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Jen Annett on Iroman 70.3 Coeur d’Alene, podiums, Penticton and more

 

After her recent second place finish at Ironman 70.3 Coeur d’Alene, TMC chatted with Penticton’s Jen Annett about her recent successes and upcoming plans.

You’ve earned two podiums in one month – Ironman 70.3 Victoria and now Coeur d’Alene. How is this reflective of your training lately? Are you proud of your results?

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Another race in the books! After a horrible swim (just couldn't get in a rhythm), I managed to make up that 6min deficit and just squeak in first off the bike and hang on to second on the run? I can now confidently say that I am in the sub 1:30 club?it is so much fun and so motivating to see gains, not just in placing a but in fitness as well! Time to buckle down…. 5 weeks until #IMC ??? A huge congrats to @haleychura23 in first and @linseycorbin in third. It was a pleasure to share the podium with you girls!? #im703cda #ironlife #thisismyjob #podiumfinish @skechersperformancecanada @f2cnutrition @thepodiumcanada @swagman @energylabco @blueseventy @jonny0coaching @thebikebarn @nuvistachiro

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After Ironman 70.3 St. George, I was 100 per cent confident that my hamstring injury was healed. I was able to really focus on run training, re-introducing structured work after that race. I am also training for Ironman Canada, so the long ride days have certainly helped improve my fitness. I still have a lot of work to do in the pool, but I am confident that I will see some gains soon. I have also been very diligent with a very specific nutrition plan thanks to F2C, which has helped a lot for training and recovery.

I am definitely proud of my results. Of course I would have liked to have been first, but overall, I was super happy to see such big gains in my running. I went into Coeur d’Alene with zero taper as I am in full Ironman mode, so I was definitely happy to be on the podium.

How did 70.3 Coeur d’Alene play out for you?

I think my splits pretty much tell the race to the tee. I didn’t feel good getting in the water — couldn’t get my breathing under control or get in a rhythm. So I pretty much decided that I just needed to stay as calm as possible and regroup after I got out of the water. I felt fantastic on the bike, super relaxed and never once breathing hard. I kept my numbers where they needed to be and made my way through the field.

I felt surprisingly good coming off the bike. My legs were a bit heavy, but I expected that. Haley [Chura, the women’s overall winner] caught me within the first few minutes as we came into T2, within seconds of each other. She pulled ahead by 1:30 and just stayed there. I was told that she was 1:30 ahead of me at 5 or 6 km, and also at 18km. The spacing really never changed. I was running at my max physically, so I just couldn’t catch her.

What have you been working on the most in training lately?

Swimming and running.

What are the rest of your race plans this season?

So far Ironman Canada and the ITU long course world championship here in Penticton. We haven’t planned anything passed then, but there will be at least one fall race for sure.

What’s an example of a really hard set you’d do before a half distance race, in training? 

In terms of hard sets, there really isn’t any difference between training for a full distance or a half — just volume with some longer days. I would have to say the two hard sets would be our Carmi TT climb (30- to 33-minute hard uphill above FTP watts) and hard tempo runs.

Last year you started working with EnergyLab, as your wheel sponsor. Tell us about that partnership.

I got on board with EnergyLab just before Challenge Penticton last year. They have been a phenomenal sponsor and supporter, both in product and in person. I have been very happy and impressed with their wheels. They are fast, super easy to handle, and look good. I would definitely recommend them to anyone looking for a fast, affordable wheel.

Will you be back racing at Penticton this year?

You bet, back to defend my title in my hometown!