August 29th, 2011 - Interview via email with Adam Kourakis, an athlete who was sustained countless injuries but wishes to overcome his setbacks and complete an Ironman distance triathlon!
Little bit about yourself?
My name's Adam Kourakis and I'm a third year Human Kinetics student at the University of Ottawa. I've always been very active and have had a lot of success in many different sports up until now. On September 3rd, 2011 I'll be competiting in my first Iron Distance Triathlon - The Canadian Tri 226.
What previous events have you conquered in the endurance field?
Throughout highschool I played several sports including soccer, track & field and cross country. After having tried a handful of sports, I realized that I enjoyed and excelled at endurance events. I found myself doing "long run" (as long as a 16 year old can run) and building my fitness that way. I was fortunate enough to make the Gee-Gee's volleyball team in my year, but I replaced all my endurance training with strength training because of the practice schedule/workout plans that were imposed on me.
After a few musculoskeletal injuries that forced me to withdraw from competitve sports, I started running again. At first I ran and biked because it was a part of my rehab programs, but I continued to train because I enjoyed it. I've been swimming, biking and running ever since.
Why have you chosen to complete in the Canadian Iron 226 Triathlon?
I got injured on March 18th, 2010 and was forced to take a 3 month leave of absence from all forms of physical activity. After the 3 months were up, I was worried about getting reinjured, so I didn't make a return to competitve sports. In October of 2010, I had a mental breakthrough and decided that I couldn't stand being inactive anymore. I decided to go for a run on my treadmill, which is in a small room in my basement, facing a white wall. Desite the usually discouraging setting, the lack of training, and the mental blocks, I was able to complete 21 km without stopping. This was my first time running a half marathon without stopping. Once I got off the treadmill, I realized that I could do anything I put my mind to (as "disney" as that sounds) and that I've been handicapping myself mentally for the past 5 months. I hopped off my treadmill and sat down in my office chair. I signed up for the longest and most difficult sporting event I could think of - an Iron Distance Triathlon. If there had been a longer or more challenging event, I would have signed up for that instead.
Do you have any past experience in triathlons?
To this day, I have never completed an official triathlon.
What discipline (swim/bike/run) do you feel most confident about? why?
The bike. I have a bike that I absolutely love and I'm very comfortable with. When I ride, I feel like the bike is an extension of my body. I enjoy cycling more than any other form of exercise and I think that's translated into success. I look forward to my rides and I think that's really helped me excel.
What discipline do you feel least confident about? why?
The swim. I've had minimal experience with open water swims, mainly due to facility availability and lack of conviency. Seeing as I have the least experience in this discipline, I would consider myself least prepared for this part of the race.
Have you had any setbacks?
To say the least, yes. Before starting University, I was healthy and injury-free. I had a fairly clean injury history (broken clavicle, minor concussion, a few minor strains, strains, etc.). I started university in September of 2009 and pulled my hamstring in October 2009. I took 3 weeks off of sports to heal but it wasn't long until I got injured again. On March 18th, 2010 I injured my left foot and ankle. I had one break (head of 5th metatarsal), three fractures (1st metataral, head of tibia, head of fibula) and a partially torn tendon. I took the whole summer off of training and exercise. It wasn't until October 2011 that I started getting back into shape and training for my Iron Distance Tri. However on Mothers Day 2011, I fractured my right foot (head of 5th metatarsal). I was forced to take another 3 weeks off training and began fresh again in June 2011. From there, I began training at a more intense pace. I found myself increasing volume and intensity to make up the lost time. However, I don't think the quality was there and I didn't improve as well as I wanted to.
How have you been training for the Canadian Iron 226 Triathlon?
I used to run more than anything else, but after purchasing my new road bike I decided to increase the amount of time I spent on the bike. I did minimal weight training after my injury in May, but had lots of lots of gym time prior to that. I also didn't spend a lot of time in the water.
What is are your goals for such an event?
I only have 2 goals for this event. In order, they are:
1) To finish within the time requirement
2) Not to get injured during the event
Any future endeavors you have after conquering this Ironman on September 3rd, 2011?
I'd like to complete an official Iron Distance Triathlon some day. I'm also traveling to Brazil in July 2012 to race in the Rio marathon. I think I'll be competing in local runs + cycles for the next few years while finish my undergrad. I'd like to focus on my time and techinque for a little while, as opposed to doing volume and pushing the endurance limits. I think I'll enjoy finding an event that I train competitively for and work towards mastering something that I enjoy.
Words to the Wise?
Train, train, train. Make sure you're physically and mentally prepared for any event you're competing in. Without proper training and preparation, you expose yourself to all kinds of injury risks - which will only cause more harm to you and training schedule. I can't stress enough how important it is to start every workout session with a warm-up, end with a cool-down, and increase your intensity/volume over time, as you get stronger and more confident in your sport.
Thank you Adam for your time and I wish you all the best in your race this coming weekend!
