Ben Hoffman is having a great season so far with a runner-up spot at 70.3 Boise behind Craig Alexander and several other nice podium finishes including a 3rd place at Buffalo Springs Lake 70.3 a couple days ago.
Slowtwitch: Ben, a lot has happened since we last chatted.
Ben: Thanks for the chance to chat again with Slowtwitch, Herbert. Things have definitely changed for me a bit since we chatted after Ironman Arizona in 2008.
ST: Along those lines, nice job in Lubbock at Buffalo Springs Lake 70.3.
Ben: Thanks. It was another tough, honest race. Warms temps and another windy bike blew the field apart a little, and I was able to take advantage. Unfortunately, Chris Lieto got a little too far ahead on the bike. The good news is that I am seeing some more improvement in the swim, as I didn't forfeit the usual time to the leaders on the non-wetsuit swim, and my run was solid despite not being tapered. I'm looking forward to some real rest before Lake Placid.
ST: It actually appears that you have you booked podium spots for this season.
Ben: I booked spots through the end of the year.
ST: So far you have raced 5 Half events, one Full and a few smaller events. Are you going to keep up this pace until October?
Ben: Well, it’s hard to say. I love racing, and when the fitness is good, it’s hard not to do as many events as possible. That said, I also love dedicated training blocks, being home in Durango for extended periods in the summer, and giving myself a break from race stresses every once in a while. Right now the plan is to finish up the build/taper for Ironman Lake Placid, and then I will see how the rest of the season shapes up. I don’t like making many plans after an Ironman, but I will probably ramp things up again and make one more push later in the year… once I’m recovered properly from Placid. With the new qualification standards, it will be important to get some points at the end of the year to keep pace with the other athletes.
ST: Do you think the new qualification rules will go through as they were proposed by the WTC?
Ben: It's definitely interesting stuff. I had a chance to chat with some other athletes in Buffalo Springs, and I think the response is mixed. Personally, I am in favor of some changes regarding Championship qualification, and I like the idea of trying to make some events ultra competitive, but I think it needs some changes too. The biggest problem I see is that the WTC is trying even harder to monopolize events by forcing pros to rack up points to get to Kona. Also, I don't necessarily agree with the proposed point schedule or prize money breakdowns. At least they are giving athletes a chance to weigh in on the topic before instituting the changes.
ST: Talking about athletes, when you had that crazy sprint with Kyle Leto, it appears you both stunned finish line assistant Cody McCasland after you collapsed. Were you surprised you had a sprint in you?
Ben: It’s been a while since I’ve had to test the sprinting legs, so I would say I was a little surprised. I had been doing a lot of run focused training in the winter/spring, so I was confident in my form, but I don’t consider myself a sprinter. When I caught Kyle, we ran together for almost a mile, and I told myself “I will win this no matter what.” In the end, I got him by less than a second. I think Cody was almost as stunned as we were… it’s not easy to put a finishing medal on an athlete when they are laying on the ground.
ST: At Ironman St. George you finished second behind Michael Weiss. Were you happy with the result and your race?
Ben: St. George was a bit mixed, but overall I was happy with the race. It was my early season goal all the way from last December when I started putting a schedule together, and I worked very hard to be ready for it. I spent a week training on the course with my coach Elliot Bassett and friend Jesse Vondracek, so I knew what I was getting into, and I felt like my preparation was solid for such an early season race. I did what was necessary to be near the front of the race, and I learned a lot about Ironman racing, which has been the overarching vision for the season. Looking back now, Michael was probably the stronger athlete on the day, and he raced very well, but I went there to win. I had incredible support from family and friends, and the race was extremely well-run for an inaugural event, so I left feeling pretty good about it. It definitely brought me a bit more exposure, so clearly I can’t complain about a 2nd at a tough Ironman race.
ST: Was that your most important result at that time?
