Eneko Llanos has a quiet chance
Eneko Llanos is an Olympian, a three-time XTERRA World Champ, Abu Dhabi conqueror, an ITU long course World champion, the current European long course champion, and has a 5th, 7th and 2nd at the Ironman World Championship. But with stars Rasmus Henning, Andreas Raelert, Chris Lieto, and Craig Alexander the brightest lights in the Kona field, the Spaniard remains in the shadows as race day approaches.
Llanos welcomes his stealth status, but in a pre race interview quietly points out that some of his strengths may prevail on the Queen K.
Slowtwitch: What happened last year at Kona when you finished a disappointing 10th?
Eneko Llanos Last year I was maybe too tired in Hawaii.
ST: Did you race too much last year?
Eneko: This year I raced more. Last year I didn’t race that much. But I wasn't feeling good on race day. It was just a bad day. You never know. Two weeks later I won XTERRA Worlds [for the third time]. So I was in a good shape. Maybe the timing with the training wasn't perfect and that is why two weeks later I went good. That is something my coach Iñigo Mujika and I have been talking about. We both live in Vitoria, the capital of Basque country in Spain. We still didn't get to a clear conclusion.
ST: This year you only placed 3rd at Wildflower. Was that a disappointment?
Eneko: That moment I was preparing and training for Ironman Lanzarote. So I knew I could not do a proper tapering for that race. My training was more oriented to Lanzarote. But if I was happy with that result behind Michael Raelert and Joe Gambles, two men who specialized in 70.3 races. I think it was quite a decent result.
ST: You won Lanzarote in 2007. How important was it for you this year?
Eneko: Lanzarote was really important for me. Lanzarote is the biggest long distance race in my country. To spend the days before the race with all the Spanish long distance triathletes was really special, really nice. We saw the each other and signed the autographs for the people. Also, it was really important for the Spanish media to have a big Spanish race close to the mainland.
ST: St How important that Lanzarote as a true test of triathlon?
Eneko: Lanzarote is one of the toughest Ironman races in the world. When you race there you know how good you are. Because there is no way to hide with all those climbs and the wind it is very demanding. For me it is real test and a real course that shows how good you are – or how bad you are.
ST: St You had to work hard to beat Bert Jammaer who had won there twice in a row.
Eneko: On the bike I was in front at the beginning. But in the last part there was a climb and he broke away there. So he started the run 2 or 3 minutes in front of me.
I knew I had to go hard to catch him. But at that moment I was more worried about Maik Twelsiek, because he set a bike course record and was 12 minutes in front of us. I knew he is not a fast runner, but with that much time in hand, he would be hard to beat. So I start the run fast to try to catch those guys.
ST: How hard is it to calculate hlow fast you can go without blowing up?
Eneko: I don't think you can calculate. You feel it when you are going too fast. You want to go fast, but you can still run the whole marathon. At that moment, I had to start fast and keep a fast pace and try to catch these guys.
ST: What was the difference with your body's signals between last year at Kona and this race?
Eneko: Last year at Kona at the beginning of the run, my stomach was full and not digesting the food and it I was feeling very very hard. I was running bad. Obviously after the bike you feel tired when you start to run. But you know you can run more or less good. At Lanzarote, the first two kilometers were tough. It was a hard bike course and you are tired. But from there I start feeling good and had a good stride. So it was totally different feeling.
ST: How much of a fight did Jammaer and Twelsiek put up?
Eneko: When I caught him we ran 3 or 4 Ks together, then I started to run away. When I saw Maik (Twelsiek) I think it was 25 k and he was slowing.
ST: Once you passed them both, did you let up?
Eneko: The last few miles I felt I was in control and I start to take it easy when I heard he was 2 minutes behind me,. Suddenly, he was 1 minute behind me and I had to start running fast again. But more or less I felt I had the race under control and I could enjoy the finish. There were lot of people cheering me and calling my name. So it was really great. Of course my wife Ruth was at the finish line and my whole family was there, so it was very special for me.
ST: What are your feelings about being a prominent sportsman in the Basque region of Spain?
Eneko: The politics is very controversial in Spain. I personally don't care too much about being from the Basque country or being from Spain. I am a professional triathlete and I like to race for myself and my family.
