The lessons of Lionel Sanders
Talented Canadian Lionel Sanders has learned valuable lessons during a string of impressive performances this year and much has happened since we interviewed him in April of 2014. We now had another chat with the man in the green kit who is coached by Barrie Shepley.
Slowtwitch: Lionel, how are you?
Lionel Sanders: I’m doing well. I took a couple easy days after Mont Tremblant 70.3 and then got right back into the swing of things.
ST: About a year ago I predicted that folks should expect more from you and you delivered.
Lionel: That article has been in the back of my head the whole time. I didn’t want to disappoint you.
ST: The first big race this year was Oceanside where you had a monster bike split with some crazy wattage numbers. In the end however you had to settle for third, but with some lessons learned.
Lionel: Yes many lessons were learned. After nearly four months of riding and running indoors I was like a caged animal finally released into the wild. I biked very hard, and very sporadically. It did not make for good run legs. As well, it was my first time ever catching the lead group in a big race, on the bike – at around 37 miles. My biggest regret from that race was not “sitting in” at the back of the pack.
ST: Can you sit in now?
Lionel: It does not appear so. I had the opportunity in Galveston and in Mont Tremblant, and did not do it in either race. In Mont Tremblant I caught the lead pack at 48k. That would have been a long time to sit in. It’s just not in my nature. But as the rules stand, sitting in plays a huge role in the outcome of the race, especially as faster and faster runners sit in. Unfortunately, I will likely have to begin to play the game soon.
ST: I think Cody Beals also has maybe taught you some lessons but in terms of bike setup tricks.
Lionel: I’ve learned a lot from Cody Beals over the years. The biggest lessons with regards to the bike came when he told me I was losing a ton of time running Gatorskins. I told him that I was afraid of getting a flat tire. He showed me a bunch of complicated physics calculations that I didn’t understand, but the gist was that I was probably losing more time running the Gatorskins then it would take me to change a flat. Now I just carry a spare tubular, and keep my fingers crossed the whole race.
ST: Last year in Texas you had a couple flat tires and that ended your chance for a placing but you finished anyhow. Was that pride or Barrie Shepley whispering in your ear?
Lionel: That one was purely for pride. I managed to salvage the fastest run split, so I was able to take some good out of the experience.
ST: This time you came to Texas with many eyes watching you and you won with a smart race. Was that a bit of redemption?
Lionel: That race was all about redemption and vengeance. Redemption for the flat tires the previous year. Vengeance in that Andy Potts passed me at mile 12 in Oceanside, and I did not enjoy that feeling.
ST: I think your power meter did not work, but before you knew that, had you set a limit in terms of max power you were not supposed to go over?
Lionel: Yes, I rode very poorly in Oceanside. I rode well in terms of overall power output, but there are many ways to average a particular number. My goal for Galveston was to hold the power a lot steadier. I also intended on holding a bit lower power in Galveston as I had not yet proven that I could run well off of the higher power outputs, and wanted to put together a better run.
ST: Did that at all mess with your mind?
Lionel: No not at all. I am actually starting to welcome adversity in races as it gives me a chance to work on staying composed and focused on the task at hand, even when things don’t go as planned.
ST: And you beat Andy Potts.
Lionel: I would imagine Andy was a bit fatigued from New Orleans 70.3 just one week prior. I look forward to a rematch when he doesn’t have a hard race fresh in his legs.
ST: You also learned that you were severely dehydrated, and sought help at the Gatorade Sweat Lab.
Lionel: Yes, but that was after Ironman Texas. I’m actually still in disbelief that I was so ignorant of adequate hydration. I thought that because I couldn’t see sweat, and didn’t feel that hot, that I must not be sweating a lot. At the Gatorade Sweat Lab the temperature was about 75 degrees and 70% humidity- very similar conditions to Ironman Texas. I pushed 315w for 90 minutes. I had a huge fan blowing on my face. There was almost no sweat on my skin or on the floor. The research said to me “I bet you you’re sweating 2L per hour. You’d have to be based on how much power you’re pushing.” I thought to myself “yeah right buddy. I’ve got this huge fan blowing on my face. It’s not even hot in here. This test is worthless.” I weighed in after, and he guessed the number almost dead on. I was sweating at 2.1L per hour at that wattage, under those conditions. My mind was blown.
ST: What changes had you made to your nutrition after Texas and with the wisdom from the Sweat Lab?
Lionel: For the most part, I’ve just been drinking more fluids. I’ve been exercising in a severely dehydrated state for the entire time I’ve been doing triathlon. I actually think my thirst response began to shut off. After a few weeks of forcing myself to drink more, I am finding my thirst response ramping up. It is nothing for me to drink 2L per hour now, when exercising at a good intensity.
