I was in NZ for his first ever IM in 2017. His swim aside sitting on the likes of Bozzone and Fettell was impressive. The wind that day on the bike was horrendous heading back to town on a two lap course. While the rest sat back in safety of the pack and Bozzone bombed off the front, Currie just rode his own pace. He got off the bike passed Bozzone and held off Cam Brown who set a new course run record.

That was a year ago and this year going toe to toe and outrunning Gomez in what was a quality field at Cairns tells me he is in the mix. Personally I think Frodeno and Sanders are next level on their day and I'm hoping they go head but who knows with Kona. I think he is a definite top few on the podium.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/90053200/Ironman-New-Zealand-Braden-Currie-wins-in-first-attempt-holding-off-Cameron-Brown

He's a really gutsy racer and I feel like him rolling the dice in Kona could really throw some of the favorites in over their heads. It's odd because he should have a weakness, but he seems to be front of the pack in all three disciplines.

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Team Zoot 2023

At one stage he was trying to make the Olympics as I understand it so had to learn to swim properly quite quickly.

I thought there was a story about him not worrying about swimming because he said he knew how water moved because of his kayaking background.

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Team Zoot 2023

I think he now has some confidence that would imply that he may try and race Kona smart, rather than going for it all. HE knows about the race there now, it is different from every other race you have ever done, so extrapolating from anything outside an actual Kona race is just circle jerking.

I would expect him to have sized up the entire situation and probably thinks he has an outside podium chance. But that will have to come from a perfectly executed race, while others throw all caution to the wind and just go for it. He could go off the front, but would be better served to ride with the main group and maybe going off when the chasers finally catch up. But that is risky too, as those guys are going to be riding some big power, and some of them can run after that too. He might best be served by going with Frodo's group when and if they leave the super fast runners group.

So somewhere in-between Lionel's front group and Lange's chasers, and then have the type of run he had against Javier(Kona style of course). That might put him top 3 on the day. I hope that is the race we see from him, not an off the front solo effort that has a fade back to 10th to 15th, or worse...

Agreed. He's only getting better and more experienced. He's the kind of athlete who you never want to count out.

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Inside The Big Ring: Podcast & Coaching

His situation is similar to Langes two years ago. He was relatively unknown until he smashed the run in Texas and then was still und er the radar before he run to third in Kona. One year later he won the thing.

Currie was also not on many radars till he beat Gomez. And he still only has outsider chances. But that can be a powerful place to be.

Of course Patrick had the advantage of the Kona conditions and race dynamics playing to his strength.

Nice to see the top level getting broader and broader.

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10k - 30:48 / half - 1:06:40

Braden posted one of his "key" run workouts the other day and it was (to me) very refreshing. Super short intervals (3x400,400,800 @5k pace w/ long rest between all). I also heard Kienle's favorite workouts is short 400 intervals albeit he does something like 13 miles of 400 hard, 400 recovery.

Anyway, what I'm trying to get around to is.... for those of us who have been doing this sport for a while, is doing longer intervals and/or long runs becoming the way of the past? The longest run I've done in years (outside of a race) is 15 miles... I know this is typical now but I'm thinking even this run is pointless. I'd rather hit 12-13 with intervals on the track. And I mean, hearing of someone biking for an hour and then running 13-15 just seems wrong. Maybe I'm crazy.

Thoughts?

I've always believed in relatively low run mileage. As someone mentioned in another post, running seems to have the most wear and tear, but also diminishing returns on investment

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Team Zoot 2023

Low run mileage and short intervals are two totally different things. Braden still might be doing 70+ mpw.

However, the wear and tear part of your comment is correct. Those long slow runs destroy your body for little gain.. in my opinion.

the more i learn about the guy, the more i like him. and i really like the way the guy races. i give him a solid darkhorse chance at kona, and think he'll benefit from sneaking under the radar in a crowded field. he'll definitely need some luck on his side, but man, he appears to have some talent.

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https://lshtm.academia.edu/MikeCallaghan

http://howtobeswiss.blogspot.ch/

It sounds like you are confused. I am assuming you are training for an Ironman and those are your key sessions. When raven posts about a key run session, it doesn't mean its building him for an IM, it's simply a benchmark session thats easily repeatable. But to think that long runs and rides are a thing of the past when training for an endurance event doesnt sense. Are longer repeats beneficial, of course they are. Doing them constantly and they become less beneficial. It's all about the blend, not focusing on extremes of, short or long... you need both. Long repeats can be thought of as race specific, but they are other metrics used to earn specificity of certain distances. Also, on the psychology side of endurance sports, people can build confidence from longer repeats and longer bricks off the bike. Don't do them all the time as that can create injury but it can build confidence. In your case of reducing volume and increasing intensity may help you for a bit, but its not strong enough to support long term growth/improvement. Or you're just becoming lazy and don't want to do the long stuff :)

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Inside The Big Ring: Podcast & Coaching

Has been my dark horse since he beat Gomez, another name not in any conversation to win Kona is the bloke who came 3rd last year he's going well under the radar!

