Ironmanlive.com Plays 20 Questions With Greg Welch

Ironmanlive.com Plays 20 Questions With Greg Welch

This is the first of two-parts of an interview Ironmanlive.com had with Greg Welch about his outstanding history in Ironman racing.

IML:  Your first official trip to Kona was in 1987. Had you ever been there before? What were your first impressions of the town?

 

GW:  My first race in Kona was indeed 1987, but my first trip was 1985. In Australia, your coming out party is 21, so I decided to go and run the Honolulu marathon for it. When the event was done my friend Rossy Pyett, who had done it before, told me that I would be good at triathlon and I should see where the grandest stage of all of triathlon lives. I took him up on the idea and we island-hopped for the day and drove the course. I told him he was crazy for doing it, yet I idolised it. My first impression of Kona was that it was a sleepy little fishing village, but appealing. I come from a fishing and surfing background so I was rather comfortable there, although it was only several hours.

 

IML:  Can you recall your thoughts on that first trip when you walked along Alii Drive?

 

GW:  The first time I saw Alii Drive and the sign at the finish line, symbolizing the finish of the Ironman, it gave me chills. Although it was 90 degrees out, the chills still shot through my body with a rush I will never forget. I first saw Alii Drive on television, and never dreamed that the feeling of finishing the Ironman and enjoying the deafening crowd would be so rewarding.

 

IML:  There were some big names in the race that year - Dave Scott, Mark Allen, Scott Tinley, Mike Pigg, Pauli Kiuru, Ray Browning. What were your personal race expectations that year?

 

GW:  Although the big names were there doing their things, I was just autograph hunting, maxing out my credit card and trying to take it all in. Dave Scott rocked up with the new aero tri bar, Mark Allen was testing out tri spoke wheels, Mike Pigg had not shaved his bald head at this time and Pauli Kiuru was testing his new heart rate monitor for the first time. My expectations were that if I finished in the top 5 of my age group then I would re-qualify and get to come back - a dream that came true - I finished 5^th and signed up again

 

IML:  Fast forward to 1994 and your victory in Kona. What sticks in your memory most and gives you the biggest smile about your win that year?

 

GW:  Straight to the victory, well a lot of water flew under the bridge between these years but the victory was the most defining in my long career. I had prepared like never before. Everything seemed to be just seamless, no faults and I rode Dave's shoulder the whole way - well when he caught me anyway. I'll tell you a funny story. Dave caught Kenny Glah and myself just before Kawaiihae (35miles ) and I could hear the moto's chugging up the highway and knew it could only be Dave (now if it was Jurgen then you would hear "Ya, Ya"). Anyway, the charge by Dave was in full flight and he passed me and said, "Greg just follow me, I'm in really good form." Firstly, The Man talked to me, and secondly, why would he say that? Who cares!? I did just what he said, then dumped the old bloke on the run and went on to the victory. The biggest thrill for me was to win against one of the two best ever.

 

IML:  How hard a day was it for you? Did you ever have to face those demons during the race that make you want to quit? If so, in what parts of the race? 

 

GW:  The day presented absolutely no issues at all. It was the only Kona race I'd done without an incident. Previously I had cramps and had to walk, one year I had a minor surgery two weeks out and I was hurting, finished 6^th and was happy, although Paul Huddle did spot me some salt tablets, (thanks mate!), and I beat him by one place (I owe you buddy!)  But nothing really phased me that day.  One of the funniest things happened that day. At mile 75-85 somewhere there, Timex had a prime of $1500 and Jurgen had taken off for it. Glah pursued the flying Zack and Peter Kropko of Hungary sped off to chase. Dave looked across at me and said , "Greg , just stay with me, it's not worth it." I thought, "Yeh, $1500 over $20,000, good idea, older the wiser I guess!" Anyway, as we started out on the run, I caught Zack, who led off the bike with Glah by a minute to Scott, Kropko and myself in the transition tent, so he was gone. I ran out with Dave and Kropko. Dave stayed on his pace but no heads up this time. Kropko and I ran together until about 5 miles when the Hungarian got the wobbles and fell into some person's letter box and collapsed! I didn't think the pace was that fast! That was the funniest thing, I remember looking back to see the poor guy almost asleep already! Sweet dreams, Peter.

 

IML:  What did you think about or concentrate on during the tedious stretches of Ironman races?

 

GW:  This question is asked a lot. The simple fact of the matter is that you need to know your limits and pretty much follow them or under them all day. Also a nice good attitude goes a long way too. I've found that too many people put too high of goals and find that achieving them gets in the way. I believe that Kona's course does not lend itself to those goals, way too many variables. The course is challenging, and it gets wind. I find that concentrating more on nutrition and keeping positive by thinking about the best training days you've had goes a long way.

 

IML:  In your estimation, how much of completing an Ironman is mind over body and how much is physical ability?

 

GW:  Physical ability is there, we all know by qualifying for the Ironman Triathlon World Championship draws the best so the distance is not the question. The question is believing in yourself. You have trained so well to qualify already so Kona should be no different. I thought that Kona was the same as every other Ironman I did, (not that I did many) and only changed training around a little, by acclimating and figuring out sodium depletions and correct nutritional formula's.

 

 

IML:  Only four winners have ever broken the 8:10 mark in Hawaii, the first time way back in 1989. Do you think winning times in Hawaii will ever drop consistently below the eight-hour mark for men, or the nine-hour mark for women? Why or why not?

 

GW:  Times—I believe that more women will go under 9 hours than men under 8, that's not brain surgery. Kona is accurately measured and this course will be hard to crack the men's 8 hours. The women however, Paula and company, have already been there and will continue, but only on Madam Pele's easy days.

 

IML:  Is it possible to compare winning an Ironman to any other sporting achievement in terns of the level of difficulty? Winning Wimbledon, the Masters, an Olympic decathlon?

 

GW:  Each sport has their stage. In tennis it's Wimbledon. Golf, it's the Masters, and the Decathlon in Track and Field. Ironman's day is for sure one of sports greatest one-day endurance tests. Tennis is a survival of 2 weeks with breaks, golf is 4 days of intense concentration, with a couple of cigarettes and beers, and the decathlon is done over two days. Ironman is one for the ages - you compete with your peers. It truly is unique, but getting back to the question, yes Ironman is no doubt one of the greatest days in one-day endurance sports . . . the Best!

 

IML: If so, how would you rate Mark Allen's 6 wins in 7 years (interrupted only by you, Greg!), Dave Scott's 6 wins in 9 years or Paula Newby-Fraser's 8 wins in 11 years in terms of a comparable sports achievement?

 

GW: Sporting achievements are measured in different ways, competition, course and records. I'm really not into any of that, more so getting yourself in the best possible shape and racing while giving 100%. OK, I only won one Ironman so that tells the story, too much on my plate, I believe. Mark Allen has to be God in this instance, he won 10 Nice races, 6 Ironman World Championships and the World Olympic Distance in 1989. That's 17 World Championships, think about it! The Man, He won a puny 6 Hawaii Ironmans, not bad, but PNF, Paula Newby-Fraser won an incredible eight Ironman World Championships, just sensational. These achievements are comparable to Lance Armstrong's 6 Tour De France wins, only thing is, biking gets a little more coverage than us! These three athletes have to be ranked as some of the greatest sporting heroes in the world, don't you agree?

 

You may contact Greg Welch at greg@ironmanlive.com

 

Editor's Note:  Watch for the next installment of Ironmanlive.com's interview with Greg Welch.