb. How's it going, Anna? Yes, very good. I like it. It's so easy on the proper race bike. She's complaining about how cold it is. Meanwhile, me and Sebastian are sweating out. Sebastian actually knows exactly where he's going, he's just making an excuse to have a break, isn't he? 100%. I'd love to. super interesting. I don't know how much you'll hear or how much I can really share, but there's been a lot of technical chat about which line to take into a corner, when to brake, so getting the maximum speed out of it. It's super interesting just to be kind of a fly on the wall in all that. It's a super honor just to be able to come along and then to invite me along. Stay on the plateau, and then we will start. I was told it was all descending from here, and we're climbing again. This is the final climb, right? Yes, it's the final climb. All right, what's your thoughts on the course? Do you like it? It's nice. It's really nice, challenging. It's a different story under race conditions, but- This is true. It's just amazing, I think. A bit too much climbing, if you ask me. It's been an awesome day. It's a nice route, though. Lovely, beautiful. We're going to stop for some food, which I'm quite thankful of. What a day. I was told we were done with the climbing, and now we're climbing again. It was good, wasn't it? I've got to say, it's been really cool. I don't know how much I captured or were allowed to show, but just them chatting about the lines and the corners, the braking, just being a fly on the wall through all of that has been pretty sweet and quite an honor, really, to be part of it. I am keeping out of my way. I'm just letting them do their thing. The last bit of the climb, then just head down into Nice. On the first downhill with the little track- It's annoying. Yes, just stay to the left of it. You'll be fine. The tunnel section is a little bit tricky. Yes, we had that. I think every corner, if you make a mistake, you can still save. Once you start coming through, you see the exit, and then you can pretty much gauge your speed, and then you can let go or stay a little bit on the brakes. If I want to brake, then with the right one. Yes, if you're in the corner before with both, and then in the corner with the right one. Slide, wheel, and brake on and slide around. Not like Ken Block. Oh my God, I am dying. How did you find the descents? Yes, it's good to have someone in front to take the lines because otherwise, I would take maybe a different line. Definitely have to practice it a bit more to get a bit smoother through the descents, but for sure, I like the uphill more than the downhill. That's for sure. Descent, when you go through the villages with the high-speed bumps, and the really big potholes taking up the whole road. On this side, it's much cooler than on the other side. I mean, this was freezing cold. It's always been between 19 and 23. I was freezing, honestly. Now, it's 22. I have a headband on. But in the beginning, it was 19. Exactly, the boss says, eins, zwei. Lesson of the day. When Anne and Sebastian invite you for a day of training, just add on another hour or so onto that. 110K later, almost four hours of riding, when it should be three hours. No, I'm not really complaining. It's amazing. Really cool. Super stoked, but my back is not ready for that. How are you feeling? Yes, really good. Yes, that's nice. Yes, that's really nice. It's still cold. Yes, it's still freezing. Yes, the first bit was a bit cold. But yes, it was really good to see the downhill and get a bit more comfortable and take the right lines. So that was a really important session. Are you feeling ready for Sunday? Can you ever feel ready for an Ironman? I don't know. You do your best and hope for the best. And then on Sunday, you empty the tank and see what's possible, you know. You ready for Sunday? I can't wait for Sunday, actually. This is actually the first time I've properly seen the course or a majority of it. Obviously, I've done little sections before. What an amazing course. And following Anne today and just seeing how smooth she was on descent, the tactics that's involved in this race. I'm so excited. I know I'm wishing her the best of luck. Yes, absolutely. I cannot wait for a pizza now. If you guys have enjoyed today's video, please do give it a thumbs up. Give it a like. If you'd like to see more of this kind of thing, well, let us know because we need to start hitting some pros up and forcing them to let me come along for a day of training. That absolutely beats me. Anyway, see you next time.