Jackie: Hey everyone and welcome to episode 13 of the Women's Race Podcast. I'm your host, Jackie Herring. This is a podcast where we dive into women's professional triathlon. I am still racing professional triathlon, and I bring on other women who are also racing professionally right now in the sport, and we can dive into their races, what their life is like around triathlon, and anything else that goes on as a pro woman in triathlon. Today's guest, I was so excited to have on the show. She first messaged that she was a fan of the show back when I first started back in May. And ever since we've been back and forth trying to get her on. And it worked out perfectly to get her on now because She just won Roth. That is a huge race and a huge win. Today's guest is Alanis Siffert. She is one of the absolute rising stars in Triathlon. We're gonna be hearing this name everywhere and watching her for years to come. She is a Swiss athlete and she trains with the Brett Sutton squad. She has been racing for only a few years. She's 24 years old and she's always been a swim and bike weapon. And it's just recently where her run is really starting to come around. today we dive into her race at Roth. What it's like training with the Brett Sutton squad, and also her just tough and positive mentality that allow her to have these kinds of results. I'm excited you guys are here today. And a big thank you for everybody that listens, subscribes, leaves comments, or shares this with a friend. That really helps us grow. We do have a Patreon. The link is in the Instagram description if you want to find that. Go find the women's race on Instagram. And yeah, I will get back to you on there if you ever lead any messages of any sort. So without further ado, let's get on with today's show. All right, hey, we're going here on the Women's Race Podcast. I am so pumped for this conversation. I've got Alana Siffert on the call today. She is fresh off her win in Roth, and she is so exciting and so fun to watch, and also so fun to watch in her post-race interviews because she is a happy camper. She truly seems to just absolutely love it. So I'm excited for this interview.

Alanis: you you

Jackie: Alanis, thank you for making

Alanis: you

Jackie: the time to chat with me.

Alanis: Yeah, hi Jackie. Thanks a lot for having me. It's a pleasure.

Jackie: Yeah, I'm glad you're here. I have a billion questions for you. and we're gonna get all into Roth, but first off, just I always like to just check in in general and hear about how your body's feeling after this Iron Man and and how the first few days of recovery are going.

Alanis: Yeah, it's been amazing. I still cannot believe it. It's just over the moon, super happy and I'm back home. So, body is feeling all right now. I would say the muscles have recovered, but I feel really empty, like energy-wise really tired. So today I had a good recovery day and then tomorrow we start again.

Jackie: You're already getting back into it. Of course you are. And that's how you're such a beast. I want to go just get a little bit about not everybody probably knows too much about you because you are just 24 years old. You are definitely on a fast trajectory to the top. And to me, it was not a huge surprise to see what you did in Roth, but to other people I think it was. But

Alanis: Of course.

Jackie: You have definitely been climbing the ranks very quickly and you've won a whole bunch of races. So you're not a mystery person. but it was just four years ago-ish, as far as I can tell, that you seem to get really serious. Can you just take us back to the beginning of you getting into triathlon and if you started with Brett Sutton or if you were doing some triathlon before that? Like how did this get going?

Alanis: Yeah, so basically as a baby, I did baby swimmer and then I went into swimming lesson. I grew up in a really sporting family. So we would go skiing with my parents, hiking. I played football, did some gymnasting as a kid. So kind of like many sports, but I quickly choose swimming because all the weekends, all the events took part and I didn't want it to do like everything a bit. And I really enjoy being in the water.

Jackie: Ha ha.

Alanis: So yeah, I started quite early when I was in primary school. I had like regular training during the week and I did some swimming competition. I really enjoyed it. It was fun with the squad and I just kept going and then it went even more like one time a day training and then it started with some morning session and I just like, yeah, I was really also focused and disciplined and enjoying the sport or this with the... yeah the school at the side and then I went in the sports gymnasium so where I started to do more session like I would train nine times a week it was like about 24 25 hours swimming with also some gym session and I was able to have like go to swim at six in the morning then go to school and then swim again in the evening I would still be at home, but I would take the train every morning, like at six in the morning and come back home at 10. And I did it for five years. So it was quite like intense, but I, yeah, I was enjoying it. It was a really good time. And I say like a good life school, you know, it teached me a lot. But during that time, so it was in the year when the COVID pandemic hit. All the pools were shut down. So then I was at home. We had no school, no pool, and I'm very active. So I could not just stay at home and do nothing. So that's when I started going with my brother mountain biking and my parents running in the forest. And I was like, that's so cool. know, then we would wake up in the morning and say, today, let's ride to Lausanne. And then we took the train back or today, let's ride there. And then I really enjoyed that. Then we did this for, yeah.

Jackie: Yeah.

