Checking In With Pro Liz Blatchford: IMMT & Vegas Plans

I mentioned on my last post about writing the Ironman 70.3 World Championship preview. (To answer your question, Sunnyrunning), the list of pros we compiled was mostly a co-effort between Brad Culp and I, and the points rankings played a role in helping to choose. Beyond that, I also like to dig around on the pros and see who's worthy and interesting to feature. That's how I chose Tim Reed for the list, who I just had on endurance planet podcast, and other rising stars like Liz Blatchford. Liz is now focusing on long-course racing full time, after coming off an ITU/short-course tri career that ended with not being selected for the London Games last year. Sad ending for a very talented athlete. So you can imagine she's hungry for some championship racing at the 70.3 and full IM distance now! She won her first IM at Cairns recently, among other smashing wins and performances, proving she's the real deal.

She recently indicated an interest in racing IMMT (this weekend) as a last-chance effort to get Kona points for this year. She was one of our Vegas picks, so I contacted her after finding this out, wanting to see what was going on and how an IM just 3 weeks before Vegas may change her plans. Here's a little peek at our interview below. It will be soooo interesting to see how this situation pans out for Liz! Love this stuff....

Q) TP: Are you still doing Vegas this year? I saw that you might do IMMT for Kona points, and wondering if that is still the case.

A) LB: I am racing IMMT to try and qualify for Kona. Given Vegas is 3 weeks after I am undecided at this point if I will do Vegas. I will have to see how I recover from Tremblant and also see whether I have qualified for Kona. 

Q) TP: If you do race IMMT and Vegas, how do you think the IM in late August will factor into your Vegas performance?

LB: I'd say very likely. I have only don the one Ironman earlier this year and didn't feel particularly recovered 3 weeks later. However I am better prepared for this one so will have to wait and see.

Q) TP: How has it been moving from short-course to long-course racing? You seem to be dominating the distance (congrats on Cairns!). 

LB: It's been great. I'd been doing short course and ITU for so long i was probably getting stale and even loosing the love. Long course is so different with so much to learn and new ways to test myself so it's been really refreshing and i've definitely re-found my love of triathlon. Deciding to chase Kona this year is really motivating and an exciting goal and not a bad destination to go an torture ourselves;)

Q) TP: How was it racing Melissa Hauschildt at Koh Samui? You did great against her!

LB: Since I switched to long course racing Mel and I have raced in more races than not. We've had some great battles. She's a fantastic athlete and in brilliant form right now. I think she has won every race she has finished this year? She'll be one to watch in Vegas for sure. Koh Samui was such a fun race and another beautiful destination - i'm all about the destination racing! haha:)