SOLE Blog

September 21st, 2010

The road from amateur to elite: an interview with athlete Leif Baradoy

After competing in his first world-stage, Olympic-distance triathlon, SOLE sponsored triathlete Leif Baradoy recently returned home from his debut at the International Triathlete Union (ITU) Championships in Budapest. I had an opportunity to connect with Leif and get the goods on one of the biggest races of his life, not to mention reflect on the strides (pun intended) he's made in just two short years.

1. When did you start competing in triathlon? How did you get started?
My first triathlon was an Olympic-distance race at the Arbour Lake Triathlon in Calgary, Alberta in June 2008. My time was 2:49:20. I was attracted to triathlon because of the challenge of doing three sports. My first race was the hardest course I've done to date: the water was 11ºC (52ºF) and the run and bike were both extremely hilly. After doing that race, every other race course doesn't seem as intimidating.

2. When did you realize you had potential to succeed in the sport?
I didn't train in my first season and placed accordingly, so I knew I could do better. Over the early months of 2009, I committed to training a few times a week (now I train almost daily, with multiple session/day). The small amount of work I put in yielded some early results. In the first race of 2009, I placed second overall and first in my age group. The person who took first was a pro Ironman. This motivated me to train for races and I raced myself into better shape.

When I attended Canadian National Championships in 2009, I looked at some of the times for people racing in the elite races. Some people finishing further to the back of the elite races had times that were slower than my own. This gave me a lot of motivation to push myself to the next level and see how I would do squaring off against elite athletes.

3. You recently competed in the ITU World Championships in Budapest. You had a podium finish in your age group, and placed 11th overall in the men's Olympic distance. Did your performance meet your personal goals and expectations?
My race at Budapest was an amazing way to end a strong season. I finished as the fastest Canadian age-grouper with a time of 1:49:00—a personal record. I had the fifth fastest bike split out of all contenders. I also PB'ed (Personal Best) the 1500m swim (20:19). I am proud to achieve the goals that my coach and I set for this race. I know that I'm capable of even faster times and this race is an encouraging milestone in my development as an athlete.

4. Would you do anything differently?
There are lessons to take from every race and Budapest is no different. One thing I would have done differently is put my shoes on right away after I racked my bike (which I usually do). The transition area was extremely muddy, wet, and very long. In an effort to save my race shoes from getting caked in mud and saturated with water (which would add extra weight to them), I simply picked my shoes up and ran barefoot in the grass until I got to cement. This would have been a great idea, except for one unforeseen consequence: a twig or something stuck to the bottom of my bare foot.

When I started running in the shoes, it felt like a tack was piercing the arch of my left foot every time I stepped. I was faced with the choice between stopping, removing my shoes, and trying to solve the problem or just pushing through the pain (with the hope that the object would shift positions eventually and cease to stab me). I decided to push through. I PB'ed the run, although I had a very bloody foot to show for it.

5. Do you have any advice for other amateur athletes looking to succeed in triathlon or sport in general?
Find training partners, whether through an organized coaching group or an informal collection of athletes. I find working with other athletes very motivating. Not only does it help guarantee that I make workouts, but I also find that doing run, bike, or swim sessions with others helps me on my off-days: I deliver better efforts than I otherwise would.

Do everything you can to remain injury free. Proper fitting shoes and gear is critical. Don't skimp on rest and recovery. I believe that investing in a certified coach is another way to protect yourself from injury, as a good coach will know how to push you hard without compromising your body.

6. Do you have a favorite SOLE product? Why?
I almost always have a set of SOLE Lightweight Sport socks on, however the SOLE Signature DK Response custom footbeds stand out as my favourite. These lightweight footbeds work well in both my bike and run shoes, as the perforated top sheet helps disperse and wick moisture. These footbeds also help to hold my foot securely in my bike shoes. Because my foot doesn't move around, it saves me a few watts of energy in each pedal stroke, which adds up over 40km.

7. How does SOLE help you perform optimally?
SOLE's moldable footbeds help keep me injury free. Running is a high impact activity and SOLE helps ensure that I footstrike properly and that my foot doesn't move around in my shoes more than it should. Cycling is a repetitive motion activity. If you are going to make the same movement 10,000 times in a workout session, it is critical that the position of the foot (which impacts the whole leg) is perfect. SOLE's footbeds help me achieve that perfect position. And, of course, SOLE's socks are arguably the best available on the market. They keep my feet from blistering in every weather condition.

8. What's next?
In addition to being a triathlete, I am also a full-time graduate student. The remainder of 2010 will see me finishing strong with school while keeping my fitness up. I'll do a few road and cross-country running races for fun. 2011 will see me improving my position and times in elite ITU races and also moving to the longer half-ironman distance triathlons, where I plan to contend against pro athletes.

— Brandi Weston | SOLE Marketing

Posted by: Matt Lambert at 1:37 p.m. in Athletes | Comments (2)