Alanis: the weeks we were at home. And then when I went back to the pool, I was like, hey, that's a bit boring, just swimming, you know? I would like to be on my bike today or I would love to go running. And that's when the idea popped that, yeah, why not do triathlon? Like I could still swim and then I could do the other two disciplines too. And I reached a point in swimming where, so I was competing in Swiss championships, some international meetings. but I was not improving anymore. was investing so much, like swimming twice a day, but my times were not improving and I kind of reached my, I would say, my capability or it was not satisfying anymore to invest that much. And I always say, you have to have fun or it needs to bring you most joy. And so I say, okay, let's finish my study. So I still had one year and I said, let's give it like a... pool one year in swimming and then in the summer when I graduated I told myself okay now we're going to triathlon but yeah I had no idea of triathlon you know like I was still yeah just a tourist if you can say yeah and then in the summer I signed up for a training camp which took place in St. Moritz and I went there were some junior age group like it was kind of a mix you know And so I had to buy a road bike first because I didn't own a road bike. So that was the first step. that's where and how I met Brett Sutton because we were at the pool and at that time he was training his squad for the Tokyo Olympics. So it was right before the Tokyo Olympics in the summer 2021. And that's where we crossed and yeah, he offered me a...

Jackie: Mm.

Alanis: to join his international squad straight away. But I didn't even know who he was. I had no idea of anything in triathlon.

Jackie: Wow. Yeah, well he probably just saw your swim stroke. He saw that you were a young Swiss woman, and that's like, okay, you fit the criteria.

Alanis: Yeah, he said like, I saw something with you. I don't know what, but there is something. And he said also, you've already got the swimming. That's good. No, and also it was really nice. He said like, I was quite of a blank page. So I could straight away, he's got like one philosophy and methodology, which is maybe not like, like everyone's doing, but I could straight away like start away. he wanted and because I had no idea of like what other people would do or whatever, I really trusted him like a hundred percent. And I think that's also why we worked really well as a team. So I would just do what he was telling me to do and I never questioned anything. And I think that's what helped me improve so fast.

Jackie: Yeah. And with him joining his squad, is it all like in person? You're always together. Is that how it works?

Alanis: So I just saw him for like, I was one week in a camp and then I went home. And so the first year I didn't see him, I only see him in trainings camp, but we were texting every day. So he would give me the session in the evening for the next day. And I was still going at university one year. And then in the summer I decided to go to St. Moritz to do three months camp. And that's when I really started like to see him every day. And I realized like to see... him every day and to be with the squad, training with other people. That's how I'm going to improve. And I told myself, okay, I'm young, I've got some ambition. I really want to be able to have a career in the sport and give it a go. So I said, okay, let's do like full focus in triathlon, put all my energy and time in it and put the study aside. And I just stayed in St. Moritz. I didn't left and that's how everything started. I would say.

Jackie: Yeah, that that is just so cool. Like such a neat beginning journey. And it's great that you're brave enough to take that leap right away and just believe in yourself. And that's what you can do in your twenties. You just go for it and and you gotta give it a shot. And that's so, so great. So right away there in that beginning time in Sam Ritz is who were you training with there? What were the other pros that were on the squad?

Alanis: So at that time Nicola was just finishing, but I trained a little with her. But Julie Deron was there, Max Tudor and Else Wisser, you might know. So yeah, those athletes are the one I trained the most with. And you know, like I was that girl that just started and I had no idea of triathlon. And next to me, I had like world champions, Olympic medalists. And that's what made it really special. And I think also that's why I could. learn so fast because I had the best example standing next to me. knew like what I will need to do, what they're doing and I could look up to them and also like they gave me so many advices, you know, or I could ask any questions and it was easy like Brett would just be like, just copy them, just copy them. yeah.

Jackie: What a special way to learn. That is such a gift. I mean, that's so much faster than the rest of us that just had to like be out here on our own figuring it all out. We didn't have any Nicole Spirig standing next to us on the bike ride. That's that's so cool. What was so when you got into it, were you

Alanis: you Well, on the first ride, I would maybe see them 10 minutes and then I had to ride on my own, you know. But you know, that's how I heard. Yeah, yeah. So then and then maybe the next time was 15 minutes and then and that's why I improve it just like try to hang on as long as I could, you know, and then yeah, until I blew up and then did my thing. I think that was yeah, I really hard to try really hard to. Yeah.

Jackie: that's what I was gonna say. That's what I was gonna say. Yeah. Yeah. And that's that seems to be kind of like what has shaped you. And and I guess that is kind of for us outsiders who've never been coached by Brett Sutton or just the outside view of him as a coach and the squad, I guess is that it's just a lot of really hard work. Once you got into it, is that that kind of the ethos of the squad? Is that what it's about?

Alanis: Yeah, you just have it's really hard work, consistency and at the beginning if you're not used to it, like as a swimmer I also trained hard so I think this discipline I had, you know, I would like train two times a day and I was really disciplined and I think so my body I think could handle the load but like I have to adapt for the sport like I've never been running or I've never been really cycling so for those sports my body had to adapt so at the start I would also to very little running. So they would do a track session and I was doing like not even half of it or they would run twice, third time a day. I would just run one time. So my body really need to adapt. But I think on a bike, I could quickly like really jump in into it. But still it was like building up. We never rushed anything. And of course it was nice to have this group because you had like people around you. you're really so like yeah you say like it's hard work it's hard training and at the beginning it's really it's your suffer but then you kind of get used to it and when you're into it it's like normal

Jackie: Yeah. Yeah. I get that. I get that. It's like especially when you're new at it, I feel like there's a big kind of hump to get over where your body's giving you a lot of resistance. Like it doesn't want to be that tired. It doesn't want to work that hard. but once you get over that hump, and even for me, if I've had injury or like when I had kids, I ha you have to get over the hump again. Like

Alanis: Or nor, yeah. Yeah.

