New Zealand World Championships: Michael Grau-Veliz

Now less than a month until this years Sprint and Olympic Distance World Championships being held in New Zealand, each week ‘Zoolander’ will catch up with one of our qualifiers to find out how their training is going and their thoughts leading into this years Age Group Championships. Our next athlete is MICHAEL GRAU-VELIZ read his story here.

An interview with Zoolander….

Z: The World Championships are not far off now, how has your training been so far?
MGV: In a word “erratic”. Have been hampered with a few injuries, that in hindsight could have been avoided if only I’d listen to my body and more importantly the coaches.

Z: What have you found has been the most valuable lesson from the training regime and the decision to race at this level?
MGV: Patience – a virtue I obviously don’t possess! Have been guilty of going too hard too soon or too fast too early and this has led to some recurring injuries, which in turn have hampered my training regime.

Z: A couple of questions around the race,
Why have you chosen to race Olympic/Sprint Distance?
MGV: This is only my second season of triathlon (started with a try the tri back in 2010) and the thought of swimming competitively for more than 1km is not my idea of fun. Thought the sprint might be more to my liking. Though if I had my way I would make the swim 250m, the ride 30km and the run 12km and call it a sprint. Then again, it’s a good think I am not in charge of coming up with the distances!

Z: What do you think your biggest challenge will be leading up to the race?
MGV: Keeping up with the required training and juggling work/life commitments (knowing when to rest would also be up there).

Z: What do you think your biggest challenge will be during the race?
MGV: Surviving the swim – not redlining in the water and keeping enough in the tank to smash the run (which hopefully will be my strongest leg).

Z: How has your motivation been?
MGV: To be honest it’s waned. I’m not a morning person but have managed to force myself out in the mornings for a swim/ride/run. Some mornings have been better than others!

Z: What has motivated you?
MGV: The opportunity to represent Australia has been a real motivating force and has definitely got me out of bed some mornings. Also, when I think about Geoff and Emma’s achievements I feel like I shouldn’t be mentioned in the same line.  This alone has kept me honest and turning up to sessions I would have rather missed.

Z: What has inspired you in the past? Has this had an effect on your training?
MGV: Ordinary people doing extraordinary things and seeing how far you can push your body. Definitely has an effect on my training, it’s another thing that has helped me with getting out there and doing the hard yards. (There are many examples in our squad, and some I have met from previous sporting events)

Z: It is an exciting time, heading off to the World Championships, the Olympic Distance and Sprint distances have a uniqueness about them. You are an official member of an Australian Team that is competing internationally, how do you feel about the lead up?
MGV: Excited, proud but very nervous – as they use to say in the Late Show “I don’t have the brown undies on for nothing” 🙂 Also think it has come round way too fast or at least faster than I thought it would.

Z: How much planning have you had to put into your preparation?
MGV: Obviously not enough! Thought I could just treat it as part of other training (will also be doing my 1^st half-iron man this year) but this has not worked as well. Hopefully it will all work out on the day.

Z: It’s easy to get caught up in the hype of what everyone else is doing, sometimes you can even feel left out, as the majority of the squad is in a different training phase, how have you coped with this and what have you done to compensate?
MGV: This has been my biggest Achilles heel, having to focus on what I have to do and not on what others are doing. Hence the reason that at times I have decided to train on my own.

Z: Of course, making the team is one thing, you have to qualify, what has the journey been like for you during this time?
MGV: I still remember receiving the email telling me that I’d made the team – thought someone was pulling my leg (I’m a bit of a stirrer at work so thought one of them might be trying to get me back). Needless to say the journey has been bumpy but very enjoyable. Have met some great people, inspiring training buddies and some very successful coaches (including our very own!)

Z: Will you be racing in an aero helmet? If not, why not?
MGV: Well I wasn’t but now that you mention it…guess I will now!

Z: One word association (and be honest with your first thought)

Swim – yuck!
Bike – gearsRun – smash
Gel – choke
Wax or Shave – wax (real men wax!)
New Zealand– where men are men and sheep are nervous (must make sure I don’t get beaten by too many locals after saying that! Also aware that it’s not one word but it is the 1^st thing that came to mind)
Film – Salute
Song – Unfinished Symphony
Wetsuit – Rocket Science (provided my boss releases the purse strings, otherwise an entry level Orca)
Pool or Ocean – definitely ocean!
Apollo Bay or Falls Creek – haven’t been to Falls Creek so Apollo Bay it is.

Z: Thanks for taking the time to chat with me Michael, best of luck with your last few weeks of training, and make sure the finishing photo is a good one!

‘Zoolander’
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