Ben: I think it was my most important result to that point. It confirmed my decision to quit working part-time and commit fully to racing professionally. The confidence I gained from having a good result after spending the spring just training and racing showed me that it was a good move. I beat a couple Ironman champions, and showed that I could be a real threat to win one soon. Even though I raced well against tough fields at Oceanside and New Orleans, that was the rebound race I needed after suffering badly in Kona.
ST: In Boise you gave Craig Alexander a little scare. How did that feel?
Ben: Boise is one of my favorite races, and it was obviously exciting to be chasing the reigning world champ down on the run. I didn’t have big expectations going in, as I was coming off a big week of training in preparation for Ironman, so that made it even better. I think every time I put myself in those situations, it makes me believe even more that I belong there, and that is more than half the battle when it comes to winning races. It really took my racing to another level when I thought “ I might run down Crowie for the win!”
ST: Do you think it is tough mentally to win such an event, as maybe second to a 2-time World Champion doesn’t sound too shabby?
Ben: There is no question that winning a major event like that is tough mentally, physically, and emotionally. That is why I have tremendous respect for Craig. He understands maybe better than anyone how to balance those elements within the race dynamic so that he will be somewhere near the front at every race. That said, I want to win races, so I can’t be complacent and begin thinking that second place is “good enough,” even to a 2-time World Champion. I’m young, and I recognize the advantage that these guys have in years of experience and training, but I think I can be competitive with them and beat them.
ST: You had a super bike split in Boise and seem faster on the bike altogether. What have you done differently to step up your game on the bike?
Ben: I’ve been doing a lot of riding, and a lot of racing. Early in the year the group rides weren’t rolling yet in Durango, but now we have weekly hard rides on Tuesday and Saturday, which I find to be very helpful training. I spent a good amount of time in Tucson this winter, logging base miles to get ready for the year. I also race on the road bike a little, and that provides excellent top end. Basically I have gotten back to my roots in the sport, making sure to focus hard on the bike through good mileage/hours, and plenty of specific interval work coupled with racing and riding hard with the pro cyclists here in Durango. It became very clear to me how strong the best guys in our sport are on the bike when I was training with Macca and Terenzo in Hawai’i last fall. Those guys might be known more for their running, but they are absolute animals on the bike.
ST: Have you played with your bike setup at all?
Ben: I wasn’t properly set-up on the bike for St. George, and I knew it, so I went in for a new fit recently and got things more dialed. We ran some video of my position, and I feel convinced that I am in a much better place now. It’s amazing the difference that 10mm can make for both body position and comfort level. Especially for triathletes who have to run off the bike, TT position is a fine art of balancing power and position, and I am confident in my new coordinates. Of course it would be nice to jump in a tunnel sometime and confirm that…
ST: When we last spoke late in 2008 you were looking forward to Kona 2009. Is Kona on your mind for 2010?
Ben: I honestly can’t say for either way yet. In St. George I wasn’t ready to wrap my head around Kona, so I passed on the slot. Now I have been thinking a little more about going back, but I won’t really know for sure until I race Placid. Kona is such a unique race, and my goal for the year was to get more experience and exposure racing domestically. Now that it’s happening, I think I could return to race Hawai’i with a little more freedom to relax…. if that’s possible in a World Championship race.
ST: What did you learn in Hawaii 2009?
Ben: I learned that I needed to work hard on my Ironman nutrition and pacing plan. And I learned that Kona is a very unique race that requires very specific preparation and race strategy. I was lucky to be out there early and train with some of the top guys for a while. I asked plenty of questions about the course, and saw how much harder some of the guys were training to be ready. I also learned that for me, this early in my career, placing all my racing eggs in one basket probably isn’t the best strategy. I was pretty crushed after I didn’t accomplish my goals there, and now I realize that it was just good experience for the future.
ST: So what is next?
Ben: Next up is Ironman Lake Placid on July 25th. I’ve been building well for it, so I feel good about the possibilities. I will have some quality training in Durango over the next month to finish things off, race, recover, and then re-evaluate the season.
ST: Thanks for the chat.
Ben: Thank you, Herbert. Hope I will have the opportunity to report back again with some more good news.