Jackie: And then your body's used to it.

Alanis: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Jackie: And once you're in the rhythm, it's actually just easier not to stop the rhythm and just kind of like keep it going, keep it consistent. within within the squad itself, does it feel like a pretty is it a pretty like supportive, collaborative type of environment? Or like what's the dynamics like in there?

Alanis: Yeah, exactly. Yeah, I've always felt really like it was like really good and he always also knew like how to handle us or like some session he would not send us together. He always knew like, you know, the personality of each other, but it has always been a super like, yeah, group dynamic and working together, improving together. And I really embraced that and really enjoyed it. Yeah. Like, of course I could also help them in swimming. So that was good. At least I was the the strong swimmer so I could do a little part of it and you could like, yeah, everyone was giving what he can give to the others. We're still like this, yeah.

Jackie: Yeah, so you had to probably play a big part in like Julie's medal the at the Olympics. Did you feel like you were like helping her get that swim squared away and that you were a big part of that?

Alanis: Yeah, I hope so. Or I guess we could swim sessions together and also help her and she helped me a lot. And also at the beginning, of course, I was like way far from her level, you know, and and I could see like each year because I mean, the sessions doesn't really change, but you just improve and improve. And then I would see like, I'm getting closer. I'm getting closer and getting closer. And this year I could really see, wow, I improved a lot. And like that, I already realized like I did a big step forward, you know.

Jackie: Yeah. Yeah, that's pretty cool. We can all see that. Let's talk, let's go through Roth before we get too far down the road on anything else. It sounds like it was one of those just like magical days for you, which is so cool. It doesn't happen all that often. And it's and I really hope it seems like you're really enjoying everything that was a part of it and really enjoyed the race, your post race interviews. were just like contagiously happy. I was smiling watching these and I could feel your joy. so I kinda just want to start, I guess, maybe the lead up to the race. Did that all go smooth? Were you feeling good? And then we can kind of just crack into the race itself.

Alanis: Yes, I had good preparation. So since the beginning of the year, I trained in China with my team. And then I did the T100 Pembloona and flew back home. And this year, it's the first year instead of going to St. Moritz, where I was based the last like three or three summer. we decided to go to Les Inns, so it's near my home place, like one hour, it's in the Swiss Alps, in altitude, and it's where the squad used to train like some years ago, like 10, 15 years ago. And so I trained there with my boyfriend and some teammates, but we were much more on our own. But yeah, I had really good sessions and feeling good, feeling... Also really excited. I have raced Challenger Road last year and I knew how special this race and atmosphere was. So I was really looking forward to it, to enjoy the weekend, to enjoy the race. And of course, I go in with some goals and I want to perform, but I also told myself it's kind of a reward for the hard work you're doing. Anything can happen. I just want to enjoy the day out there.

Jackie: Yeah, I mean that's a good way to lead into any race. I feel like keeping the joy in mind, keeping it I know for me, if I keep it like experience focused, like I'm just going to have a good time and try my hardest, that's when I just happen to have the good results. So I think there's something there. And obviously, yeah, it worked for you for sure. So when you woke up race morning, did you feel

Alanis: Yeah, that's the most important, yeah.

Jackie: Normal? Did you feel excited? Were you like so nervous you couldn't eat your breakfast? Or what happened?

Alanis: No, I was really calm. So normally I would set an alarm and I would be awake before. So I set my alarm at 4 a.m. in the morning. And actually at some point, so my parents were there, we were at the homestay family. So it also feels like home, you know, it's super friendly. And then suddenly someone came into my room and put on the light and asked me, what are you doing? And then I was just half asleep in my bed and said, yeah, why do you wake me up in the middle of the night? And he said, yeah, it's already 4.20. What are you doing? You told us you're going to wake up at four. And my alarm was ringing and I didn't heard anything. I was like, oh, okay. So my body was not stressed. Like, you know, I need to wake up. need to wake up. That's the first time that it happened to me. like, anyways, I had like plenty of time. I just had my breakfast. I always have some rice with honey and I got prepared. And then we took the bike. I had some gravel bike. and the road to the swim start. So I really enjoyed that moment. Like instead of sitting in the car, you know, and waiting, we're just in the middle of the forest crossing to the swim start and you could see the sun starting to rise. So it was really a peaceful moment. I was just feeling, yeah, how you say it? Like just ready and calm. Yeah. So excited, but more like composed, know, like calm. Yes.

Jackie: Mm. Mm. Yeah. I love that. I have never really done that in the morning. I wake up I I sleep so rough the night before a race and I wake up like an hour before my alarm and then you know you're getting like you're like kinda bothered, like, I really want that extra sleep. But man, you you slept in.

Alanis: I have the same, normally I always wake up and now I was like, wow, what happened to me?

Jackie: Wow, we all dream of being that calm race morning. That's awesome. So I wanna hear, like, I'm pretty sure we we all can see what your race plan might be, but when you're heading into the race, like what are you thinking in your mind as far as what your race plan is gonna be?

