With the 2009 XTERRA World Championships in Maui, Hawaii coming up this weekend, many eyes will be on Conrad Stoltz, Nicolas Lebrun and last year's winner Ruben Luzafa. One dark horse on not so many lists is Richard Ussher from New Zealand, and we had a few words with him.
Slowtwitch: Aren’t you cutting it a bit close arriving in Maui just a couple days before the big race?
Richard: I would have preferred to arrive slightly earlier but with the course not open until race day and the cost of staying in Maui I decided it would be better to finish my preparation at home where you have all the comforts of home and a much more relaxed environment. A couple of easy days to get use to the terrain on the practice course will be more than I’ve been use to in many of the Adventure racing events where you have no idea of the course until you even start.
ST: Do you feel good and ready?
Richard: Every day I’m starting to feel better. We were racing in China a few weeks ago and I had a serious bout of food poisoning. I kept racing but did a good job of fertilizing the Chinese country side from both ends and lost about 4kg in the process. Now the power feels like it is coming back so it’ll just be a case of giving it everything on Sunday and seeing how the body responds.
ST: What is your goal for the XTERRA Worlds?
Richard: It’s a little hard for me to know where I’ll fit in to be honest. When I look at the field there are so many strong athletes but I know at Roth this year it was the same and I still came away with a good result. I’ll just be focusing on having the best performance I can on the day and then hopefully the result will take care of its self. Realistically I think a top 5 is possible and if you’re in that sort of position in the last half of the run then it just comes down to who’s having the better day
ST: Earlier this year you won XTERRA NZ, and a couple months later at Quelle Challenge Roth you had a fantastic 3rd place with an 8:02:15. Will this race in Maui decide which path you’ll take moving forward?
Richard: I’m really committed to seeing where I can go with the Ironman racing in the next couple of years but off road racing will remain an integral part of my training as I enjoy it so much. This weekend I’m sure will give me a greater insight into the XTERRA scene and if it goes to plan then I’ll definitely be try to schedule some more XTERRA races into the buildups and off season.
ST: How much have you worked on your swimming?
Richard: A lot – although the results are only just beginning to show. I’ve just begun working with a new coach in NZ and have been swimming much better than ever before so I’m hopeful that I’m on the right track now. It’s fair to say I have found swimming to be an incredibly frustrating sport to master and I won’t be expecting to be the first out of the water this weekend, but the sights are set on being able to swim with the first bunch at the Ironman races next year.
ST: You are a multi-time Adventure Racing World Champion. Are you just ready for a change?
Richard: In a lot of ways, yes. The AR racing is fantastic but there isn’t nearly the depth of competition that there is in the more traditional triathlon scene. The original challenge was to try and prove the top NZ AR athletes where comparable to the elite NZ Ironman athletes as there was a perception that the Tri guys where far better than there off road counterparts. After the first Ironman I realized just what a great challenge the Ironman was due to the increased depth of competition and it also opened up other avenues to compete in with learning to swim, like XTERRA.
ST: Hardtail or FS bike for that rugged Maui course?
Richard: I’ll be riding a hardtail – Custom On-One 29er built by Mark Lynskey. I’ve only just switched to the 29er bikes but after only a few rides I’m definitely a convert to the larger wheels.
ST: Any special tire prep for Maui?
Richard: I’ve been trying to find a balance between a reasonable weight and puncture protection as everyone has said the course is brutal on the tires. I’ll be running tubeless ready tires with a heavy duty sealant, exactly which tires I’ll decide after seeing the practice course on Friday
ST: How are things going for you in terms of sponsorship?
Richard: It’s definitely not golf or tennis but getting better all the time. Planet X / On-One have just come on board at the beginning of the month as our major international sponsor as well as our bike sponsor and their support will be invaluable for the racing in the Northern Hemisphere. Back home in NZ we have great support from Subway and a collection of other very supportive companies.
ST: Do you follow any other sports?
Richard: The main sport I’ve been following is Formula 1 – a friend of mine Mark Webber has been going well this year and so that’s been great to follow. I’m pretty interested in most sports but rarely get a chance to see them to be honest as we don’t have a TV at present.
ST: Can you share with us some of your food likes and dislikes?
Richard: Anything and lots of it! I love my food but have had to start reining in my natural eating tendencies to slim down for the Ironman. It was just too hard on the body at nearly 80kg on the second half of the marathon in Ironman. Favorite foods include, Thai, Roast lamb, Reindeer with cranberries (my wife’s from Finland where it is a national dish), ice cream, coffee and the occasional cold beer. Dislikes are heavily influences by my recent food poisoning so the really weird traditional Chinese food is out of favor at present, corn beef and kidneys also don’t stir great gastronomic memories.
ST: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Richard: Hopefully taking advantage of some opportunity to move into helping design and test new gear, coaching or motivational work. I’m sure I’ll still be doing some competing but I’d hope the mortgage payments aren’t relying quite so heavily on the results
ST: Is there anything else we should know about you?
Richard: For more info on our schedule, stories from our recent adventures, photos and sponsors see www.adventuresportnz.com
