If you tried, you'd be hard pressed to find two guys with more different views on racing than Super Mark Balsiger and "Ironman" Reimond Heep. While Bals tends to want to race every weekend (or every day if available), Reimond prefers the systematic approach to training and tapering for events. One thing the do agree on however, is their love of this animal we call triathlon. Both "Ironman" and Super Mark represented Team USA at the Long Course Duathlon Worlds in August at Weyer, Austria with impressive results. We thought we'd take the joint interview approach with these two stars of the SWCS, IM racing and the world.............

       Super Mark and "Ironman" Reimond soaking up the fun

TT/NM.....Hi Guys, congratulations on your great performances in Austria. How did the race compare with your expectations?

Mark Balsiger.....The World's was undoubtedly the high point of my short multi-sport career this far. Being a part of such a prestigious event and wearing the Team USA colors at my age exceeded whatever I had ever thought I might accomplish when the triathlon bug first set it's hook into my psyche. If anything took me by the surprise it was the level of competition. Reimond kept warning me all week that "These are the World's". Translated that means those guys are BLOODY good! We weren't in Kansas anymore, Toto. I gave it my best shot and feel good with my effort. Still I realize that I've a LOT more work to do. Ironically, it wasn't until after the race that the full pride of being there really struck me. When I saw how really good those guys were, then I realized I really had accomplished something. I was really grateful to the universe for giving me the raw talent to make it possible for me to be there and I was filled with great personal satisfaction that I had summoned the discipline to develop that talent to this stage.

 Reimond Heep.....After competing in three IRONMAN World Championships I knew that the race itself wouldn’t be a walk in the park. I was not fully aware of the speed this Long Course event had compared to an IRONMAN. I am proud to be a member of Team USA 2002, it means something special to me as a German to make it into this great team. But I did not expect, how I felt during the opening ceremony when the played the German National Anthem and I listened to it, wearing the Team Jacket of the USA. Overall the Long Course Duathlon World Championship matches more or less the expectations I had. We had great athletes all around, excellent organization, great volunteers and cheering spectators. 
 

TT/NM.....Tell us about the challenges of racing overseas…….anything catch you by surprise?

MB.....When I learned that the championship would be in Austria, I kind of groaned and wished it might be a bit closer to home. Now, I'm delighted it was where it was. Austria was gorgeous, I've never seen so much green. The pageantry and and "newness" of everything was like being a kid again. The crowds were outstanding. I'm told that 45,000 people lined the 22 mile loop of the bike. They were all drunk and ringing these ENORMOUS cowbells. I never want to meet the cow that wears those bells! The noise was so loud riding through the main street of Weyer that my speed jumped from around 20mph to just shy of 30! That short ride through town with those people cheering for this old American that none of them knew made worthwhile all the training, all the travel hassles, all the everything that we as triathletes sacrifice to excel at our sport.

Reimond Heep.....For me as a German every race I am doing here is an oversea race. Therefore, the race in Austria was practically a home competition for me, being from Germany. Nonetheless, it was a challenge too because as a member of Team USA 2002, and competing in the Duathlon Long Course World Championship, it was something special. Surprises? Not really. I knew it was a hard course, and racing with the big boys is not an easy job especially if you are not a Duathlon specialist. It was a little surprising for me though that nobody got hurt during the bike part. We had a heavy rain shower during the entire bike portion and going downhill with much water on the road is very dangerous. 

How much of a season focus was qualifying for the Worlds for both of you?

MB.....Actually, QUALIFYING for World's wasn't much of a focus at all. Reimond came up with the idea in January, and I just thought "Sure, why not?" I still was securely in the grip of the Ironman mystique at the time and just figured training for that would take care of both. The only thing I changed for Strutters was a brutal once a week speed interval workout on the track that Reimond got from Shane Cleveland. It was AFTER Strutters that the real change in focus came for me. At some point whether it was in talking to Bobby Gonzales or reading the Team USA stuff that it really hit me what a great opportunity and honor it was to be a part of this. Almost right away I stole time from my swimming which is pretty much of a lost cause anyway and put it towards the run. I hooked up with Felix and he shortened my speed intervals to be more compatible with my knees. He also worked with me on my form and stride, and drafted a running program that varied as to pace, length, and tempo dependent upon my resting heart rate on any given day. The results have been phenomenal as anyone comparing my run times with last year will see-especially the run after bike. We forgot the hill repeats though which sent me into a bit of a panic in Austria.

RH.....At the beginning of the season, the duathlon competitions were not my main focus. Actually, they were not planned at all because my main focus is the IRONMAN, Hawaii. I gave Strutters a shot after Flip told me that I would have a good chance to qualify. After being qualified and making Team USA, I kind of got serious and altered my training. I cut down on the swim training and increased my bike and run training. Although I might have to pay for the alteration in the long run at the IRONMAN Hawaii in 6 weeks.

Now that you’ve lived thru the experience……….would you try to qualify again?