Alanis: So when I'm in the race, I don't think that much. But of course, before the race, I knew, I mean, with Lucy on the start, it's going to be a fast swim or she's going to swim away, obviously. So my goal was to swim as fast as I can to like hold the gap as small as possible. And then on the bike, just try to go as fast as I could, either catch her or just like hold the gap as small as possible. And obviously it was the opposite. caught her really early and then I just took the lead and I never really looked back and it felt really strong and it felt right so I also trained like this you know I don't look at the power meter or my heart rate we trained by feel so easy moderate medium mad and so it felt in the right zone you know it felt right so I didn't hold on and I just kept going yeah

Jackie: Yeah, that's that's actually crazy to most triathletes, I have a feeling. I I love going by feel because sometimes, you know, you're gonna see some numbers and you're gonna have some type of reaction. Like the power's too low and then you're like, What's wrong with me? The power's too high, and you're like, What's what's wrong with me? Like, what's gonna happen? so it's better just to feel it because you can only do, you know, what your body can do.

Alanis: Heh. Yeah, yes, so... It's basically what happened. So I started pushing on the bike. I got a power meter now, but I only use a kind of a feedback. And I saw the power and I was like, normally I don't push that much. And then I said, okay, no, just turn the page. And I just changed the page and I just put the navigation, you know? And so I was not looking at it. And I think it was the right thing to do because otherwise I would have started thinking I'm going too hard. I'm going to blow up, you know? And basically on that day I could hold it, you know? So...

Jackie: Mm-hmm.

Alanis: I think it's really important to kind of know your body and be able to trust it because it could be the opposite. It could be super hot and then your heart rate would be super high and then you cannot also use those data to help you. You kind of have to use your feeling too. So I think for me, that's the key that I really have this experience in training. I train this way and then in races. whatever happened, can rely on that feeling.

Jackie: Yeah, that is hugely important. And that'll help you. I think, like you said, for any hot race in particular, if you get too tied to any numbers, both on the bike and the run, I feel like that can just backfire so so much. So you had the lead off the bike. Were you just pumped? Were you so happy?

Alanis: Yeah, so you can also not imagine the atmosphere, so I'm sure you've seen video and pictures, but if you've not been there you can just not imagine how many people came. They said it was like over 300,000 people on the course and you're crossing little towns everywhere and then you hit this solar hill and I've experienced this last year but I was still amazed. So you arrive and there's a wall of people in front of you, like basically thousands of people in the climb and you're asking yourself like, where should I go through? You know, like, and then you're riding and it just opens up, but you feel the people, they're so near you, they're screaming, they're so passionate, you know, they're like, they give everything. And then in the moment, it just gives you so much energy and strength. So I always try to. I'm not in my own bubble. I kind of really look at the people, look at around because it gives me so much energy. I really like feel this passion and they're giving everything and I'm also giving everything and it's kind of like gave me kind of wings and I was just flying and then you embrace it and it's just like a positive, yes, circle.

Jackie: That makes me want to go do that race so bad, which I was already kind of feeling. I think I should go do it. It sounds great.

Alanis: Yeah, you have. Yeah, so in any ways, of course, if you're having a bad day, hard, I think this race, you're just gonna have fun. You have to enjoy it. You have to embrace it because that's the mentality you have to have to race it. And I'm someone, I'm also... I can perform at my best if I'm happy, if I'm joyful. So I think those like atmosphere and those, this environment like also helped me to bring my best performance on the day.

Jackie: Yeah. So did you look back at your power meter and see what your power was for that hill? Have you looked at it? You have to.

Alanis: No, no, I didn't actually that would be quite interesting. Yeah, I didn't even look at it. No.

Jackie: I need to sh I need to share this with the pod. We need to know your power on the hill where you had to go through the mass of people. It was probably like four hundred watts because you were so hyped up or something.

Alanis: Yeah, no, that's really crazy. And then you get out and then it's so quiet. And then you hear like in your TT helmet, like your ear kind of buzzing and you're like, whoa, that's that. No, that's just crazy. Yeah.

Jackie: Wow, that's so cool. So you had an awesome ride. You're coming into T2 and you're in the lead. And that you've been in that position before because you're an amazing cyclist. I feel like your coach is known for creating extremely strong cyclists. That's what he did with Daniela. And so this is something you've had experience with is being off the front. Were you thinking in your head, all right, we're just gonna go for a run, we're gonna enjoy it and see what happens? or were you f feeling like dead or good? What what were the feelings?

Alanis: Yes, so in my head I hadn't like think about, I'm first, I can win the race or I can be on the podium because you know, like the marathon is long and I only had like around one minute lead. So it's not much and the girls are running fast behind and I didn't really know like, yeah, are my legs going to be smashed or like, can I hold on? I'm going to blow up. But I kind of like just got off the bike and it just felt Yeah, so good and great and I just like ran again by feel I didn't look at my speed and I just took a rhythm which was kind of Comfortably uncomfortable. That's the kind of like place you want to be because it's definitely gonna be hard But you don't want to over push it because it's gonna be a long effort. You're just at the limit and Yeah, so I felt good and at some point you come to a u-turn. I think it's maybe 6k into the race So there I checked the watch and I saw the speed and I was like already like, that's quite fast. So if you would have tell me hold this space for the marathon, I would have told you, yeah, no way it's gonna happen, you know? So, but it felt right. So again, I didn't back off, I just kept going. And that's when I saw when I was running back, Lucy hadn't actually on the first scale, like the gap hasn't shrunk. And so I just thought, oh, well, then I might be running the same speed at least or a little faster. And I knew like the canal is super long. So we had to headwind and it's really a tough run because now you were heading like 10 kilometers in one direction and you see like people. So I was just trying to enjoy like all the cheer because when you're in the lead, also people are also like super, super happy, super into the race. I think I was really just into the race and into the flow and I didn't really think, I was just running, doing my thing and yeah, flying through it in a way.

