 Q&A with Ironman triathlete Melissa Spooner
Age: 29
Country: Canada
Class: Pro
Top Performances:
1st - Ironman New Zealand 1999
Course Record 9:20:41
1st - Ironman Lanzarote 1998
3rd - Ironman Germany 1998
4th - Ironman World Championship 1998
2nd - Ironamn Canada 1997
RD: Do you think the number of events makes for "weaker" competition at each event?
MS: No. It's still an Ironman. You still have to go out there and race the whole race no matter who shows up.
RD: Does that take anything away from a win if the best aren't there to compete against?
MS: It makes Hawaii a true World Championship. All the new races give everyone a chance to get that top 10 or top 5 finish that will give them the confidence they need. A lot can happen during an Ironman. You may have a bad race one day and now you have a chance to make up for that.
RD: Is there a limit to the number of Ironman events a person should do in a year?
MS: It depends on the individual. They need to know their own body and how long it takes to recover. I don't think it would be too smart to race 26.2 12 or 14 times in a year. The marathon is where you really get beat up. Some people can race every few weeks and recover for each one. I know my body can make it through 3 Ironman events in one season. Ironman USA is just long enough before Hawaii that I can recover nicely.
RD: What about qualifying for Hawaii? Do you think the spots should be earned at long course events or should there be other races?
MS: I have been very outspoken about the qualifying for Hawaii. I don't think it's fair for someone to have earned a spot at an Olympic distance event when someone may have missed a spot at an Ironman distance by 1 or 2 minutes. They deserve that spot. Not everyone competing in the shorter events knows what to expect when they get to Hawaii. Qualifying should definitely be done in the longer races. |
