After winning Ironman Switzerland seven times in a row from 2007 through 2013 and then adding his 8th title last week in Zurich, Ronnie Schildknecht entered rare air. Only Mark Allen’s 10 straight wins at the Nice International Triathlon and Cameron Brown’s 11 wins at Ironman New Zealand stand above Schildknecht’s long course feat. Now, at age 35, Ronnie feels at the peak of his career and is focused on some unfinished podium business in Kona.

Slowtwitch: First off, why do you have so many wins at your home country Ironman? I imagine there are many factors that go into a domination of a prominent international race.

Ronnie Schildknecht: Yes I think there are many factors indeed. First of all the race is very close from my home so it makes everything really easy. No jetlag or travel stress. Then I know the bike course very well, which is a huge advantage as there are downhill sections where you go close to 100km/h. Of course all my friends are around for the whole race which is mentally really nice.

ST: Ironman Switzerland does not have the fast winning times associated with other big European long distance races. Why is it so tough – and how do you approach its technical challenges?

Ronnie: Well it’s not a super-fast course as it has three bigger climbs and a few tricky corners. I would not call it technical but you can save a few km/h in every corner if you can allow yourself to push it a bit without going over the limit. It adds up. Last Sunday I remember one corner which I didn’t take as planned and I had to brake. Very painful to accelerate again if you know how you could have taken it. I got a bit angry at myself. It makes a difference for sure but in the end it's who has the best legs overall. It’s not a cycling race, it's a triathlon and you have to swim and run too.

ST: What about your training at Lanzarote and the Canary Islands prepares you for the Ironman Switzerland course?

Ronnie: The Canary Islands are mentally and physically a really good stomping ground to get tough. In Lanzarote there is always wind, it can drive you crazy. And in Gran Canaria you can do so much climbing, it's insane. It's a love/hate relationship. I am too heavy [6-feet 1-inch, 175 pounds] for these steep long climbs especially in January when I am coming straight from my X-Mas cookies diet ( - :

ST: With your decade of racing at Switzerland, you must have learned a lot about pacing over the long Ironman day. When Manuel Küng took off on the swim, you were 6:22 down. When the bike leg was over, your race-fastest 4:32:11 split cut that lead to 4:38. And your deficit to Van Berkel was 3:07.

Ronnie: Pacing is always the key for a great Ironman result. It's easy to have a plan before the race but following it is the real task. I knew that I will have a deficit after the swim so no surprise there. I just tried to ride my watts steady which is all you can do if you want to be first at the finish line. I also needed to accept that if there is a stronger guy on the day I am not going to win ( - : But there are too many obstacles like pacing, nutrition, chaos management and so on that play a role. Things can change so quickly and you need to concentrate on yourself, as this is the only thing you have power over.

ST: When you started the run, did you have a strong idea that you could and would outrun both of them?

Ronnie: I did not feel great the first 10km on the run but I didn't judge myself on that first lap. I knew the race was still wide open. Three minutes is nothing in an Ironman and it was getting really hot on the course. Lap two went better and lap three I made my move - or let’s say I just stayed steady strong to take the lead at 28km.

ST: Did your 3rd place in the heat at Ironman Texas lend you confidence that the Zurich race was in your hands?

Ronnie: Yes in Texas I had a very good run for the hot and humid conditions but my bike power was not where I wanted it. I also got a five minute penalty in Texas and I started the run in 12th place over 15 minutes down. So what I took home again from this race is that the race ends at the finish line. I really wanted to quit but I didn’t. So for Zurich I was mentally prepared for everything. I tried to think about any scenario, good and bad, before the race, so I had the answers ready when things would go wrong during the race. It's not that I didn't try this before, but this time I could really execute it and it all panned out the way I wanted.

ST: After 10.5km of the run, Jan Van Berkel passed Küng. He led Küng by 2:08 and led you by 3:21. While you were catching Küng, Van Berkel was matching your speed. Worried?

Ronnie: I was actually not worried as I ran sub 4 minutes per K and it's a long day and it was still over 30km to go. I thought a few seconds about it: ‘Well if he can run like this all the way he will be first at the line and a worthy winner.’ After these thoughts, I relaxed and concentrated on myself again. It's not easy but I guess I had one of these days when nothing really put me off mentally. It was such a great experience and I tried to thrive on it because it's rare.

ST: By 30k, you passed Van Berkel, who was fading to a 3:00:53 run and disposed of Küng. Was the race in the bag?

Ronnie: If I would say yes I would question my own credo, but I was feeling really good by then and there was only 12km to go. I just put myself into autopilot from then on and kept concentrating on the nutrition.

ST: Did you have any moments of doubt during the race?

Ronnie: No not once and that is really unusual for me ( - :

ST: Why did you feel so strong all day?

Ronnie: I don’t know why honestly. I felt pretty tired the last three weeks as I raced the ITU long distance worlds as a prep race [6th place, 3:55 behind the winner]. But the week leading up to the race I started feeling good. I always train to a steady 10k interval on the bike at over race pace and felt very good. I’ve done this regularly for 5 years so I knew my recovery was finally kicking in and I felt fresh.

ST: What did this win mean to you – and to your career?

Ronnie: I have not won an Ironman last year or this year so I was really desperate to get a win again. I am really happy with this 8th win because you can never take anything for granted. I don’t know what it means for my career - it’s great to win the same race eight times but I really want to improve my 4th place in Kona in 2008.