MB.....You know this Team USA thing was a real eye opener for me. I've loved everything about triathlon from the day of my first race back in 1998. Last year I did my first Ironman and came to believe that the next, the only thing, to add to my resume was a Hawaii qualification. It was like looking down a long hallway and seeing this magic door way down at the end. Then when I went to Worlds it was like another hallway appeared out of nowhere filled with magic doors that I hadn't even considered. Names on them like "Escape from Alcatraz", "Wildflower",  "Powerman", Short course World's, Triathlon worlds. I realize now that I haven't even scratched the surface of this wonderful world of multi-sport. And now given my age I'm in a panic to taste as much of it as possible before they try to put me up in the broadcast booth. So, yes, I do intend to make another go at it next year, though I may try for a Team spot in triathlon or even short course duathlon.

RH.........I have not made that decision yet. At this time, there is no information about the date, host country of the Worlds, and what races will be the qualifiers? With the World Championship as a great race, and the positive experiences that I have made, I believe I grew as athlete. I also think that competing in the World Championship has proven that I am able to compete among the other world class guys in my age group. So why not again?

Back to local racing…….Reimond, you’ve been unbeatable this season……could you maintain those results if you raced as much as Mark?

RH.....The fact that I have been unbeatable up to this point is not too big of a deal to me, taking into account that I did not have to deal with any unfortunate instances such as a flat tire, yet. I think we are few strong athletes in the age group 45-49 where everybody can beat everybody. Yes, I think I could maintain those results if I am racing as much as Mark, but in order for this to happen I totally have to change my training and go back to become a sprinter. But I will not do this because it is against my Triathlon philosophy to race every weekend instead of taking breaks to recover and do some longer training events to train the basics and the endurance. My love is the long distance and for this reason, I have to train long in miles and time. SW Challenge Series races help you to increase your speed, but not your endurance. Everybody has to make that decision individually. To be successful in short and long distances races works only for a very few people in this region. While others who raced much in the series struggled at the end in long distance races, I qualified three times for IM Hawaii and finished 9^th in the Long Course Duathlon Worlds during the time I am here in El Paso. I also was never really hurt. I think these facts show that something should be right in what I am doing. 

Mark, would you actually race every weekend if there was a race available?

MB.....Yes. I just love to race. Hell, find a unique stick suitable for display in a trophy case and I'll race a dog for it in a game of "fetch".

But actually, your question isn't as hypothetical as you might think. According to my training log, we've just completed week 36. This year I've participated in 27 events. That includes 17 local multi sport events, the shortened Ironman Utah, the Worlds, a century and a marathon. Five of those off weeks came the first weeks in January and February. So you do the math. I'm close. Racing makes me hot.

Tell us about next season……..what will your focus be?

MB.....I think I'm going to scratch all my Ironman plans and do some of those exotic races I mentioned in question # 3. "Escape from Alcatraz" is definitely on my list. I will try for a repeat of Team USA in one of the four disciplines and I'm going to concentrate more on the Half Ironman distance. If I work it right, I could actually fit four into my schedule. The problem with going for another Ironman is that really once you've done one and are a bona fide finisher then the only thing left is Hawaii. Now realistically, I'm nowhere near a qualifying time. Yet the time required to train for one of those things really means you can't do anything else race wise and expect to go to Hawaii. So, I'm going to train, train, train, and give up what I really love to do which is race (remember the dog and fetch thing) and for what? So I can finish in 12 hours instead of 14? Well, who cares? Twelve hours still isn't sending me to Hawaii. Eleven hours won't even get me there.

I've made incredible progress this year. I want to solidify my gains next year with some real good half iron performances and then, maybe, take another look at Ironman in 2004.

RH....For 2003 I am already registered for the IM USA Coeur d’Alene and IM USA Lake Placid. We will see how those two races work out to be in only 4 weeks. If I qualify for Hawaii again, I will take it. As I mentioned before, Team USA and the Long Course Duathlon Worlds depend on how it fits into my schedule. I also will compete in a few races in the SW Series and in some out of the region. I think it is important to go out and do bigger races to improve yourself and to compare your ranking out of the SW series box. It can be an eye opener and motivator at the same time, helping you to develop and grow as an athlete. 

I think we’ll get two different answers here but, what would you do to change the SW Challenge Series?

MB.....Hoo boy! I'm sure you will get two different answers here. I feel strongly about this so get ready. When I hear criticisms of the Series, I really question that person's understanding of how all this works. You have a race director who in his own little community is trying to put together a fund-raiser for whatever organization it is that he's promoting. Now he's bound by certain limitations: money, of course, terrain, police support, volunteer base and a myriad of other variables all limiting to some degree the scope of what he can offer. Now he's had to sell this race idea to his charity and have it win out over other fund raising possibilities. Well, good on him. We've got ourselves a race. Now he wants to get as many people as possible to participate. First step, make it part of the series. If you're part of the series you automatically get more participants. And why? Because the series REQUIRES a certain number of races. That's the quid pro quo. Everybody wins. To be a series race, Flip has to know you're capable of putting on a well organized, safe event. As racers we know we're going to get that. The race director knows he going to get more participants than if he had to go it alone which will make the race easier to sell next year and MAYBE even IMPROVE! Now, I'm sure a lot of these directors would like to put on longer, more quality events, but it's not all up to them.

