Leading New Zealand Ironman triathlete Bryan Rhodes is a late and surprise entry for the Timaru round of the Contact Tri Series this Sunday, a race he won last year before embarking on his international Ironman campaign, one that was cruelly ended with serious injury.
The surprise is due largely to his quicker than expected recovery from a snapped Achilles tendon suffered when racing in August last year, an injury that would typically sideline most athletes for up to 7 to 8 months.
But not the inimitable Rhodes who will line up on Sunday morning to defend the title he won last year. In typical fashion the Christchurch triathlete has broken all the rules with regards his rehabilitation.
"Yeah, I'm ahead of time I think. I reckon I'm about the same as Dan Carter, he started playing some club rugby about the same time and we had the same injury so I guess I've healed pretty well, thanks largely to work at the Academy with some non weight bearing running on the treadmill.
"This injury though, man you just have to be so dedicated to the recovery. It has certainly opened my eyes to some issues I have known about for a while. The left side was always a bit weak eh and led to a few injuries and while I still have a skinny calf on the left I am working hard to get that balance sorted out."
Rhodes began his return to action quietly, taking part in a team at the recent Port of Tauranga Half Ironman and Challenge Wanaka, this though will be his first attempt at putting the swim, bike and run that has been such a part of his life for 20 years back together again since the injury.
"This is just the perfect race for me and all the more so as it remembers a good mate of mine in Chris McAteer who passed away just over a year ago so it is pretty special to me and is the ideal race at this stage of my recovery.
"The break has reenergized me to be fair; I've never been out of the sport for so long. My swimming feels great, never better, and the bike riding, I am just flying – partly thanks to the new P4 from Cervelo it has to be said, it is a flying machine.
"But the running is still coming back and I won't be going too quickly on Sunday, more like trying to hold on I reckon. The field is full of young talent who I guess will try to catch the 'old bastard' and run me down so I'll have to be on my game."
Rhodes has his heart set on an Ironman return at the Coeur d'Alene Ironman in Idaho in June, with Ironman NZ just too soon to take on in March. For now though he is hoping he can swim and bike well enough to get by in the run and defend a race that is close to his heart.
"It is close by to home (Christchurch) but most importantly that trophy for first out of the water has Chris' name on it, he was a good mate and it is special to me to race in his memory so I'm looking forward to Sunday, it should be great."
Contact Tri Series, Timaru
Sunday 24th January
Races:
- Contact 1:2:1 - 100m swim/2km cycle/1km run
- Contact 3:9:3 - 300m Swim /11km Cycle /3.3 km Run
- Contact Trophy (Individual & Teams) - 1500m Swim /40km Cycle 10km Run
- Kayak & Duathlon (Click here to enter)
- Kayak - 4km sea paddle/40km cycle/10km run
- Duathlon - 2km run/40km cycle/10km run
Race Timetable
Contact 3:9:3
8.00am – Men
8.05am – Women
8.10am - Teams
Contact 1:2:1
9am - Kids
Contact Trophy (Age Group)
9.30am – Men
9.35am – Women
9.40am – Teams + Kayak and Duathlon options