Jackie: Yeah. I mean, that's that's the feeling we all want. That's the way, you know, we dream about the the Iron Man marathon feeling. At what point during the run did you start to get some feedback from your body? And then what was kind of the mental tricks that you were using to to work through the heart when it got really hard?

Alanis: You Yeah, so I remember like last year when I did the race, first I came off the bike and it felt awful, you know, and I had to fight my way through the marathon and it only started to feel a bit like good on the 20K. So that year was totally the opposite. So it was actually really good. And so I was really, so then I would say halfway through the marathon. I realized the gap was increasing, so I was gaining some time and it was about three minutes. And that's the first time where I told myself, okay, now I'm actually in the position where I have a chance to win the race. Or like it's the first time I actually told myself, okay, now I can do it. But then I told myself, okay, I don't think about that now because that's not gonna help me move forward. It's still a long way to go, so just keep focused. And I just told myself, just relax, easy. It's not easy, it's stupid. But I just tell myself, easy, relax, you know, and just believe in yourself, go for it. And it's the first time I really had this inner feeling, I can do it. I never thought about, oh, I'm going to blow up or I'm going to, like, you know, some races you feel, maybe, yeah, something will happen. But I think I was really confident and just said, OK, I can do this. My parents were also out on the course at the aid stations. We were allowed, you know, on the aid station to have some special needs. So it was also super motivating to have them there. and I knew that the last part of the run was going to go uphill. And I was really looking, yeah, it's maybe stupid, but looking forward to it because I know it's going to be hard. And in, in myself, I was kind of prepared for it. So. I told myself at that point if I'm at the front I should be able to bring it home and yeah I just went for it and the crowd was just there you know crazy again they were they were so like screaming and it gave me yeah it gave me wings and then it just gave me so much energy yeah

Jackie: That that is awesome. How how good to just have that that inner feeling and also be able to increase your gap. I mean, that is so like it's just so motivating to get that feedback during the run to be like, wow, I'm doing it. I'm actually doing it. And I feel like that with the crowd, I could see how that would really have spurred you on.

Alanis: Heh! Yeah, yeah. Yeah, exactly. think something also really important was the nutrition. I really like stick to my plan. didn't like sometimes you think, I feel good. I don't need that gel. I skip it or the opposite. I feel bad. I will skip it or I just like stick it directly to what I had planned. I didn't think about it. I just took it. I drink and I think that's also what kept me going because I still had the energy, the fuel and I could like, yeah, keep going. also I think that was really important too.

Jackie: Yeah, thanks for saying that. That is a huge, huge deal in racing. But then also, do you practice a lot? Do you use all the same stuff in training? And do you fuel your training quite a bit? Or what is is your nutrition during your training similar to what you do during the race?

Alanis: And not, or like I don't use different products, but I don't take that much in training to be honest. So the morning session I never eat before. So I always go swimming and I don't have breakfast. I'll eat after. No, no, I just got used to it. And yeah, I think it's also, yeah, I use a different metabolism, you know? So yeah, it's like one hour, one hour 30 swim, not more than I have big breakfast. And then.

Jackie: Yeah. How? Aren't you starving? Yeah.

Alanis: On the bike, of course, I use the same nutrition, but I would not take as much as I take in races. In racing, it's much higher. But yeah, no, use definitely the thing in training and in races.

Jackie: Yeah. And then on the run, are you just kind of grabbing what's on course? Or you said you take your sp your special needs? Yeah.

Alanis: No, no, I also take my personal nutrition and I think that's or for me it's really important to have it and it makes the difference I think

Jackie: Yeah. Yeah. That's cool. So to feel good all day, I wanna hear about what if you have like any like one or two like what were your hardest training sessions that popped in your mind during the race or where you're like, I know I can do this, like I wanna hear about those.

Alanis: Yeah, so there was definitely one. And I think that's what gave me so much confidence going into that run. So there is one session. So where I'm training, Les Aides, a little village in the mountains. So if you go somewhere, you first have to go down. And so there is a 17-kilometer climb or downhill to the valley and then the lake La Clément. So someone would drop me down at the bottom. And then I had to run 5K or 6K flat first as a warmup and just run back home. So was basically 17K uphill with thousand meter elevation. And I did it a couple of times. And the first time in my mind, I was like, oh my God, am I going to be able to run like the whole way or am I going to need to walk? know, in my mind was really, I was like, I was really questioning myself and I was a bit stressed. And I was like, how long is it going to take me to come home you know and then I didn't once and then the second time I was like okay let's go faster this time and I think then during the race it was really hard you had like headwind but I was like hey I'll run up the mountain 17k so I can run 10k flat you know and then the last climb to Buchenbach you know this I think it's 3k I was in my head okay If you did 17K up the hill, you're able now to run the 3K. So you kind of trick yourself and you kind of motivate yourself also with the training you've done. And yeah, it's kind of this mental game or yeah.

