Peter Reid Interview - December, 2004

SBR - Pete, well once again we say thanks for blocking out a piece of your time for us. For starters, how's your health these days?

PR - No problem for the questions. Always a pleasure to do something for SBR! I am still in my off season mode. I am doing a bit of training every day but making sure that I keep a low heart rate so that my body rebuilds itself for the 2005 season. I just got back from a three day shaman workshop with Mark Allen in Santa Cruz.

SBR - I think the casual triathlon fan sometimes simply views the world's elite triathletes as training machines and as a result dehumanizes you guys somewhat. You experienced an unfortunate reminder of our humanity this year. We offer our condolences for the loss of your father. We're thinking that he was probably your number one fan.

PR - August was a pretty rough month; but, I managed to get through it. Every month gets better.

SBR - Not many people were aware of just how close you came to withdrawing from the World Championship this year. After all the injuries and emotional loss, and to run your way to second place the way that you did, has to feel as much or even more gratifying than a win.

PR - I was really happy with my final result. I really dug deep during the marathon when a ton of other guys quit. I never gave up and fought all the way to the finish line. I was quite proud of my mental strength on race day. Although, I was disappointed in my bike split. I rode 30 minutes slower than my personal best in Kona. Ouch!

SBR - All athletes at the top to their sport have a great deal of intestinal fortitude, and whether by choice or by need, you pushed yourself to even greater mental toughness this year. How big a role did Mark Allen play in that psychological growth?

PR - First of all, having Mark Allen believe in you does something special to your confidence. I couldn't have done the past two years without Mark's help. I raced this year with my least amount of fitness but stronger mentally than ever before which has everything to do with Mark's guidance.

SBR - The World Championship, and indeed the sport itself, took a hit this year with the EPO revelations. We don't want to put you on the spot, but it was very eerie reading your race-week report. You saw Nina at the pre-race NBC interviews and picked up on how much her body had changed.

PR - Yeah, she looked different. She screwed up and now she is dealing with it. I am sure she is going through hell. She is a nice person; but made some bad decisions.

SBR - One more question, and we'll leave the subject behind us. I assume, and maybe naively so, that the vast majority of world class triathletes race clean. You can't control what the other guy does, but it would drive us nuts knowing we were trying to recover naturally while another guy is taking injections.

PR - When you race clean you can still beat the cheaters; but, you can only do it once a year. The cheaters can do it all year long.

SBR - Let's switch gears and talk about your training camps. Of course they are supposed to generate revenue, but they also provide you an opportunity to connect with the age-group triathletes. What does that do for you?

PR - I don't make very much money at the camps. The number one thing I am concerned about is to keep the cost fairly low. I really enjoy doing the camps. I get so much energy from the people who attend the camps. Plus, I love showing people around Tucson - there are some amazing training rides and runs to do.

SBR - We gotta get in one whimsical question. What kind of coffee bean are you grinding these mornings?

PR - I am a huge coffee lover. I have some amazing beans in my machine that I received from my friend Tim Cotter in Kona. Tim owns a coffee farm above Keahou Bay. His coffee beans rule!

SBR - After seeing your T-1 split time at Kona this year, we're talking to the right guy on this one. What are some of your keys to fast, efficient Ironman transitioning?

PR - I give a lot of thought to my transitions. How do I make them as smooth as possible. A good transition is free time. You can make up some time on fast swimmers with a good T1 split. The most important thing is to study the transition zone and then do some mental imagery prior to race, race morning and the end of the swim.

SBR - A number of folks relatively new to triathlon will be reading this. If you look back from the time you first got involved in triathlon, all the way to the present, is there any simple advice you could provide to help them get the most from what the sport has to offer?

PR - Be patient with your training and race results. Some people try to rush their improvements which usually leads to injury or burn out. You want to avoid both because they slow your yearly progression.

SBR - As always, all the best. You rock.