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18 I I FEBRUARY 2017
INSIDETRI
TRI NEWS
F rom Jan Frodeno smashing
the long-distance record at
Challenge Roth in July to
Daniela Ryf crushing the Ironman
World Championship course record
at Kona in October, 2016 was the
year that Ironman athletes truly
got faster. The history making
concluded in November when
Lionel Sanders broke the official
Ironman record at Tempe in
Arizona with a time of 7:44:29.
The Canadian, 28, went into
Arizona having suffered in Kona,
finishing in 29th when big things
were expected. “I hadn’t put in
enough endurance work before
Kona,” says Sanders to 220. “For
some reason I thought I could wing
70.3 Worlds fitness mixed with
five weeks of some solid volume
sessions post-Kona could result
in a fast time. I certainly didn’t
count out the possibility of
going under the time.”
Including non-Ironman
branded events, Sanders’ time
was also the third-fastest in
history, behind both Frodeno
(7:35:39) and Andreas Raelert
(7:41:33) at Roth in 2016 and
2011, respectively. Yet, in stepping
atop the Arizona podium, Sanders
would cement one of the most
remarkable turnarounds in
modern professional sport,
coming half a decade after
consistent drug and alcohol
live a normal life again. She would
go the rest of her life with the guilt
of feeling that she was responsible
for me taking my own life. It was at
that exact instant that I knew this
wasn’t the solution.”
Cut to 29 August of that year,
and Sanders would cross the
Louisville finish line after an
impressive 10:14:31 overall race
split. Although he finished two
hours behind the race winner,
Aussie/Brit Paul Ambrose, a seed
was planted, Sanders wanted to be
a professional triathlete.
Sanders hooked-up with
coach Barrie Shepley, the ITU
commentator who hails from the
same town of Harrow in Ontario,
Sanders’ 2014 would conclude
with a win at Ironman Florida
(albeit with a cancelled swim),
before more 70.3 wins and his
debut Arizona title – complete with
a sub-8hr finish – in 2015.
PAINCAVESAFETY
If the number of wins on his results
page suggests otherwise, the
progression hasn’t been without
hitches. Namely in the form of
automobile crashes, which have
resulted in Sanders spending his
bike sessions in the indoor safety of
his ‘pain cave’.
“The predominant reason I bike
indoors is because I was hit four
times in four years of outdoor riding.
SANDERSSMASHES
IRONMANRECORD
Five years after major drug and depression issues, Canadian pro
Lionel Sanders breaks the Ironman record in Arizona
I knewArizona was fast, and I had a suspicion
that my 70.3Worlds fitness mixed with some solid
volume sessions post-Kona could result in a fast time
IMAGE
PAUL PHILLIPS/COMPETITIVE IMAGE
it because I was in good top-end
shape, but I’d a rude and painful
awakening. With just five weeks of
solid endurance training, I was able
to bounce back in Arizona with a
much better performance.”
And bounce back Sanders
would, producing the second-
fastest Ironman bike split in history
of 4:04:38 to take second place
behind Australia’s Cameron Wurf
into the run. On the famously fast
Arizona course, Sanders would
unleash a 2:42:31 marathon run
to break Marino Vanhoenacker’s
Ironman race record from 2011.
“I love this sport, so I was
definitely aware of Marino’s record
going into the race,” says Sanders
to 220. “I knew Arizona was fast,
and I had a suspicion that my
abuse and depression had pushed
him to the edge of the abyss.
ROADTORECOVERY
In late 2009, a 21-year-old Canadian
student by the name of Lionel
Sanders stood on a chair in a
garage with a belt around his neck.
Completely broke and having
relapsed into hard drug use, suicide
seemed the only option. Then
Sanders thought of his mother,
Becky, who’d recently paid for an
entry into Ironman Louisville for
her son. Lionel couldn’t let her
down and stepped from the chair.
“When the image of my mom
popped into my head, it hit me like
a ton of bricks,” said Sanders to
The Hamilton Spectatorin 2012. “I
knew she’d never, ever be able to
Canada, and the journey to
pro-hood truly began. With a
background in running, Sanders
would rack up wins at multiple run
and duathlon events in 2013 as well
as his debut pro win at Ironman
70.3 Muncie, before his 2014
multisport record saw him enter
16 events and win 11, due to a
formidable bike/run combo.
“I rode BMX for several hours
a day as a teen so that probably
helped,” adds Sanders. “Also, I
never had great speed in running.
Where I’d excel most was on
challenging courses. And, if it was
cold, rainy and muddy, I’d do even
better. This means I was probably
more of a strength runner, and that
usually bodes well if you make the
transition to cycling.”
I really don’t want to die riding a
bike, so I’d rather just train inside
where it’s safe. Once I started, I
realised it’s actually of great quality.
Spending time on the CompuTrainer,
without being distracted by cars or
having to slow down at stop signs,
has allowed me to really push the
limits of the system.”
So where does Sanders’
inspirational story go from here?
Could he become the man to wrestle
the men’s Ironman world title from
the Europeans? “This season I’ll
take a break from Kona to focus
exclusively on the 70.3 Worlds.
This’ll allowme to spend more time
and energy improving my swim. But
Hawaii is definitely the long-term
goal. Yet, right now, I prefer not to
put limits on anything.” Q 220