Jackie: Yeah, that's great. I love that your session is one that's just like hard and like a mental and physical challenge and not one that's just like run this far at this pace. And you know how people get people get so set on certain paces and certain, you know, they get fixed on numbers and I never hardly ever run my Iron Man marathon pace because what point is that? You don't even know what it's gonna be.

Alanis: Yeah, yeah, true, so true.

Jackie: It's it's just a nebulous thing based on how you feel. Yeah. And it's more the mental

Alanis: Yeah, yeah, so It's the mental game. think my body was fit. was prepared like swim, bike, run. I have done the work. But at the end, you have to be mentally prepared to suffer. have mentally be prepared to, you're going to have like doubt. You're going to have hard moment during the race and you have to be able to overcome it and be able to push through it. And I think that's really important. And all the training I have done, it reminded you like I can do it. I'm strong. I, yeah. And yeah, I think that's really important.

Jackie: Yeah, that's hugely important. And is that something that you guys talk about a lot in in the squad, or is that just something you've kind of picked up from the other athletes, picked up from Brett, or just that you naturally personally have?

Alanis: I think naturally I was someone also as a kid I was always very competitive in everything I was doing I always wanted to do it like yeah all in or also be at the front or go hard or know really competitively or do things in a good way so I think that's something in my personality but I think also in the training we're doing You also got to have this mentality or through the training you kind of train this. So I think it's a bit of both. The training is also with the session redoing kind of a mental training combined, I would say, or it gives you also that mental strength. Or even for example, I don't know my session for tomorrow or I go at the pool and I don't know what's the session going to be. So in a way you're not really prepared and you have to, maybe it's going to be thousand five hundred. all out and then I'm there and I'm like, shit, I'm going to have to or it's another set. it's kind of you. think through the training, it also trains you to adapt, to react and to be ready for anything. So I think it's a yeah. Or I like it or the way we train. I really have this enjoyment or this fun through them through the training. It's also much more satisfying to train by feel.

Jackie: Yeah.

Alanis: because I then don't look at my watch all the time or my number and you just give what you have on the day. If one day I'm dead, of course, because yesterday I did this big session, then I finish my session, I'm still like happy because I gave what I had today and it's satisfying. And then the next day you wake up and you do the same again, just give your best effort and yeah, or try your best and then that's it.

Jackie: That's it. People, this is it. Just do your best. Be happy. There's there is no rocket science here. Show up every day and do do something. Like

Alanis: Yes. Yeah, it sounds maybe stupid, but that's really like how I do it. And for me, it works at least. so I'm not going to change it. it brings me lots of enjoyment through the week because it's a lot of hard work. But at the end, then you don't really just are into data. You're more into the feeling and you live it.

Jackie: Yeah, I don't think it sounds stupid at all. This is exactly how I train. This is how I function. And I think it is a way to stay in the sport a really, really long time because you never finish a session feeling bad because you can always assess, did I do my best? And and pretty much if you do your best, then then you did the session and and you can't feel bad about it. So yeah.

Alanis: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, that's true. And of course, some days are more rewarding because you thought, oh, I mean, oh, I felt super good. I'm super fast. And someday it was super hard. at the end, tell myself, actually, the bad days are the better training days because it's when you will improve the most if you keep pushing. But if I would say, oh, no, I back off today, I don't feel like it, it's not going to bring you further. Like you're going to improve more actually through pushing through on the bad days.

Jackie: Yeah, yeah, there's something to it mentally because I mean, I've done over 30 Ironmans at this point, and there's only a few, a handful where you have s like that flow where it's really smooth. But most of them, you hit several points during the Iron Man where you're like just grinding through it. You're just getting through it. And it is kind of conquering those hard days that live in your mind that you know you're gonna get through it.

Alanis: Yeah. Yeah.

Jackie: And come out the other side and you're gonna be okay. So I love it.

Alanis: Yeah, exactly. Like I haven't done that many arm-end yet than you've done, but that's the first time that everything aligned like this, you know, that swim, bike run from start to finish, like was just in the flow and everything was feeling great and powerful. But otherwise there's always something and you just have to push through it and giving up is just not an option. And I always tell myself, when you cross to finish like... just ask yourself one question. Like, did I give everything I had? And if the answer is yes, yeah, you just gotta be happy about it. And you just have to, yeah, just give everything and that's it.

Jackie: Yep. That's great. That's gonna take n exactly. Yes. Well, you took down some big dogs at Roth. And that is awesome. And I think that that has to have done something to your confidence, maybe, but also opened up in your mind that and maybe the minds of many people that should always exist is everyone anyone's beatable.

Alanis: Have no regret, have no regret, yeah.

Jackie: Anything can happen in these long distance races and but specifically for you, do you think this has like unlocked a new level of confidence for you?