ST: What would winning Ironman Hawaii mean for you?
Eneko: It would be the biggest thing for me. I have won many good races and I am very happy and very proud to have won them. Ironman Hawaii is the biggest event for us and it would be like a dream to win it. I don't know what would happen if I won. But of course it would be great.
ST: Many people thought you had enough firepower four years ago to win it. You started with 5th place in 2006 and then took 7th in 2007. In 2008 you were 2nd. What makes this race such a challenge?
Eneko: First of all we all know how hot and humid it is here and that makes the race very tough. But then there is the quality of the field — the best triathletes in the world in their best shape. And everybody wants to win this race. All these things make this race very tough. We must go very fast from the beginning. It is not like another Ironman where you know you have 4 or 5 guys who can win that race and you can be more tactical and see what happens. Here you have to be all the time 100 percent focused on the race and you have to race hard from the gun. So that is what makes this race so special and so difficult to win.
ST: Why did you have such a good year here in 2008?
Eneko: That was my third year doing Ironman and I had a big improvement from the year before. I think mostly because I was better adapted to long distance and we did different things with our training that give us a very good result.
STL What did you do different in training?
Eneko: We did not focus that much on high volume training. Of course we did some long training. But years before we forgot a little bit about high intensity training and by 2008 we covered that part. I think that made me faster. I was adapted to the long distance and I could handle it. That year I learned to go fast at the long distance.
ST: How your preparations different for this particular race?
Eneko: This year we decide to race more than years before and I think it was a good decision. I raced a lot but at the same time we were very careful with the recovery after each race.
ST: Some people might think thyat a big schedule of races would make it hard to peak for Kona?
Eneko: So many people think with all this racing it is not possible to get into a good shape for Hawaii. But if I tell you true I am feeling as good as I did for Abu Dhabi [where he won $50,000 top prize]. We will see on Saturday of course. You never know what happens on race day. But I think the best part is that we took good care of recovery. Because, of course, it is impossible to stay in good shape unless you recover.
ST: This year there are 5 or 6 favorites who can win it. Rasmus Henning, Andreas Raelert, Chris Lieto, Chris McCormack, Andy Potts and Crowie. Does this play any factor into how you race?
Eneko: You can’t ignore anybody. It is difficult to have a degree of tactic with all these good athletes in the race. So on race day we will see what happens and we will have to make decisions in the moment. You won’t know exactly how people will react, but we have a good idea about some things. We all know that Chris Lieto is going to try to run away on the bike. There is nothing you can do against that, he is so strong on the bike,. But we will make decisions on the moment.
ST: You can get a benefit to ride — at a legal distance — with some people?
Eneko: Yes if someone tries to make a move and I am sure many people will try on the bike. The first reaction is to try to go with them. And then you see if you are going too fast you have to slow down and get your pace again. I expect people to try to break away on the bike
ST: Chris McCormack had the best recent winning run of 2:42: 02 in 2007. Do you have any idea how fast the run will have to be to win in 2010? Aren't you one of the high 2:40 guys?
Eneko: I have been high 2:40. But to win here I have to be at least below 2:45. And maybe faster.
ST: Do you have to carefully mete out your energy all day to run that fast?
Eneko: It is tricky and difficult. Yeah if you want to win here you have to run less than 2:45. I think I can run better. The race in 2008 was a good year for me but I had blisters.
ST: That year you led Crowie by 3 minutes off the bike, but then he ran 2:45 and you ran 2:51 to finish second.
Eneko: The run was very painful. I wasn't running well because of my feet.. Blisters have always been a big problem for me, Last year I also had problems with blisters.. In 2008 it was a good day and one of my biggest results. But it wasn't the best race for me. You always try, but it is difficult to have a perfect day.
ST: What were some of your best days?
Eneko: The ITU race at Ibiza in 2003 was a good one. Lanzarote 2007 was a very nice race. This year Abu Dhabi was also great. It is difficult to have that certain great day when you want it.
ST: Especially at Kona. Why is that?
Eneko: I think each year is different here. The weather, how you feel with yourself and the other triathletes it is always different. I think nobody knows how to handle this race perfectly. We all learn something new each year that is why Ironman Hawaii is special.
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