70.3 Silverman Interviews & Video

Video of the Pro Men race:

*Skip forward to 2:40 for the race video

Interviews with the Top 3 Men:

3. Cam Dye

Are you satisfied with the result?

I think that there were parts of the race that I was pleased with but on the whole I definitely wouldn’t say that I was satisfied. Knowing how I had trained going into the race I had high expectations so not having been able to hold on for the victory makes it tough to be satisfied with the result.

You lead out of the water with a small pack just behind you and put the pressure right away. What was your strategy for the race? Did you hope for a solo break on the bike or for a small pack of strong cyclists?

My strategy is more or less always the same. I want to push the pace in the water and then really try and distance myself from the field on the bike, and this race was no different. As for solo versus a pack, I would always prefer a solo break because then I can focus on my own race strategy and don’t have to worry about what the other guys are doing. The way the drafting rules are in WTC it is very easy to get caught up in a group and find yourself having to ride someone else’s race so I would prefer to dictate things myself.

Did you notice during the race that Michael Raelert got penalties from the referees?

Honestly I didn’t know about the penalties or the DQ until about half way through the run when someone shouted at me that I was winning the race. At the time I thought they were just confused since Michael was clearly ahead of me, but in the end I found out that he had gotten 3 drafting penalties and not served any of them which resulted in the DQ.

Did you like the bike course? Do you think that a hilly and windy bike course like this one suits you well, since you are a strong cyclist?

Overall I thought the bike course was a really solid course that had a little bit of everything. It had some decent climbs, some fast descents, and a few corners that kept it interesting. As for me personally, I think the course was good because of its difficulty, but the wind, especially on the long winding downhill section really takes away some of the strength aspect of the course because it is really hard to push big watts downhill. It is a course that favors strong riders, but I don’t think it was ideal for my set of skills.

You had a lot of success in Olympic non-drafting racing, do you believe you can be as successful in 70.3s?

I love the short course non drafting races because I think they are the true test of triathletes ability. There is just no where to hide, and you have to be proficient in all 3 aspects if you are going to have a chance at winning. I have definitely enjoyed a lot of success over the last few years at the discipline, but with the end of the Lifetime Series and some of the other races going away I was forced to make the jump up to the longer races. Right now I am just trying to sort out the new aspects of the longer races such as the nutrition, and the pacing, but eventually I do think I can win some races and have success at the longer distance. I do think there will be a learning curved to it though.

Would a race like the ITU Long Distance World Championships be a good format for you since your are a strong swim-biker?

I think that it is something that might interest me somewhere down the road, but right now the bike is so much longer than anything I am used to that it wouldn’t suit me very well.

Do you plan to do an Ironman in the near future?

Certainly not in the near future. I used to say I wouldn’t be moving up to 70.3 anytime soon and look at me now. Hard to say what the future holds but if I can help it I will continue to focus on short course racing with some 70.3’s thrown in.

What do you have planned for the rest of the season and for next year?

I will finish off 2015 down in Florida at Miami 70.3 and then enjoy some much needed down time. Then I will start to sort through next years schedule around the first of the year, but right now the plan is to continue doing as may short course races as are offered, while continuing to improve my skills at the 70.3 distance.

2. Cody Beals

First of all, how did the race unfold?

My race got off to rough start with a disastrous personal worst swim. I tend to struggle with very choppy conditions, but losing over four minutes to the front pack is unprecedented for me. Embarrassing lowlights included getting disoriented enough to resort to breaststroke, asking a paddleboarder for directions and quaffing several pints of Nevada’s finest lake water.

I rallied on the bike, cold fury replacing the negativity I felt during the swim. I was glad to see the wind pick up, making the already brutal bike course that much more challenging. I steadily rode my way through the field, finding the powerfully addictive mental state of flow that accompanies my best races. I won’t pretend that it’s an entirely Zen-like state, since my mental soundtrack was Calvin Harris’ “How Deep Is Your Love” (further embarrassment). I picked off a dozen athletes before coming off the bike in second behind Cameron Dye with a new bike course record.

I managed the diabolical triple climb on the run course reasonably well given the hard ride. My friend and fellow Canadian Taylor Reid flew past me at the end of the second lap en route to his first 70.3 win. I found an unexpected closing push to pass Dye on the final climb and claim second.

All in all, I salvaged the best performance I could have asked for after such an awful swim. Losing both 70.3 Cozumel and Silverman in the swim has left me more motivated than ever to continue to attack that weakness with the help of Magnolia Masters, my Texas-based swim club.

Did you know when you were running that Raelert would be DQed? If not how long after the race did you learn that you finished 2nd, not 3nd?

I was unaware that Michi Raelert was disqualified until at least an hour after the race. Taylor Reid and I overheard Raelert appealing his case while waiting for anti-doping tests. I was surprised that Raelert was permitted to finish after his disqualification. It not only detracted from Taylor’s well-earned victory, but allowing a disqualified professional athlete to finish could also potentially have an unjust influence on the dynamics of the race.

I just discovered that the 2015 Ironman Competition Rules, Section 3.03(a), state that “if disqualified, an athlete may finish the Race unless otherwise instructed by a Race Referee”. This policy is debatable for age group competitors, but I feel that disqualified professionals should be required to step off the course.

Was this your last race of the season or will you be racing again this season?

I’m going to grind out one more race later this month at 70.3 Los Cabos. That will be my fourth 70.3 in two months and my eighth this year, making this my longest season ever. I’m feeling some physical and mental fatigue, but back-to-back second place finishes at Cozumel and Silverman left me hungry to cap off the season with a win.

1. Taylor Reid

How does it feel to get your first Ironman 70.3 win?

It feels amazing. It fully has not sunk in but I am supper excited to have raced such a strong field and preformed so well.

What were your objectives before the race?

After a couple of tough race, Worlds and Cozumel, I was just looking to push myself to the limit and see what happened out there. I wanted to finish the race knowing I had put it all on the line.

When you crossed the line, did you know that Raelert was DQed and that you won?

I real had no idea. Some people had told me on the run but I could no think about it. I was out there to fight for every place.

How long after the race did you learn that you won?

I did not know for sure until Cameron Dye told me about an hour after.

Can you give us a brief summary of your race?

It was a hard day out there with a lot of wind, hills and heat. The swim was very rough I came out of the water about 2 minutes behind the leaders. I was able to bike my way into 6th place by the end of the bike. It was very windy on the bikes and I was getting blown all over the road. I started the run over 4 min behind the leader but with the fastest run spilt of the day I ran my way into first place.

You are now heading back to California to train for 70.3 Miami. Will that be your last race of the season?

I also have lined up Austin 70.3. At least two more to go.

With another strong performance at 70.3 Miami, would you be already qualified for next year 70.3 Worlds?

I just checked and right now I am very high up on the 70.3 Worlds ranking. So another strong performance at 70.3 Miami will only help me climb higher and be in a position that allows me to qualified for next years 70.3 World Championships.