august-2009

ABOVE: THE 42.2KM
RUN TO THE FINISH
RIGHT: JULIE MOSS
ON HER LAST LEGS
IN HAWAII, 1982
EVEN WITH A 17-HOUR TIME LIMIT, IRONMAN CLAIMS TO HAVE A PLACE FOR THE CASUAL COMPETITOR
“Since Ironman is such a long race you have to fuel
yourself during it, but eating and drinking too much
can ruin your race just as much as not eating and
drinking enough, so there is a lot to think about out
there,” she advises.
“I am very motivated to be the best athlete I can
be and it is an unbelievable feeling winning an
Ironman. I love the challenge and I especially love
Ironman Lanzarote. It’s a beautiful place, and the
course is fun and challenging.”
Bella is one half of a formidable husband-and-wife
team. Stephen, her other half, is also a world-class
Ironman competitor and came fi fth behind the winner,
Belgium’s Bert Jammaer, in Lanzarote this year.
In 2008, six months before they were married, the
couple recorded a notable double by winning the
men’s and women’s races at Ironman South Africa.
“We are a huge support to each other, we want each
other to succeed and are happy for each other when
we are successful,” Bella says. “We are both full-time
Ironman athletes. We understand each other’s goals
and the dedication required to reach those goals.
“We do a lot of our training together and we don’t
like being apart so we tend to race the same races. We
fi nd that preparing for the same races works well for
us. We are a great little team together.”
The ferric giants, who are based in Switzerland, are
currently in training for October’s Ironman World
Championships in Hawaii, followed by Ironman
Florida, which Bella has won a whopping fi ve times
in the past seven years.
Few can hope to compete at their elite level, but
even with a 17-hour time limit, Ironman claims to
have a place for the “casual” competitor. The Ironman
Lanzarote entrants this year included 71-year-old
fi tness instructor Richard Lake.
“I think anyone can take up the challenge. If you
want something badly enough, it is amazing what you
can make yourself do. It is very healthy and fun to have
a challenge to aim at, but if you want to do something
well, you must have discipline, determination and
patience,” Bella believes.
“It isn’t necessary to challenge yourself with an
Ironman straight away. There are shorter distance
triathlons, or running races – maybe climbing
a mountain would suit others more.”
The presence of the renowned Club La Santa on the
island – the race headquarters – means there are plenty
of coaches who can help with programmes for those
who decide to combine a holiday with fi tness. But if
you opt to give Ironman a try, be warned: the weekly
training schedule reads like a torturer’s manual.
A typical week will include more than 5km of swimming,
160km of biking and 30km of running. Anyone
for a drink by the pool instead?
LANZAROTE FROM LEEDS, MANCHESTER AND
NEWCASTLE, PRICES START FROM £19.99
Jet2.com 57