The biggest, baddest dark horse weighs in on his first go at Kona
By Brad Culp
Oct. 9, 2007 -- Aussie Craig Alexander is scary fast. How fast? Well, Saturday will be just his first attempt at the Ford Ironman World Championship and yet many in the multisport world are penciling him into their pre-race podium predictions. Kona will be his second Ironman, having finished Ironman Australia in 8:38 (3rd overall) earlier this season. It’s safe to say the reigning 70.3 World Champ is the ultimate “dark horse” in the men’s race, as his blazing run speed is more than enough to get him onto the podium – or even on top of it. Triathlete caught up with “Crowie” as he prepped for his first go at triathlon’s ultimate event.
What's your biggest concern heading into the race? Sam [McGlone] mentioned a while back that she's worried about nutrition, since it's her first Iron. Did racing Ironman Australia help you nail down your nutrition plan?My biggest concern heading into Kona is also nutrition and also just the conditions of the race. I think Kona is not like any other race, so it certainly helps to have gained experience racing there. I’m not sure if racing Ironman Australia will help, because I hope to be in better shape at the this point of the season and actually be able to race, not just cover the distance.
Do you have a specific plan for the race? Do you want to stick to your own plan, or would you rather wait to see how the day unfolds and what the rest of the competition is up to?
I definitely have a plan, but that being said, I think you have to be flexible and ready to adapt to the conditions. There are so many great athletes racing, I prefer just to concentrate on what I’m doing and try not to mess that up.
When did you decide that your were going to do Kona? Was it immediately after Clearwater, or did it take some time?I have always wanted to race in Kona and after I won the race in Clearwater last November, I pretty much decided straight away to accept my slot. I had been racing at all distances from sprint up to long course at that stage and thought it was time to go longer.
If you had to pick one, would you rather be on the podium at Kona (second or third) or repeat at Clearwater?That is a very tough question. Can I say both? I guess having already won Clearwater, it would be nice to get a podium in kona, although the 70.3 distance is more my thing at this stage of my career.
Even though you're a World Champ, and maybe the best runner in the sport, you're still a Kona "dark horse" since you've never raced it before. Who are the other dark horses that we should watch out for?I’m not really sure who the other "dark horses" are, but the guys I think will be competitive are the guys who get it done in Kona year after year, like Normann, Faris, Browny, Beke and I think Marino is going to be really strong this year.
Have you run a straight marathon before? Everyone wants to know how fast you'll run -- can you give us an idea of your standing marathon time?I’ve never run a straight marathon so i don't have a time for you. I have run a half in just under 66 minutes, but that was a little while ago now. To be honest, I don't really do many running races and when I do, it is always just as training under a little bit of a load. At Vineman 70.3 this year, I ran 69min off the bike, but I guess you never quite know how accurate a course is, particularly in a triathlon. I think the key thing in Kona is to have an all-around game. The guys who run quick there are very strong on the bike as well, like Peter and Tim.
There's been somewhat of a war of words going on with last year's top-3 finishers (Macca, Faris, Norman). Of those guys, who do you think will be the most dangerous at Kona?It’s hard to know, but as I said before, you can't really go past the guys who are consistent and always seem to be up there. Faris has been on the podium the past three years and Normann has won two of the past three. It’s still very difficult to pick though, because you are not quite sure what kind of form guys are in and whether or not they have been injured or getting the work done. I do think experience counts for a lot in kona.