Alanis: Yeah, of course, because I was always or I started I couldn't run like I was really I had no running at all my first Olympic distance race I would run 47 minutes for the 10k like, you know, in my first half distance, I was running one hour 42 and then the next one hour 30, you know, so everyone was telling me yeah. Your running is so bad. You have no chance. Of course you can swim back, but you cannot run You're never gonna get there and you know, and I always believed I could do it. I know I'm sorry I Know it was gonna require time and patience, but I always believed I could do it I would show up every session just try my my best and yeah hang on as long as I could and you know, we would do track session and I was always in the slowest group and I would see them running and I would always thought, my God, I'm so slow, but I would just hang on as long as I could and I would blow up and hang on as long as I could and I would blow up. And then the next session, I would always be able to hang on a bit longer. And I think that race like gave me now a confidence that I'm actually also capable of running now. So that's like, yeah, for me, a huge step forward.

Jackie: Yeah, I'd say so. It turns out you can run a very fast marathon, actually. That's really quick. There's only there's only a handful of ladies running under 250. There's really not many. So now you've just jumped straight into runner status, which is awesome for you. So good good job there. When you first started running, did you have the speed that you could like run with them for a short period of time?

Alanis: No, so my speed was really bad. So I would be much better at doing one hour, quite often a bit faster speed and hold it for very long. But the speed was always really for me much, much harder. That's also why I straight away started with some long distance races and helped me improve as an athlete. But I was also able to dispense. It was not maybe super fast, but I could hold it longer, you know. And I feel that's still the case today. If you would put me in a 5k race of 10k race, I'm better today, but I would not be that much quicker than I can hold the 20k or the 40k. So it's really over the distance that I can do it and hold it. Yeah.

Jackie: Yeah, I'm kind of the same way. I get made fun of a lot because my 5k pace is really strangely almost the same as my half marathon pace. And I swear I just cannot go any faster. I j I don't know. So let's let's kind of look forward for the rest of the year. What do you have in your plans for the rest of the year? What are you looking forward to?

Alanis: Yeah. Yeah. So now we've had a talk with my coach and I'll probably do the French races I've done last year. It worked really well and it gave me lot of like strengths and good training towards Al-Diez and Emberman. So it's going to be in August to get ready for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Nice. So that's going to be the next goal and I think it's going to be good training races because they're really hilly. So it's going to be give me good background and strengths going into Nice, which is to be basically a hill race. And then I'll probably go back to China and do some races in Asia or Australia to finish off the season. Yes.

Jackie: Okay, and I'm sure everybody's asking, do you have a goal of maybe Kona next year? What's that look like?

Alanis: Yeah, so this year I actually decided not to try to qualify. I told myself like, let's do challenge road and then just give myself one more year. I don't need to rush into it. When I go to Kona, I want to be really ready for it. I know it's a tough race and I was also not expecting my run to improve that much. So I knew I will need some more time to really be competitive at this level. And so I had the goal to go next year. yeah, next year will be definitely the goal to qualify and, and raise Kona.

Jackie: gonna be super exciting for everyone. We're gonna I'm I mean the sport is just crazy. Everybody keeps getting faster and faster. Like I don't know all the you've got a great I guess generation of talent coming up with your guys' group all you all the mid-20s folks are are really really quick on my way out hopefully before everybody gets too much faster but that's pretty cool so I'm interested about just a couple more questions about the training group. Why do you guys base yourself in China? Do you like it? Is it great?

Alanis: Yeah, so that's great. So before we'd go to Spain over the winter, because basically here in Switzerland it's not really nice, it's cold, so yeah. So now we're just going to Asia and it gives us the opportunity to keep racing, because then October until I would say like February, April, bunch of races are happening in Asia or Australia. So this year I also raced some races in Australia or New Zealand and China. And so that's really cool. So you kind of extend your season and there the training facility are really cool. So we're based in a training center with the coach, my team and some Chinese athletes. And it's really training focused. So when you're at home, you still have always something to do, you know, but there we're basically living in a hotel. So you wake up, you go to training, you walk three minutes, you're at the pool. You finish, you walk two minutes, you're at the canteen, you have breakfast, you're back to your room and you just sleep and then next session and you train, eat, sleep, train, eat, sleep. So I feel I doesn't train more or I don't train more, but the efficiency and the quality of the training is much higher because you have much more rest. You really sleep between all the session and you have more energy in a way that you just like train. You don't do anything else. You don't have to do anything else. And when you're at home, you still like you go grocery shopping, you cook, you clean, you do this, you do that. And then, it's time to go training again. And there it's really, you just have time to rest, you train and you don't have anything else to do. And I think to do this over like several months during the winter is really good building into the season and really helped me improve a lot again. And we've also got a good, like a big team there is many Chinese athletes and. For me it's great. So I'm a good swimmer, but I'm always at the back of the lane because they're way faster. So I've got some good training mates to also like keep the work and help me improve. And then same on the bike, on the run, on the track, like really a big group. And I think that what really also helped me improve to have them around and to have this team and this environment.

Jackie: Yeah, I mean to me, I mean, I got two kids. This sounds like a dream life. I want to go live somewhere and just eat, sleep, and train. I am quite jealous. I think you're living the dream to have to be able to ride at the back of the lane. I also love that. I hate going first. I just want to go like in that third spot, just like get a draft the whole way.

Alanis: Yeah. Well, when you have to hold the 120 on the 50 meter, then at some point it's a bit more suffering. it's always, I always get a shock when I go back. I'm like, oh shit, the first swims training. I'm like, oh my God. But then again, you get just used to it and you're in the rhythm. And it's just like a good balance, I would say. I really enjoyed there, but at the same time, I also enjoyed the summer here when I'm more on my own, just with my boyfriend.

