Beth Zinkand
SBRStL – Beth, we’re pleased to have the opportunity to throw some questions your way. You call Davis, California home, an area of the country that has given us some incredibly gifted multisport athletes. What’s in the drinking water out there?
BZ – "Actually, the water here is incredibly hard. Its so mineral-rich that if you leave your faucet dripping, a stalactite will form within days. Most people have water softeners. But to answer your question, I think Davis has two things to offer to multisport athletes : first, endless straight roads that are virtually flat and traffic-free. This is good for running and cycling, but especially for cycling. There just aren’t that many places you can walk out your door and ride for five hours without stopping or climbing. It helps you develop great conditioning for time-trialing, and it lets you make your cycling workouts exactly what you want them to be, with the right intensity, intervals, recovery or whatever. The landscape around Davis doesn’t dictate your ride, you do. So the terrain is the primary benefit of training here. But also important is the climate (usually very windy all year round and scorching during the summer), and the presence of people who love training."
SBRStL – 2002 saw you win IM Switzerland in weather conditions that were perhaps not suited to your strength. How big a role in IM racing is "adapting to the unpredictable?"
BZ – “Ironman racing always involves dealing with the unpredictable, but for me it’s more about overcoming obstacles. I mean, you can usually predict with fairly high accuracy that SOMETHING will go wrong during an Ironman. The fact that bad things will happen is one of the most predictable aspects of the sport. The night before every race, Neil and I go through this little routine that has become something of a tradition for me. It involves a lot of visualization and other things, but it always culminates in a little prayer, or mantra, to “conquer all obstacles.” I have to start every race hungry for unknown challenges so when the unpredictable does occur; it’s just another part of the day.”
SBRStL – It seems to us that ultimately the only two hurdles between you and an IM World Championship have names…...Natasha and Lori. What do you feel you need to add to your game to take it to the top?
BZ –
“I need to run a 3:05
marathon to win Hawaii. It’s that simple. I remember after I finished 5th in
1999, Dave Scott told me to take ten minutes off my marathon and the race was
mine. Easier said than done. When I finished 4th in 2000, it was the same
story. I can spend virtually no energy in the water, come out in the top 10 and
ride to the front of the race by mile 40. But that’s not even the beginning of
an Ironman. I’ve been trying to go a little easier on the bike lately to set up
faster runs (like I did in Switzerland), but that’s no substitute for proper
training. My running mileage has never even been close to the top runners in
triathlon. I need to be running 60 miles a week. Try running those miles along
side a few hundred miles on the bike, ten hours in the pool, and working a
“real” job every week and you’ll get a nice taste of my situation.”
SBRStL – SwimBikeRunStLouis has a fair number of female readers. Is there anything you can tell them about training or racing that you’ve learned as a woman in sport?
BZ – “Stay away from the men in mass swim starts, make friends with your competition, don’t forget to eat, and keep balance in your life.”
SBRStL – It’s always interesting to hear how the pros train. Can you describe a key workout for us?
BZ – “It varies a lot through the
course of the year. People are always interested to hear about my peak of
training, which happens about a month before a big event : that Saturday
workout usually features a 120-mile bike followed by a 22-mile run. That’s
about the longest I’ll go, and I certainly won’t be racing it, but just getting
through it, staying comfortable and visualizing the upcoming course the whole
time.”
SBRStL – What sort of circumstances brought you and triathlon together?
BZ – "I moved to Davis in 1993 to be with Neil. I was swimming since age five and running since high school, but I never really did any cycling until I met Neil. He bought me a road bike in 1994 and I just piled on miles with him for a couple years. By 1996, I was racing, and totally surprised to find out I qualified for Hawaii. I went there with no expectations at all, planning to just finish. I stopped to pee on the bike seven or eight times, and I walked through every aid station on the run. It was a blast. And when I realized that I finished in the top-10 of my age group, I starting thinking about all the ways I could shave time. That was it. I was hooked. I turned pro in 1999 and have really enjoyed every second of my journey."
SBRStL – Beth, a look at your podiums is impressive, but a more revealing look at your character may be found in your 2001 IM Hawaii race. The easy way out would have been a DNF, but you chose otherwise. Can you retrace a little of that day for us?
BZ –
"I knew my cycling was in
very good form in 2001. And I suspected that my running wasn’t. So my plan was
to crush the bike and survive the run for a third consecutive top-5. Bad plan.
I was way out in front of the women’s field by mile 30 of the bike, just
hammering like a fool. By mile 80, my day was done. Mile 80 of the bike is
about the point when most people know if its going to be a good day or a bad
day. And you’re right, most pros quit if they know they aren’t in the money.
But I’ve never drawn inspiration from the money. I guess that makes me more of
an amateur at heart, because its just more important to me to finish what you
start. I’ve always looked up to women like Karen Smyers, who has literally never
dropped out of a race. To the extent I ever thought about what kind of
"pro" I wanted to be, I always thought about Karen's accomplishment. And
honestly, walking those last eight miles of the marathon taught me so much about
the sport. Because that's really where most people are - just struggling
to make it across the line. I went home that day feeling like part of the
Ironman family for the first time. I suffered, but it was an incredibly
humbling and rewarding experience."
SBRStL – 2003 will be a big year for you as wedding bells will ring. All we want to know is how Neil will be able to marry you and take the pictures at the same time? (lol)
BZ – "Actually, he's really good at taking those self-portraits where you hold the camera out and point it back at yourself! But actually there will be so many photographers at the wedding among our friends and family, we didn't even hire one."
SBRStL – Your off-season, are you weight training, base-building, taking a break, or something else these days?
BZ – "I had a good rest in Kaui after Ironman, and I'm staying fairly active this winter. I'm doing yoga, cross-country skiing, some weights, some rock climbing and of course swimming, biking, and running (but no hard schedule yet!). I think it's really important to use the off season for complete mental and physical renewal. When it comes time to train again, you should really be craving it."
SBRStL – Beth, we’re certain your best races are still ahead of you. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with SwimBikeRunStLouis and much success in 2003.