An Interview with Peter Reid.

How long have you been racing triathlon?
I did my first triathlon in 1989

How did you get interested in Triathlon?
I did a lot of bike racing in high school but got out of it when I went to university. During my second year of university a buddy persuaded me to enter a local triathlon. I was hooked after my first race.

When did you first realise you had something special in terms of your ability?
I was improving year after year but I made a huge jump in 1995. I knew I could make a living at triathlon after I placed third at Nice behind Simon Lessing and Luc Van Lierde.

What would you say is the most important aspect to racing triathlon successfully?
Patience with a training program and not racing in training.

What's your favourite aspect of the sport?
Lifestyle. Triathlon is more than just a sport.

What's your weekly training schedule like when getting close to Hawaii?
35 to 40 hours per week of training (swim, bike, run and weights).

What's the hardest training session you've done?
Rode to the top of Mauna Kea (14,000 feet) on the Big Island on my mountain bike. The last four kilometers were so hard.

What's your favourite session?
A long ride (6 to 7 hours) followed by a hilly transition run. I love big training days!

Now that you've conquered Hawaii what's your next goal?
I have never conquered Hawaii. You don't conquer Hawaii - you survive it. I have been very lucky three times to win the race. If I am lucky one more time I would be extremely happy with my career in Kona.

Why do you think the current crop of Hawaii racers aren't running/racing as fast as Dave Scott or Mark Allen?
We don't have the huge caravan of TV vans that they did. All filming is now done on motorcycles and the motorcycles are only allowed to ride beside us for 1 minute. The marshals do a great job in Kona to make sure that we don't get a motor vehicle draft like Dave and Mark did. We get off the bike with tired legs compared to fresh legs like they did.

How do you think Simon Lessing will fair in his Hawaii debut?
Simon is talented and he will be well prepared.

Who are your sporting heroes in and outside of triathlon?
Mark Allen - 10 Nice and 6 Hawaii's
Steve Podborski (alpine ski racer) - I grew up ski racing.

What else do you do outside of Tri?
Drive fast. I love fast cars.

What's your vice?
Swimming - my swimming goes from horrible to great. I have no control over my swimming. I never know how I am going to swim on race day.

What's your strength?
Ironman racing.

What kept you going through the difficult period when you were ill?
Took time off from the sport and did different things. I feel like I am just getting back into the sport. Getting ill was the best thing that happened to recharge my career.

Do you think recovering has made you stronger?
Yes!

Which Hawaii win has given you most pleasure?
1998 - My first win in Kona. I realised my ultimate dream! Not many people can say their dream came true. Mine did on that day!

If you could change one thing about Triathlon what would it be?
Drafting in the World Cup.

Tubulars or clinchers?
Train on clinchers, race on tubulars.

Attack from a distance or wait for sprint finish?
I have done both - I would rather attack from a distance.

Your bike technique looks perfect and effortless you seem to be so easy on it - is technique something you work on a lot?
Yes, tons. I do one ride a week on a fixed gear bike to work on my technique.

How is Triathlon seen in Canada now it has three high profile winners (Simon Whitfield & you & Lori)?
Simon is a big star in Canada. Lori and I are not that well known.

Can Lance win six tours?
Yes, but I think it is going to be an amazing race this year. I am going to watch a few stages after Ironman Germany.

Can you win seven Hawaii's?
No!

How did you feel when you knew Lori had won as well?
Happy for her. She worked hard for that win.

You enter transition at Hawaii and realise you've grabbed somebody else run bag, you look inside and see the trainers aren't yours. What do you do?
That was nuts. I was in shock when I saw the Nikes. I have been a Reebok athlete for 10 years. At first I didn't know what had happened then realised that I had Cam's bag. I felt horrible about the screw up. Luckily, the screw up worked in my favour. I was forced to run hard and was able to hold on to my pace that I set in the beginning of the marathon. I ended up running away from the field then cruised the last six miles.

Peter Reid's tip for the day is ..........
Don't be afraid to take two to three days completely off if you are feeling overtrained!