ST: With your world-class talent, why are your great races outside of Switzerland relatively few? Breaking 8-hours at Florida and winning a tough race at South Africa were excellent. But why are your seasons so heavily weighted on Zurich?

Ronnie: Good question but I don’t know. It’s not that I prepare differently for Zurich. For me the big goal is always Kona but somehow I never got it together. One time my swim was bad, or the bike leg weak (I actually never felt great on the bike in Kona). My runs were mostly solid - well under 3 hours - but nothing special.

ST: What gives you more confidence coming to Kona this time around? What will you do different to prepare?

Ronnie: Yes I will try a different approach this year. I will be in Kona 4 weeks prior with Bart Aernouts and our massage therapist. I will not train crazy hours but I want to really get used to the heat and get to know the course even better. I try to make it my living room like in Zurich ( - :

ST: After your 4th place finish in 2008, a Kona podium if not a Kona win seemed to be your destiny. Why no outstanding results there – 18th, 15th, 19th and 12th?

Ronnie: Yes I was always chasing really hard after my 4th place because of the expectation. I made some mistakes in a few Kona races but in the end I just was not at my best. Actually my race last year was really solid but in Kona you don’t get top 5 with a solid result. But at least it was a step in the right direction. If you are not in the first swim group it gets really hard. If you chase too hard you die so last year I just stayed steady all day and was hoping to catch a few guys late in the run. It worked OK but it was not enough [12th]. To have a top 5, I need to bike around 4:30 and run around 2:50 which I should be capable of.

ST: What is it about the Kona course and conditions there that suit you? And what do you have trouble with?

Ronnie: I really like cold weather but in the last few years I had some decent races in the heat and even humidity (Zurich 2013 and Texas 2015). As a bigger athlete I have to be cautious with overheating. Sometimes in Kona I felt like I only had five gears instead of six even from the start of the bike. Maybe it’s the more demanding swim, the heat in general which made me feel that way. It’s really trial and error for me on the Big Island. For Zurich I have the right keys but for Kona I am still looking for the right ones.

ST: Once you said that the best moment of your career was your 4th place finish at Kona. Is that still true?

Ronnie: For sure. To win Zurich 8 times is great but to be 4th in the world on that day is very special. I am still motivated to the bone to improve this 4th place in Kona.

ST: You once played Roger Federer during your tennis career and lost 6-4, 6-4. Were you watching this year when he reached the Wimbledon final but lost in his bid for an 18th Slam title to Novak Djokovic?

Ronnie: Of course I watched it. He played well, but Novak is the best at this moment. It would have been his 8th title in Wimbledon. My wife said, ‘OK now. Roger didn’t make it so you have to do it.’ ( - : By the way I do not compare Wimbledon with Zurich, but I thought it was funny.

ST: After you won Ironman Switzerland 7 times in a row, why did you skip it in 2014?

Ronnie: I didn’t have enough points for Kona so I did Ironman Frankfurt to have a chance to make it - which I eventually did.

ST: How would you rate your 8 total wins at IM Switzerland versus Cam Brown’s 11 wins at Ironman New Zealand? How would you compare your IM Switzerland record against Mark Allen’s 10 wins at the Nice International Triathlon?

Ronnie: Both of these guys are legends and I am not even going there to compare because you can't rate performances like this. I think it will be cool to look back in a few years. To win an Ironman you need a good day. So to have that good day in the same race every year is really special.

ST: You once said your best distance was the half Ironman. Your best results have come with three wins at Ironman 70.3 Switzerland and numerous 2nd-place finishes at 70.3s. Have you ever focused on Ironman 70.3 Worlds?

Ronnie: When I was a bit younger I was very powerful and the half distance suited me well. But now at age 35 I really feel like a long distance diesel ( - : I never did the 70.3 Worlds even though I was qualified. Once I was injured and the other time I wanted to train a bit more for Kona.

ST: During your fine career, what illnesses or injuries have you had to cope with?

Ronnie: I was really lucky and got away with very few big setbacks. I had glandular fever once plus a shoulder dislocation from a bike crash but that’s it. I tried to always listen to my body which was really hard at times because you can always do more or harder. I personally need a lot of rest. I think to be successful you need to be honest with yourself. We are not all Jan Frodenos. His way of training is not the right way for anybody else. If I would guide a young athlete who wants long term success I would tell him to listen to your body, have fun, show courage and stick to your own way. Do not copy others. All the great athletes I have trained with had their very own sometimes unconventional ways.

ST: What most important things has your coach Juliano Teruel contributed to your success?

Ronnie: Juliano knows me almost as good as I do. He understands how I tick and knows how to deal with me. Sometimes even I get caught off guard and it’s good to have him to back me up and get me back on track. The training side is important too but the sometimes forgotten mental side is very powerful.

ST: How has your support as a member of the UPLACE-BMC team been?

Ronnie: I believe the UPLACE-BMC Team is the best organized team in triathlon and the support in every aspect has been superb. Any problem has been handled fast and professionally. This gives the athlete the freedom to concentrate on your performance.

ST: How did you and your wife Christina and daughter Mila celebrate?

Ronnie: We celebrated very late with a glass of a fine red. After that I went back to the finish line to give the medals to the last finishers.