She is building a legacy! The race resume speaks for itself: Olympian (2004), Ironman 70.3 World Champion (2006, 2008) and a 2^nd place finish in her rookie debut at the Ironman World Championships along with a slew of other 1^st place finishes. There are a lot of people predicting she can beat Chrissie in Kona. Ladies and gentlemen please welcome: Sam McGlone

KK: Sam, please give our readers a little info about yourself. Where did you grow up? What is your academic background? What sports did you play as a youth?

SM: I grew up in St Catharines, Ontario -we lived out in the country so lots of great riding and trail running.  I went to Ridley College and then McGill University where I did a batchelors in Kinesiology.  I did running (cross-country and track) from an early age and rode horses for 10 years.

KK: Does your degree in Kinesiology help you as an athlete?

SM: It is definitely a great background for understanding training principles and physiology.  I think my coach might be happier if I didn't use that knowledge to constantly question him so much!

KK: When did you get started doing Triathlon? When did you turn pro?

SM: I did my first triathlon when I was 14 but didn't get serious about it until after high school when I went to Australia in 1998.  I turned pro in 2002 after I graduated from Mcgill but I was racing on the ITU World Cup circuit since 2000.

KK: Please tell us about your 2004 Athens Olympics experience?

SM: The Olympics were amazing - an experience of a lifetime.  It was such a huge event, bigger than anything I have been involved in.  It was so much fun, I highly recommend it.

KK: What did it take to get into the Olympics?

SM: It was a process of many years, between developing my speed and racing skills and then the actual qualification.  It really gears up about 2 years before the games with all the athletes racing hard to gain enough ITU points to qualify.  Canada had a very strong womens team at that time and about 6 girls had made the standards so we had 3 Olympic trials races to determine the team.  It was a long, demanding, but ultimately very rewarding, process.

KK: In 2005 you had a remarkable year, capturing a good number of 1st place finishes. Which one stands out the most to you? Why?

SM: Winning Wildflower Long Course was really exciting for me.   I finished 30 seconds off the 14-year old course record in one of my first long distance races.  There have been so many great triathletes that have raced there over the years, it made me think that I might have a good future in the longer distances.

KK: 2006 you won the 70.3 World Championships in Clearwater, Florida. Did you prepare for this race any different than the rest?

SM: Of course, being a World Championship I was focused on Clearwater for much of the season.  But in terms of training, Cliff and I approached it as we had any other race - checking out the course, training for it specifically and making sure I was in my best form in November.

KK: Ironman World Championships 2007 you came in second place. Please take us through your perpetration, the race and the finish.

SM: It was my first Ironman so we prepared for the distance by doing longer training than I had ever done before and prepared specifically for running a 3 hour marathon at the end of a hard bike.  I executed the race exactly as I had hoped and stuck to my race plan.  I was lucky to have no major setbacks and finished in one piece which was all I could ask for in my first Ironman.  By the last hour of the run I was really looking forward to that run down Ali'i Drive, though.  It was one long, tough day!

KK: During the race season you can rack up a lot of miles; how does your body hold up?

SM: I have been very fortunate to have raced and trained full-time for so many years without any injuries.  But I guess my time was due because I had to miss Kona last year due to Achilles tendonosis.  It was the first world championship I have missed since Lausanne in 1998 so I guess I can't complain.

KK: Other than swimming, biking and running what else do you incorporate into your training?

S M: I do yoga a few times a week as well as strength train and get regular massage and physiotherapy.  I have a great team that helps me stay strong and healthy.

KK: What did you have to do to recover from last years Achilles issue?

SM: I spent a lot of time at Endurance Rehabilitation in Scottsdale, AZ.  The staff there is amazing and since they specialize in endurance athletes they got me back on track, stronger than ever.

KK: Has the current economic situation hurt athletes when it comes to sponsorships?

SM: I am sure it must have an impact on many athletes.  I am very fortunate to have wonderful sponsors - even through my injury last season they were all very supportive.

KK: Who are you sponsored by this year?

SM: Zoot, Powerbar, Argon 18, Profile, Zipp, SRAM, Sable, Oakley

KK: Where do you spend most of your time training?

SM: My new home of Tucson, AZ, but I do like to head back home to Canada for a few months in the summer when it hits 110 degrees here.

KK: How much has having Cliff English as a coach helped your racing career?

SM: Cliff has been instrumental in all of my success.  He has been coaching me for 9 years now and I would honestly say that I would not be where I am today without him.

KK: What tips would you give to someone getting started in the sport of triathlon?

SM: Start small - finishing a few sprint races is an awesome accomplishment.  No need to do an Ironman in the first year!   Other than that, invest in a good coach that can help you develop a training program and save you from making all the rookie mistakes (and definitely don't try and teach yourself to swim)

KK: How has the early part of the 2009 race season be going for you?  What is on your race schedule for 2009?

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites