NUMBER ONE WITH A BULLET: GRACE THEK'S IRONMAN RISE & KONA QUALIFICATION
This spring, Aussie pro Grace Thek was dreaming of a Kona qualifying slot. Now, she’s not only qualified, but she’s ranked No. 1 in the IRONMAN Pro Series. How did she get to this point? We chat with the woman in the hot seat to walk through her season and the sixth-place finish at IRONMAN Lake Placid that helped vault her into the series lead. Thek is proof that big things really do come in small packages!
Learning to Race the Full IRONMAN Distance
Grace Thek finishing 3rd at IRONMAN Happy Valley
Quintana Roo: At the beginning of the year, you had one goal: to qualify for the Ironman World Championship for the first time. For any athlete, that’s a heady goal, but you also only had one full-distance race (Challenge Roth last year) under your belt. Fast forward to late July, and you’re not just Kona-qualified, but you lead the IRONMAN Pro Series, topping some of the biggest names in the sport.
Grace Thek: After Roth last year, I thought my key goal was going to be to qualify for Kona, and that I’d try at IRONMAN Texas. And if that went well, I would have a good look at the series regarding 70.3 races. At the start of the year, I’d always wanted to do the Pro Series and focus on that, but considering how little experience I’d had in it, and the fact that I’d had some injuries I was just coming back from, I had to take it as it came.
I went back and forth on it for a while, and it ended up after a good race at IRONMAN Texas and IRONMAN 70.3 Happy Valley. That gave me the confidence to do another IRONMAN. With a lot of good climbing on both the bike and run, IRONMAN Lake Placid seemed to suit me, and for me, IRONMAN Kalmar, with a trip over to Europe, it was just too close to Kona, with way too much travel.
QR: Let’s chat Lake Placid; that result launched you into the Pro Series lead.
Thek: Honestly, I didn’t know how my body would respond after races, especially after an IRONMAN, but I feel like I’ve come back pretty well. Recovery from a 70.3 is easy, but I didn’t have many reference points as far as IRONMAN racing goes.
So I decided to go all in with the Pro Series with that Lake Placid appearance. I felt like I’d regret it if I didn’t give it a crack. There were some serious women in contention, and I knew it was gonna be hard to crack a Top 10. But I didn’t worry about any of that. I can only control my own racing.
I got swum over by two or three people, and that was a unique experience. I’d never had that happen. Lost contact with some feet, but had a solid solo swim. Everyone was basically solo apart from Marta Sanchez and (race winner) Paula [Findlay] up front.
The bike was the best I’ve had. Granted, I paid for it on the run, because I went out ambitiously. I felt great in the first 90k, averaging half-IRONMAN watts. It was probably not the smartest idea, but you do kinda have to push a bit more power on a course like this.
It was to my advantage to gain time on the hills. I felt like I did a great job in the first half to keep the deficit to Marta and Paula tight, and I was able to see Lisa [Perterer] from 50-100k, so that was encouraging.
On the second lap of the bike, at about the 160k mark, I hit the wall. The last 20k getting to T2 was a struggle! That aside, I’m so happy with the progress I’ve made on the bike. I need to race aggressively on the bike and hope my run legs show up.
On the run, I immediately felt pretty average. It took a bit to warm up, and it was nice to start with a descent. First kilometer in was at 3:31 pace, full of adrenaline, but I settled in at 10k and felt better. 15k came a descent, then the wheels came off. I’m not sure if it was the lack of durability or resilience after the bike, but I made it to finish.
Leading the IRONMAN Pro Series
QR: At this point in your season, having committed to the Pro Series, does it have any bearing on how you race?
Thek: Oh, it does play on my mind during races. I can’t stop because every second matters. It really has fueled me to maintain forward momentum, because every second counts, and it came into play at Lake Placid. Paula [Findlay] had a cracking day, and I had to try to keep it close, to get as many points as I could.
QR: Look back at this spring, you had thoughts of Kona, but it was just a dream at that point, no?
Thek: You’re right. I’m so grateful to hit the second IRONMAN by July. I look back at the last 18 months, and at that point I wasn’t sure I’d be able to do one IRONMAN, or even make it to the starting line. To have done two and have my third this year being Kona, I’m proud of myself and my body.
QR: Now with a Kona qualification in the bag, do you come away from Lake Placid with good takeaways? That is, is it less about just being there, but more about making some waves in the race?
Thek: For sure. The race at Lake Placid wasn’t a reflection of my capability on the run, but they were all lessons learned. That said, I haven’t left a race with this much fire in my belly to find out the solution to the run. I’m still learning, and hope to put it to work in Kona. I’m so excited and motivated to get a good block in for Kona.
QR: OK, some crash math. You’ve done the requisite five races, which has you sitting in the enviable Hot Seat of the Pro Series at Number One. Of course, things can and will change with one more points series race to come at Ironman Kalmar in Sweden. Did you ever dream you’d be, for the moment, the Queen of IRONMAN consistency?
Thek: I’m the only one with five scores, but I’ve got a buffer score going into Kona. In a relatively good position. Unfortunately, I did get bit by some speedy girls at most of the 70.3 races, so my score isn’t unassailable. But I’m really happy!
It’s surreal to be at the top. I wish IRONMAN would just go ahead and call it a season, and I’d take the win! (laughs) Maybe I'll get the award for the first person to hit five races!
This morning, I got up and had a look at the Pro Series rankings from last year. Where I stand now would have gotten me eighth last year. There’s a stronger contingent of women this year, but heading into race week, there will be a clearer picture of what things may shape up like.
But I’m a realist. It’s not gonna last forever, but at the end of the day, it’ll come down to Kona performances. Having watched the series and the races, and from hearing people recall stories, anything can happen. There’s always gonna be a surprise or two. I’ll do what I can do to get on the start as fit and ready as I can, and take what the day brings me. Executing my own race and hopefully staying close to the top of the series list will be the goal.
All-In for IRONMAN Kona
QR: Speaking of the other women, are you happy to be coming in somewhat under the radar as a Kona rookie? Maybe being No. 1 has gotten you a bit of extra attention from the media though.
Thek: Honestly, I haven’t had any media from Australia or America. ProTri News posted about it, which was nice. Most people know it’s changing from week to week or month to month, but I'll admit it's cool for some media to have it as a story.
QR: About 70.3 Worlds. You’re qualified. You’ve had so much of your historic success at the middle distance. Are you gonna go after both races, or focus on one?
Thek: I’m passing on Nice. If I were in Europe, I’d do that, but being in Los Angeles, it makes zero sense; travel will disrupt training for Kona. I know the best will show up, and the course is so technical. My whole goal this year is focused on Kona. I’ve got 12 weeks to prepare. I learned a lot racing in Lake Placid: a couple of things about nutrition, pacing strategies, and aerodynamics. At times, I felt less than optimal in my position when I was fatigued. The goal heading into Kona is to dial that in with position tweaks and doing a lot of that exercise on the trainer.
