The Abu Dhabi Triathlon is on again in early March. There have been some significant changes made to the course this year due to the increasing popularity of the event. The swim will now take place at the beach in the middle of the Corniche and the cycling route will run over Saadiyat Island and onto Yas Island. The running course will stay the same, however, starting at the Corniche, going over to the breakwater and then back into the city.
If you are taking part in this years Abu Dhabi Triathlon, tackling the course with you will be The Abu Dhabi Triathlon Team. The team boasts seven of the world’s leading triathletes as members, and is headed by Abu Dhabi resident and 2005 World Ironman Champion, Faris Al-Sultan. We caught up with Faris to see how he is preparing for the competition this year.
How many triathlons have you done and what do you love about them?
I’ve never counted all the races I take part in, but it’s probably 10 triathlon races a year, next to running races, swimming and cycling competitions. And I think almost 30 Ironman races. I love to compete in this combination of swimming, cycling and running which are the three major endurance sports. The different sports have to be balanced, at least to some degree, in training and racing. The length of the many races and their requirements make the triathlon a unique challenge.
How do you prepare for a triathlon?
I train 11 months of the year and it is very complicated, to go into the detail of preparations. Basically there are usually two or three main races you really prepare for, while the rest are done as a form of training for those big or key races. I swim, cycle, run and go to the gym with varying numbers of sessions, volume and intensity throughout the year. The main part of my training though is base endurance work which, on average, I spend 23-25 hours per week on.
What are your plans for 2012? Do you have any major goals that you would like to achieve?
Well, of course, first up I have the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon coming up, then Ironman Austria and Ironman Hawaii as major goals and also several smaller races I’m going to take part in in between.
We are heading into summer, what does a typical week look like for you once the triathlon is over and you start training again in the hotter months?
Well as training becomes difficult here [in the UAE] in May, due to the hot weather conditions, I go to Europe for their races. So I try to settle down in different parts of the world depending on the weather conditions so I can train. I usually go down to Al Ain during the winter months to train when Europe is too cold to do that. But if I stay in the UAE [through the hotter months] I’d start early in the morning, or do workouts in the gym. If you do three sessions on the spinning bike and the treadmill per week you are able to maintain a reasonable level of fitness.
Obviously you are a very talented and driven triathlete, what first brought you to triathlons?
After pursuing my interest in swimming and running for a while I really took a liking to both the sports. I still couldn’t even imagine at the time though that I might turn pro one day. I saw some TV coverage of Ironman Hawaii and German Ironman triathlete Thomas ‘Hell on Wheels’ Hellriegel, I was hooked.
What do you enjoy about the Abu Dhabi Triathlon?
It’s great to have a race where I can spend so much time training and preparing right here in Al Ain and Abu Dhabi. It also gives me a chance to train on the race course itself which, this year, starts from the Abu Dhabi public beach and moves onto the cycle route which starts from the heart of the Corniche in the East Plaza, going up to Saadiyat Island and then lap around the spectacular Yas Marina Circuit.
Do you have a race that sticks out as your favourite? Why?
Hawaii is still the race of races, its prestige and history are unbeatable. But of course there are others I enjoy a lot, from Abu Dhabi to the Olympic distance race in Xanten.
What advice would you give to people that are participating in the Abu Dhabi Triathlon for the first time this year?
Take it easy if you’re new to the sport, there is so much to learn and many mistakes to be made. But the satisfaction you get out of an athletic achievement is very big and special, becasue it is so very personal. Also, if you are just beginning you can choose to do the short distance races instead of the full distance. Abu Dhabi International Triathlon successfully launched the short distances last year and they are also available as part of this year’s race: a 750m swim instead of 3km, a 50km bike ride instead of 200km and a 5km run instead of 20km. It is a good idea to take up the short distances when you are training for a bigger race later on in the year.
Abu Dhabi Triathlon is on Saturday, March 3, 2012, visit the website for more information www.abudhabitriathlon.com.
