Precision Multisport athletes are known to travel the world to participate in some noteworthy races. For this column, we interview Len Joy who participated in the ITU Sprint World Championship that was held in the coastal city of Gold coast in the Australian state of Queensland.
Q. What was your racing season looking like leading to the ITU Sprint World Championship in Australia?
A. Plantar fasciitis stalked me after the Cary Half Marathon and so I cut back on my racing as I wanted to be ready for the Nationals in Cleveland and the ITU in Australia. It still bothered me some in the Nationals, but I was fine for the ITU. Not fast but fine.
Q: Any areas you had to focus on a bit more/challenges to take on during this season’s training leading to this event?
A. I couldn’t use a tri bike for the sprint race as it was draft legal. So, I had to borrow Coach JP’s bike and then have a bunch of those gear-things changed so I could use my wheels with his frame. But Coach JP was very supportive throughout the process.
Q: How did you do at the ITU Sprint World Championship in Australia, and what was your take-away?
A. It was fun to do a draft-legal race. I rode in a pack of five others from Australia, USA and Mexico. And we all jockeyed for position. I stayed in the pack for most of the way and then passed them all in the final mile. Of course, we were all way back in the race (these were all old guys). I finished 42 in my age group out of 66.
Q. What a location, known for its natural wonders and wide-open spaces, beaches, deserts, the ‘Bush,’ the ‘Outback,’ and attractions of its large cities such as Sydney and Melbourne. Did you find some down time either pre- or post-race, and if so, what did you do?
A. We spent four days in the Gold Coast for the race and the weather was perfect. The area we stayed in was a surfer’s enclave and it was sort of like Times Square on the ocean. But after the race we visited a friend of mine from high school (45 years ago) and she let us stay with her and gave us a great tour of the Blue Mountains, which are between Gold Coast and Sydney. The last four days we spent in Sydney and hardly scratched the surface of the city. Museums and beaches and ferry rides and the Sydney Opera house. Even took time out to watch the Bears game at a local pub at 10 in the morning.
Q. Try any local foods while touring about Australia? If so, what was your favorite (or not!)?
A. Their beer is very good. And those chips (fries) were excellent everywhere. Apparently, they hunt kangaroo and eat that too, but we passed on that opportunity.
Q. What is next on your training or racing horizon?
A. This coming April I race in Spain for ITU Duathlon Championship.
Q. What is the best advice you’ve been given as it concerns racing?
A. Have fun. (that’s Heather Collins – of Heather Collins Training – advice before every race. Hard to top that.)