Jackie: Yeah, I guess.

Alanis: It's also a different, I think it's a good balance again. You have the team which you really push each other and then you also have to be able to train on your own. mean, the Ironman, you're not going to have any teammates around. You also have to be able to just like race on your own. So I kind of like it to have both.

Jackie: Don't you think it would be fun though to do Iron Man racing as a team? You were you part of the Sub Eight project back then? No, you were probably way too young or something, but I saw that and I was like, man, if that could be like a twice a year build out a team, try to do Ironman's as fast as we can. I would love that so much. I I just think doing those long days with other people is just so much more fun.

Alanis: No, no. and Yeah, I think as a team that would be quite cool to be honest because then if you train together already, you know each other, you know like each other's strengths and weakness and you just like push together. No, I think that would be really fun.

Jackie: Wouldn't it? All right, I've got a few rapid fire questions here and then we'll kinda close it out. How about this one? what is your favorite Brett Sutton saying?

Alanis: It's not called soft man, it's called iron man. So if he would give a session and I would like question, you know, like how hard it should be or how fast that would be answer. You're not training for soft man. You're training for iron man.

Jackie: That's a good one. Who do you think is your toughest teammate?

Alanis: my toughest teammate. yeah, well, you're not going to know her, but it's a Chinese girl. So two months ago, just before I left, she broke her elbow. And then one week later, she was already like, no, I think she had to have surgery. And then she was already running on the treadmill three days after. And then one week later, she was swimming one arm and she raised one month later. So I don't know how, yeah, she just did it. And nobody asked her to do it, but she was not... And she.

Jackie: Wow, what's her name? We got a Wow, shout out to her. That's amazing. what is your favorite recovery meal?

Alanis: I would say a homemade pizza by my mom.

Jackie: that's so nice. Do you get to see your parents a lot when you're back in Switzerland?

Alanis: Yeah, so now it's only one hour from home. So sometimes I don't go often, but sometimes I do or they come in the mountain to do some running and they also they're really supportive. So they come to races to support me. So we have a really strong relationship. Yeah.

Jackie: That's nice. as a parent, you know, my kids are eight and ten right now and my daughter is ultra competitive, kind of like it sounds like you are. Like anything, like she's racing to the mailbox and she will knock you over to get to the mailbox. Like it's intense. So I yeah, it's it's great to I'm sure for them to be able to see you be so happy and find success in sports like this. So

Alanis: I know this.

Jackie: Good for you. And I'm sure they love being a part of the journey. That's very rewarding for parents. last one, any athlete, past or present, that you would love to race an Iron Man against.

Alanis: Daniela Ryf.

Jackie: You would la I'm sure you would. You guys would have a day. yeah. I bet she ha do you know her? Have you been in in contact?

Alanis: Yes, so when she finished I was like still, I just started but like I crossed her path sometimes and she was also always supportive and so yeah it's really nice. I really look up to her and it's a big inspiration.

Jackie: I bet. Yeah, she had a very similar style of racing. So that's that's a good good person to try and emulate. I have one final question, and it's gonna be something that you hopefully I don't know, can offer up your advice to our audience. If someone listening wants to become mentally stronger, not necessarily faster, but mentally stronger, what's something that they could start doing or focusing on that would Just help them in their day to day.

Alanis: Yes, I think that's a hard question. But I think it's, as you say, it's just a daily basis. It's kind of a habit. It's the first thing would be like you wake up and you don't feel like training. No, that's not the question. If you have your training, you go and I think that's just the start already. So you don't give up. You also go and you also have to know when to back off. But I mean in a general way. when you're having a hard day, like trying just to push through it and like having positive thought or trying to tell yourself it's going to make me stronger or I can do it. Just those little thing kind of reminds you like you can do it. I'm strong enough. And yeah, I think if you're doing it on a daily basis, if you're having a hard day or you're just tired, I think gonna just help you naturally to build like kind of a, yes, stronger mentality because then in races you're gonna do it also automatically, I think.

Jackie: Yeah. I think what you're saying is like you have to be a positive cheerleader of yourself in your head. You can't you can't you can't beat yourself down in your head. You have to cheer yourself on and encourage yourself as you would how you would encourage somebody else is how you should talk to your own self.

Alanis: Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Yeah, I think that's really important to have this positive self-talk or always like, okay, that's the situation, accept it. Then now what can I do to make it better or how can I react? And always try to see the positive side of the negative or as you say, like have this positive cheering. And I think if you like kind of train yourself or start to do this in basic like...

Jackie: Mm-hmm.

Alanis: Daily life, think, then it's going to help you to improve or to get a stronger mentality going into races.

Jackie: Yeah. Yep. Well, I really enjoyed hearing everything you said. I love it all. I think that we're gonna have so much fun watching you race over the next however many years. And I'm so glad we got you early in your career on here on the pod. And we'll be cheering you on now in all your races to come. You'll have the whole women's race pod fam behind you. And we'll keep following along. So thanks for coming on and yeah, have a good rest of your Roth recovery.

Alanis: Yeah, thanks a lot for having me. It's my pleasure to share with the audience.

Jackie: Yep. Bye bye.