ST: But in race, how do you manage that?
Lionel: I’ve already done a 4 hour ride at a higher wattage than I pushed at Ironman Texas and was able to consume 8L in that time. I then ran 18k off the bike and felt very good. There is an aid station every 10 miles in most Ironmans. I have two bottle holders on my bike. It’s possible to get two bottles at every aid station, and thus if you wanted to, you could consume 20 bottles throughout the bike. I’m not necessarily saying I will try and keep pace with my sweat rate completely, but I certainly will try to hydrate much closer to my sweat rate in the future.
ST: Up until 2009 you abused various substances. Does all that seem very far away now?
Lionel: I feel like a totally different person, and I attribute that to triathlon. I was a lost soul for several years and tried to find myself in substances. Eventually I hit what I perceived to be rock bottom. I started running again because it was something familiar to me. I still didn’t feel great and then out of nowhere the idea to do an Ironman triathlon popped into my head. Not long after, I signed up for Ironman Louisville. It changed my life in every way possible. I owe my life to triathlon.
ST: I guess many people refer to triathlon as a different addiction of sorts.
Lionel: Yes, I guess it could be looked at that way. But most anything can be looked at that way. I challenge you to find a human who is not addicted to water and food. I don’t think addiction is necessarily a bad thing. I think most addiction to triathlon is good and healthy. If you are miserable after a bad race though, then perhaps your addiction has gone a little too far.
ST: Have folks raised concerns that you might still to some degree be linked to drugs, and maybe not just party ones?
Lionel: No not really. Anyone who knows me in person knows that I am passionately anti-drugs. They do nothing but ruin lives. Nothing good comes from any sort of drug use. Of course, there have been a few people to accuse me of using performance enhancing drugs, mainly because they don’t think my bike-run combo is possible clean. I take it as a compliment and then refer them to Roger Banister.
ST: What should be the penalty for someone who is caught blood doping, taking EPO or other performance enhancing drugs?
Lionel: I’ve given this some thought because my coach Barrie Shepley is a proponent for a lifetime ban from all sport. I think this is rather harsh. As I mentioned before, I think sport can do a lot of good for people. I think if you are using performance enhancing substances, then you obviously have a lot of internal issues that still need working on. I would be completely for banning convicted dopers from ever competing professionally again, as well as from receiving any age-group awards ever again, but I would still let them participate. That way they can still undergo the mental and spiritual growth that comes from training and racing, but not take away accolades from individuals who have vowed to take the clean route.
ST: Do people who have troubles such as substance abuse come to you now to seek advice?
Lionel: No not really. I am not qualified to counsel people on those sorts of issues. The only advice I can offer is that when you truly want to change your life for yourself and only for yourself, there is a great life waiting for you not far up the road. The first while will be challenging, but brighter days definitely come.
ST: You won 70.3 Mont Tremblant with another fine performance. How did that victory in Canada find you?
Lionel: It was a lot of fun. Jesse Thomas, Taylor Reid and myself had a great battle on the run. I didn’t know who was going to win until the 17th kilometer, and even then I wasn’t totally sure. What I love most about triathlon is the opportunity to push my limits. Mont Tremblant was a great example of how others can help you achieve heights you never thought possible.
ST: So what is next for you?
Lionel: I will do Muskoka 70.3 this weekend, Racine 70.3 on July 19th and then Ironman Mont Tremblant on August 16th. I am still learning lots of lessons in races, and I think this is the time in my career to try and get as much experience and learn as many lessons as possible.
ST: What about Kona?
Lionel: Kona is my focus and what I am building towards. I will go several weeks in advance to acclimatize to the heat and become one with the environment. As usual, many lessons will be learned in that race, and I am very excited to learn them.
ST: Any predictions?
Lionel: I think it’s going to be one of the most entertaining races on record. There’s going to be a lot of new and hungry athletes there this year- Tim Don, Brent McMahon, Jeff Symonds, Matt Hanson, Joe Skipper, just to name a few. I know that every one of them believes they have the goods to win the race. There are a lot of guys, with different strengths and weaknesses. As both Matt Hanson and Jeff Symonds proved in their regional championship wins- a fast run in hot conditions can take you a long way. This year the race truly won’t be over, ‘till it’s over!
ST: Is there anything else we should know?
Lionel: I really like bran muffins. My mom used to make them for me when I was a kid. Now when I eat them, they bring back fond memories of my childhood. I ate seven while typing this up.
