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| Craig Alexander Q&A |
     
KK: Please tell our readers about yourself. Where did you grow up?
CA: I was born and raised in Sydney, Australia.
KK: What sports did you play growing up?
CA: I played soccer for 12 years before becoming a triathlete. If I were not a professional triathlete I think I could have made it as a pro soccer player.
KK: What is your degree in?
CA: I graduated from Sydney University in 1997 with a degree in Physiology and Anatomy and I am a qualified Physical Therapist.
KK: When did you get started in triathlon?
CA: I started in the mid 90's. My first race was in Sydney in 1994. Growing up I watched a lot of triathlons on TV, it used to get a lot of mainstream media coverage. That is when triathlon had caught my attention.
KK: Was there any athletes you followed in the sport of triathlon?
CA: I used to follow Greg Welch and Michellie Jones. In Australia I would watch Kona, Escape from Alcatraz, the Chicago Triathlon and St. Croix.
KK: Where you ever an ITU athlete?
CA: I did ITU racing for a couple of years. I would only do a few races a year. I never committed to it because I really enjoy all styles of racing. Each season I enjoy mixing my schedule up with Olympic and 70.3 distance races, and now Ironman.
KK: Is it tough to part of a Federation?
CA: It is, back when I was racing in the ITU they told me they were interested in me trying out for the Olympics. If I were to stay with the Federation they didn't want me to race St. Croix or Life Time Fitness and as a professional athlete I should be able to race wherever I want. If I show up to an Olympic qualifying race fit and win the race I should be able to be part of the Olympic team. As an athlete I should also be able to pick who my sponsors are.
KK: Where does the Federation get its funding?
CA: The Federation is funded by taxpayer money. There is no control over which athletes get funding. The funds should go to the up and coming athletes. The Sport Commission in Australia was set up specifically to fund sports like track cycling and swimming; sports that don't have prize money.
KK: Are you happy with the growth of the sport?
CA: Yes, triathlon is still a young sport when you compare it to Football and Baseball or even the Tour De France, which has been around for a long time. Triathlon is only 20-30 years old. There are a lot of great events and styles of racing from ITU draft legal to Olympic non-draft legal, 70.3 and Ironman distances. It is great that it gives athletes a choice because there is so much to choose from.
 KK: When did you start coming to train and race in the United States?CA: I starting coming to the US (San Diego) in 2002, 2003 and 2004. I had good success racing in the US. I won California 70.3 in 2002, St. Croix 70.3 in 2003. In 2004 I won the big city triple crown Boston, Chicago and LA. In 2005 I won Life Time Fitness Series. It was kind of funny in 2005 the Federation asked me why I was going to Boulder and racing in the US and the next year the whole Federation and program was in the US. In 2006 the whole Australian National team was based in the US.
KK: How much time do you train in the US vs. training in Australia?
CA: It is a 50/50 split. My family and I will come over in April to get in a few early races like St. Croix and St. Anthony's and stay thru until October/November for Kona or Clearwater. I then return to Australia for my "off season" only racing a couple of races in Australia and doing my seasons base training.
KK: How do you arrange your race schedule year to year?
CA: I usually pick the races that I really like. A lot of the races I have picked are from the ones I watched on TV and some of them have a long history behind them. Knowing some of the best in our sport have won those races makes me want to race them.
KK: What is your favorite race?
CA: St. Croix is one of my favorites. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I saw it a number of times on TV way before I started doing triathlons.
KK: What makes a good all around race experience?
CA: There are many parts that make a good race experience. Showing up fit, personal results, the course, race organizers and having a good home stay family. For example, we go to St. Croix every year and there we have a great home stay family.
KK: What is a home stay family?
CA: Families volunteer to take in an athlete from out of town. Often they are fellow triathletes or have some affiliation with the organization of the race. It is nice and it sure beats staying in a hotel. Every home stay I have ever had has been great; they all have taken really good care of me, and often my family too.
KK: Do you feel obligated to go back and defend the title to a race you won the previous year?
CA: I don't feel obligated but I think it is nice to go back and try to defend your title.
KK: Now that you have won the Ironman World Championships, are you going to change anything in your training to prepare for 2009?
CA: I am always looking to improve; I will tweak things along with seeking more advice. I think I can improve things, especially because I have only raced there twice. If you look at my race from 2007 to 2008, it was a bit different because I had more experience. In 2007 I will always look back at it and be happy with what I had done. I will always cherish the experience because it was my first year and it was a race I always want to do. In 2008 I was faster all the way around and everyone was saying it was a bit harder. With any race I think you naturally improve once you gain a little more experience.
KK: Craig you are having a solid year at the 70.3 distance this season.
CA: I feel things were building nicely. I won a few other 70.3's earlier in the season starting off with Geelong and Singapore. Boise really pushed me. It came down to inches!
KK: It isn't often where these races come down to the wire.
CA: Yeah it is pretty exciting for everyone. Chris Lieto and I were only 2 seconds apart. Chris had taken the cycling at Boise to a different level. Last year a similar thing happened at the California 70.3 where Andy Potts got the best of me.
 KK: Would you classify yourself as an Olympic, 70.3 or an Ironman triathlete?CA: Neither, I enjoy racing and I enjoy racing all the different distances for different reasons. Every race and every distance has its challenges and each distance has a different set of competitors, which makes thing exciting.
KK: What is so special about racing the Ironman World Championships?
CA: It gives you a chance to race the best in the world, the course is hard and the conditions are hard. It tests everyone who shows up to race that day.
KK: What do you see yourself in 10 years?
CA: Wow that is along time from now. If I am not still racing, I want to be involved with the sport some how. I am not sure if it is coaching or maybe even product development. Right now my wife and I have two children and I would like to have two more. One of the things I really like about the sport, especially when you're in Kona, is you get to meet a lot of the legends and past winners. They are still active in the sport and come out to watch the race. Dave Scott has been a massive help to me just in terms of training.
KK: I hear you had a new arrival to the family this year.
CA: Yes, my wife and I had our son in April.
KK: What do your parents think about you being a professional triathlete?
CA: My parents have always been supportive. They were happy that I got my degree before getting into triathlon full time. My parents are happy that I chased my dreams.
KK: How did you get the nickname Crowie?
CA: There used to be an athlete back in Australia name Jonathon Crow. He was surf Ironman and everyone thought I looked like him.
KK: What do you want people to know most about you?
CA: I am a family guy, who trains hard and works hard with what I have been given.
In 2009 Craig Alexander has won Geelong, Singapore, Hawaii, Boise and Muskoka 70.3.
Personal Web page: www.craigalexander.net
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| Last Updated ( Saturday, 03 October 2009 21:26 ) |
He is the reigning Ford Ironman World Champion. 2009 is turning out to be another spectacular year as he has won his share of 70.3 distance races and one that came down to seconds against Chris Lieto. He is what I would call a complete triathlete and a very good ambassador of the sport. It is my honor to have interviewed Mr. Craig Alexander| | . | . | . |