Kaleb VanOrt is fast, scary fast. He had the fastest 10k split in every triathlon he has ever done. The former Notre Dame athlete burst into the limelight when he placed 2nd* at the American Sprint Championships in Clermont.
Slowtwitch: Can you tell us a bit about your background?
Kaleb: I started running when I was in 6th grade. Running allowed me to get a partial scholarship to Notre Dame, where I went on to be All America once in Cross Country. I started triathlons for fun until my competitive spirit got the best of me and I decided to get a little more serious. I paired with Greg Mueller of Innovative Endurance at the end of 2009 and things really started to take off. I was able to win Age Group Duathlon and Triathlon last year and decided to step up to the Pros this year.
ST: You easily won AG Nationals - was that the moment when you knew you had a serious shot at triathlon?
Kaleb: No. I thought I had a serious shot at triathlons after winning the elite amateur race at Rev3 Knoxville. I had the fastest run split of the day there, including the Pros. I knew then what Greg and I were doing was leading to something special. Now I hope I am able to keep improving and make an impact in the Pro races.
ST: What are your 2011 race plans? Will you race ITU or non-draft?
Kaleb: I am planning on a lot of non-draft racing until my swim becomes strong enough to get me out in the front pack in ITU races. I am still planning on going to USAT Nationals in Buffalo, but other than that my swim progression will determine how many ITU races I actually do this season.
ST: Last I heard you were working as a mechanical engineer, any plans to go full time Pro in the future?
Kaleb: I quit my full time engineering job right before Thanksgiving. I have been working part time and training full time since then.
ST: You mentioned coach Greg Mueller earlier.
Kaleb: I train a lot with Greg Mueller (my coach), his wife Lisa, Lauren Goss, and a handful of Greg’s other athletes on TEAM IE.
Team IE consists of any Innovative Endurance athlete. There is a large group of people in South Bend, but it does not stop there. There are athletes everywhere that I am proud to call teammates. It makes it easier to compete at a high level when you are a part of something great.
ST: How is the training in South Bend? Can you manage with that weather?
Kaleb: The training is good. I think it is a blessing in disguise that I am not able to train hard year round. It gives me time to do some base training and let my body recover between seasons. It does have its disadvantages since I am unable to be race ready early in the season, but I would rather put up with the cold in the winter over unbearable heat in the summer.
ST: How does your open 10k time compare to your 10k triathlon split?
Kaleb: It is hard to tell how fast I am actually running off the bike right now, a lot of the run courses seem to be short. I do slow down a lot off the bike, but it is hard to tell how much exactly.
ST: Looking over your last recent 10k tri splits and I see you were fastest at AG Nationals by 1:33, fastest at Roatan (ITU CC Cup) by 1:49, and fastest at Miami 5150 by 1:07. Those numbers are more than beastly.
Kaleb: Thanks, if only my swim and bike where on par with the rest of the field so that I could use my run instead of letting it go to waste a little bit. It is nice to have the fastest split but I am hoping to log some top 5 overall finishes this season.
ST: Do you think runners like yourself will motivate the other triathletes to get their act together on the bike?
Kaleb: I think there is a lot of intensity being introduced on the bike already. With the Brownlee brothers and Gomez dominating WCS run splits, breakaways were starting to form in some of the races last year. I think this will happen a lot more this year as people try to figure out new ways to win races. And I think this already exists in non-draft races, there are a lot of strong swim-bike athletes that try to stretch it out so they have enough time in the bank when it comes to the run.
ST: It must be a pretty empowering feeling to know all eyes are on you for the run.
Kaleb: I have never thought of it like that before. I am still new enough to the sport that I can fly under the radar a little bit, but I think more people will take notice as this season progresses.
ST: What are some of the challenges you face as a first year pro
Kaleb: The biggest challenge right now is trying to be patient. I am so new to the sport and I am trying to compete with some of the best athletes in the world. The Elite fields are full of very good triathletes, and right now I am still a runner. Hopefully over time I can develop into a triathlete!
ST: How do your sponsors make your triathlon pursuit possible?
Kaleb: Without them none of this would be possible. I have great financial sponsors in N.B. Properties and Bralin Laser, local businesses where I grew up. Thanks to Greg’s numerous connections, as part of Team IE Elite, we have a lot of local help from Enzyme Research, Housand and Associates, Express Press, Metro Run and Walk and ProForm Bike Shop. And thanks to Greg’s hard work we have some of the best product sponsors in the world. We have been working with Champion Systems, Cobb Cycling, CompuTrainer, Hammer Nutrition, Profile Design, Rudy Project, Nytro.com and Vibram FiveFingers since late last year, and we just paired up with Look Bicycles. I feel honored that great companies are willing to work with TEAM IE.
ST: Is anything different for you after your success at Clermont?
Kaleb: Not at all. I still have the same goals for the season as I had before the race.
ST: We loved the race suit you wore at Clermont, who designed it?
Kaleb: Thanks, I did! Well, I laid out the overall look of the suit and then the designers at Champion Systems tweaked it slightly so they could make it.
ST: What is next?
Kaleb: A lot of training and a focus on non-draft racing for a while. The goal of this season is to gain experience and make it into Hy-Vee.
Follow Kaleb at The Team Innovative Endurance blog: http://teamieelite.blogspot.com
* Kaleb finished 3rd overall / 2nd at the American sprint championships. French Pro Gregory Roualt won the race.
