Q&A with last year’s winner of the Ironman 70.3 Dubai Imogen Simmonds
Based in Switzerland, Imogen (or ‘Imo’ as she is also known) is one of the fastest- rising talents in the sport of triathlon. In 2019, we saw her take the bronze medal at the 70.3 World Championship in Nice and finish second on her IRONMAN debut at Frankfurt to qualify for Kona, where she was an impressive 12th.
Imogen turned pro in 2017 and since then has proved to have all the attributes required to reach the top and to run a very close race with the favorites the like of Daniela Ryf. We are very excited to see her take the start line here in Dubai and to be able to ask her a few questions about her preparation.
You won the Dubai70.3 last year in 3.58.37. What’s your goal here this year? Will you attempt to go under 4 hours again?
This year is very different as there are several unknowns. For me personally I have been injured for about 10 months so it’s more a question of to see where I am at, where I managed to grow or not grow. With the predicted weather of 38C on race day it’s going to be hard to go under 4 hours. For sure it’s going to be a survival race more than a PB race which is a shame but at the same time as long as we are racing the weather doesn’t really matter. Somehow the heat is better for me, it puts less pressure on the time. I am just excited to go out there and to be racing and I hope to finish feeling good and having enjoyed the day.
You and Daniela Ryf are both in the Swiss National Team for Long Distance Course. What is your relationship like? Do you train together? Do you look to her for advice?
It’s so cool that Daniela is racing here this year. I always love racing the bests in the world because if you want to be out there you want to race them, right? Yes, we are both on the Long Course Team but sadly, the way it’s all set up is that we all have our own coaches and there is not much regrouping in terms of training. I only have the greatest respect for her, she is a phenomenal athlete. I have seen her a couple times recently up in St. Moritz where I have gone for my first ever winter block in the mountains. It’s an amazing place and I totally get why she likes it up there. And I can tell you she is in great form.
You live in Geneva, Switzerland but you usually train in Phuket in winter. How did you prepare for racing in the heat this year?
Previously I have lived in Phuket through the winters but now I have relocated permanently to Geneva and I am using different parts of Europe for training. I have just spent 4 weeks training in Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands. Sadly, it wasn’t quite as warm as it is here. It was really enjoyable for training but it is going to be a shock going from the 5C back home to the 38C. So, honestly not much preparation but it’s just the reality of the situation at the moment. I wasn’t even sure this race was
going to take place. It’s hard to invest too much time, money, travel and energy into going to places that are really hard to access at the moment. It will be interesting to see what I can pull out with a week of acclimatization.
We are 5 days out of race-day. What is your typical pre-race routine?
I just had a change of coach and we put together a specific program to test out. We will use Dubai70.3 as a benchmarker race to see where I am at and to see what’s working. I will let you know once I have a real pre-race routine. Just normal: try to sleep, stay rested and eat a lot, because I like eating, a lot.
The Covid restrictions made it difficult to have access to swimming pools in Switzerland. How did you train?
As you said I am part of the Swiss National Team Long Course. Luckily, our federation has done their outmost to ensure that the athletes have access (to swimming pools) at all times. Obviously, training is still limited in its own way and I couldn’t train in the format I normally do but I have been fortunate enough to be able to swim for most of the time last year, apart from a couple of months. Gyms and tracks are still shot but I am very fortunate to live in a place where they accommodate the athletes in such a way.
You finished 12th in Kona in 2019. What does your race calendar look like for this year to compete in Kona again, providing the World Champs are held of course?
Kona 2019 was my first time on the island and first time doing that distance. Honestly my calendar cannot be set in stone this year. I will play it by ear. I need to be fit for racing long course in the June-July point of time. I am just keeping it varied because the mental taxation of preparing for an IRONMAN is huge. For me I find it hard because it’s requesting so much focus that I don’t want to be focused on a single event and then be disappointed. So, I would rather keep my options open until things start looking a little more settled and then make my decisions.
What is your bet on who is going to be on the male and female podium in Dubai this year?
Honestly, no idea. Male podium: there are so many good athletes, it’s going to be like an ITU race start for them. And some of the local athletes are in good shape and will have the benefit of being heat prepped. A lot will come down to the experience in the heat. It will be a fun and exciting day.
Female podium: I think there will be one surprise but then obviously Daniela and Sara (Svensk) are the ones to watch out for. Also, I have been training with my team mate Anne Reischmann, she is not one to forget, she is in good form. It’s difficult to tell: we haven’t raced for so long, no one knows who has been injured who hasn’t, who has the mental focus who hasn’t, so it will be interesting.
Thank you so much for your time Imogen. We wish you all the best in Dubai. We can’t wait to see such a strong female PRO field on the start line on Friday.
Photo Credits: @activimages, @imosimmonds, @tomasz_szala