Great call - I follow the pro racing a decent amount and I couldn’t tell you if McNamee has even ticked his Ironman box yet this year. I forgot all about him. He has the tools to do well if he races smart and things go right.

Currie has to be in at least that 2nd tier of contenders. He’s been impressive this year. I listen to the Fitter Radio podcast (hosted by his coach) and he’s always a good interview.

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Aaron Bales
Lansing Triathlon Team

McNamee threw down a powerful run last year and essentially outlasted everybody, but does he have the bike to flirt with those top guys this year? I'm not so sure of that, whereas Currie could hang around with Jan and make a push to be competitive going out on the run.

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Team Zoot 2023

McNamee is a good shout; he races lightly throughout the year aiming for Kona, races his race in Kona and thus 'surprises' a few.

He does need to look at finding a bit more firepower on the bike, as 'getting off the bike with Lange and running through the field with a mid 2:4x' does not look like podium this year with Frodo, Gomez, Currie etc in the mix who weren't about last year.

Nothing to say he can't find it though, so one to watch.

Currie is down on the 70.3 WC start list so a good chance to see if he still has that Cairns form and how it stacks up against Frodeno/Gomez/Kanute over the shorter distance.

He has the form, he just showed it a bit out at 70.3 Asia Pac Champs. Super nice guy as well, very humble from my minimal interactions. Definitely wouldn't be surprised to see him Top 3-5 in Kona.

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-Brad Williams
Website | Twitter: @BW_Tri |Instagram: @BW_Tri | Strava | Co-Founder & Coach at: KIS Coaching
Partnered with: Zoot Sports | Precision Fuel &Hydration | ISM

Remember that one time Jesse Thomas beat Frodeno in Lanzarote?

Didn’t people think Thomas would be a dark horse Kona contender that year?

I think he's much less of a 70.3 threat and way more of a Kona threat. It seems like Currie's strength is not only being on the pointy end, but also staying at the pointy end. Currie's ability to push and surge in Cairns was incredible, it looked like he was going to break, but ultimately it was Gomez who blinked first.

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Team Zoot 2023

To be fair, he had won Wales and Lanzarote as his first 2 full distance races. And beating Frodeno (who came back from injury) is not an easy thing to do. But Hawaii does not seem to be a race that really suits him.

I think he's one of the larger triathletes, which that little bit of extra weight seems to murder guys in Kona. McCormack is probably the heaviest guy to win the thing, but even then his chest plate was bare bones that year. Kona is such a beast because too heavy and you get screwed, too lite and you get screwed. Kona seems to be this ever changing equation that is pretty hard to pinpoint. Currie just seems to have figured out how to hold and push at the front, he seems like I guy that I can't fathom blowing up.

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Team Zoot 2023

I think he's one of the larger triathletes, which that little bit of extra weight seems to murder guys in Kona//

Jan Frondeno is a pretty big guy, bigger than Branden I think? Dave Scott was also on the larger side, Paulli Kirru, Lothar Leder, and on and on. He would probably not even be one of the 10 biggest guys to get top 5 at Kona. As I remember, probably more large guys doing well than really small ones. And the group in the middle of those two groups having been the most successful.

I was responded to the comment about Jesse Thomas and his darkhorse prediction. I think Thomas is a little on the heavier side. Frodeno may weigh more than Currie, but he's also 6'4. I'm saying those guys who hold even an ounce too much tend to get beat up in Kona. Currie is super lean, I believe he'll be fine. I think I read somewhere on slowtwitch that the prototypical Kona Winner was like 6'0 155-160 or something along those lines. A guy like Thomas is probably 170ish or Starky who is probably in the 180's. Those bigger bodies tend to get bruised in those condition. Although, I think Andy Potts was his heaviest racing Kona last year and he had a pretty good result. Perhaps it's looking too far into it.

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Team Zoot 2023

Its been a couple years since I was standing next to Jesse, but man I do not remember him being on the big side at all, in fact quite lean when I saw him a wildflower.

Anyway, my point being that size really has not been a determiner in Kona outcomes over the years. There have been many in Frodo's range at 6'4" and just under, a couple over even. And I would be hard pressed to come up with any guy who was under 5'7", probably a few right around there, but doest seem to be a bias towards what marathon runners and cyclists look like in the top ranks. The bias leans more to what swimmers look like with a few % less body fat than them..