 Some people want to see fewer races? Are these the same people who say how much they love to see new people come into the sport? Every time you choke off a race in a small community with your non-support you may have lost forever just that individual we all say we're trying to attract. You don't like the short sprint races some of the outlying communities like Odessa or Midland or Ransom Canyon offer. Well, tell me a better race format for a first-timer. Are you going to to take them up to Buffalo Springs and say,"Suck it up, kid and get out there!"

As far as I'm concerned if your last name isn't Greer, Field, Mico, Perini, Gonzales, Olesinski or any of the other directors then I'm not going to attach a lot of weight to your complaint. These guys are the real heroes. They're out there battling the politics of their local communities to give us perhaps the BEST racing series in the country. Can the Series be improved? Sure. And if you want to see that happen, then get off your duffs, call these guys, offer to help or learn what it takes to put on your own event, or open up your wallet. And then step by step, race by race, the Series will change. And with the hands-on involvement of more people it WILL change for the BETTER!

Now I'm sorry to sound grumpy here, but I am in the 50-54 age group and as an old fart, I'm entitled.

RH.....Since I am here this argument is going on and on. It is Flips baby and he, together with the race directors, are doing a good job. With all these races, many people have the chance to join our sport and have fun. But I have my doubts if we get in to the subject of quantity vs. quality? Additional points for more than the required races? I think it would be better to select six mandatory races for the Series Championship with Duathlon, Sprint Tri, and Olympic Tri distance and rotate the race site from year to year. Buffalo Springs should stay at all times as a special with bonus. I believe with fewer races and more quality, well known names are going to return to the series and also everybody has the chance to recover, to train, or to compete in races out of the region on a national or international level. The boys and girls who prefer racing every weekend can do so in the rest of the races the series schedule offers. 

You’re both charter members of Tri Team SW. What can the Team (or any club) do to make the experience better next season?

MB.....Michael, you're doing it. Your managing of the website has been just magnificent. You're giving everyone recognition and publicizing the races. Let's face it. It's hard to find a small ego in this sport. We all love to see our pictures and names in print. You've given coverage to everyone from the best performers to the workhorses who come out for the love of the game. I feel a real camaraderie for everyone in the club and some of them I wouldn't know by face if I were sitting next to them which actually happened last week in Roswell when I was eating spaghetti next to Mark Mackenzie.

Look at the newcomers that have come in this year. Corral, Bonilla, Ceniceros, without exception they all joined the club immediately. You think that's a coincidence? We all want to know what’s going on, what the results were, what the various takes and discussions are about the issues of the day. Imagine for a moment racing without a club. Feels kind of like a big void, doesn't it? The club is the cement that binds, that fosters the relationships that leads to shared rides, training together, and of course ... parties.

RH.....I think you, as the head of our team, are doing a great job and I appreciate your hard work. The SW team has just evolved, and yet we are much more advanced than other teams that have been existing longer than we have. If we keep going this way (team events, sponsorships, success etc) we will become much bigger. It is hard to keep a team together where the team members are so wide spread out, but I think throughout this year and with the end of the season party we are getting closer together. So keep going and tell me what I can do to support the team. 

What’s the best part of being a triathlete? The women? The fame? The money? Tell us please………….

MB.....The best part of being a triathlete for me to date was watching Flip trying to fit into his wetsuit. I'll carry that image to the grave.

I know the answer everyone expects from me so I won't disappoint. While in Europe I ran across a quote by Napoleon, "Give me enough medals and I'll win you any war". If I ever get a dog you can bet his name is going to be "Napoleon". That's real close to my signature phrase of "It's all about the medals". I do love the immediate gratification and I have a "love me" room that is the showcase of West El Paso. But I'm really not that shallow.

Everyone I know who trys this sport seems to get hooked. You can see it when it happens. It's hard to explain. Triathlon seems to demand of us that we reach so deep within ourselves for the effort and discipline that we really see what's inside. Triathlon seems to let us see a part of ourselves that we really like.

I love being a triathlete. I love being known as a triathlete. My Daddy always said it was dangerous to let your identity become attached too closely to your job or passion. You should try to just find the person. That way if the career is stripped away, the person is still left. I know I'm dangerously close to being Mark, the triathlete. But somehow I feel this sport just takes you on an exploration of the person you really are. If I lost triathlon tomorrow, I would be really sad. But I'll bet you I would know that I would have the strength to bounce back in something else. I think triathlon helps us all find that strength.

RH.....The women? Of course! I have two great ones I love. Liane, my wife, has great understanding and gives me a lot of support, which sometimes is not easy in our sport. And Doreen, my daughter, who thinks it’s cool to have a Dad age 45 who still competes and trains like a young guy.

Fame? I don’t think so, because fame does not last forever. Today they know you, tomorrow some remember you and the day after tomorrow you are forgotten.

What money? I can only tell you about the money I spend for my sport. As an old man it is hard to get some bucks together from sponsors.  

Thanks for the interview and race hard.