Ballybofey native Annmarie Power will take part in the 2018 World Championship triathlon in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii this Saturday.
Annmarie has been living in Cork for the last 20 years.
She started taking part in triathlons about 10 years ago and as well as being an exceptional athlete, she is also a mother of 3 and a part-time health care nurse.
She is sponsored by SuperSubs for the big event.
On the day of the event over 2,000 athletes will embark on a 140.6-mile journey that consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride and a 26.22 mile run – in that order and without a break.
It is widely considered one of the most difficult one-day sporting events in the world.
The Ironman World Championship has been held annually in Hawaii since 1978.
The Ironman World Championship has become known for its gruelling length and harsh race conditions. Annmarie has many sporting achievements under her belt including; second in her age group in Ironman Austria 2016, first in her age group in Ironman Lanzarote in May of this year, first place in her age group in the National Middle-Distance Championship Kenmare and of course World Championship qualifier in Hawaii.
Taking part in a triathlon is extremely time consuming and takes a great deal of self- discipline and willpower.
“Time commitment is definitely a challenge for any aspiring triathlete,” Annmarie said
“As a Mom and a career woman, you have to be very efficient with your time and manage it very effectively, so for me it’s quality as opposed to quantity.”
She describes managing all three as a ‘balancing act’.
She manages to swim 2.5km-3km three times a week, run three times a week with distances ranging from 12-19 miles and does a long cycle on Sundays reaching distances up to 150km and also cycles on her turbo trainer in her kitchen.
“Consistency is the key,” she said. “Putting in those hours week after week, is the key to progressing as an athlete and, for a more mature athlete like myself, it’s just trying to stay injury free.”
One of the key things athletes in such a competitive sport can do to help ensure a speedy injury recovery is have a well-balanced nutritious diet. Many endurance athletes, despite fuelling their workouts properly while they’re out on the road, finish the day with a caloric deficit.
A key macro nutrient vital for athletes is carbohydrates. In order to maximise and optimise performance and recovery, athletes need to continually load and reload muscle glycogen stores.
his process cannot happen with a low-carbohydrate/high-protein diet, there needs to be a high level of both
Power said: “I would have a high protein intake, I do take a lot of carbs on board. I need carbs to fuel my training and the protein helps me recover and helps my body to repair muscles after training sessions”.
How does someone with such a busy day-to-day life as Annmarie stay motivated and not let things get in the way of her success? “Just try and reach your potential, not to focus too much on the failures, just keep going and enjoy the sport that you’re in and enjoy your life and try to be the best that you can be.”
