Australian triathlete Chris McCormack’s single-minded training obsession has given way to a healthier relationship with exercise – and his Breitling Endurance Pro keeps time, too
‘Macca’ might be retired, but fans still remember the former pro athlete’s historic 2010 Ironman Hawaii World Championship win at 38, defying critics – and he covered hundreds of kilometres of swim, bike and run training every week to do it
Most athletes would share the sentiment that competition is not only with the person or persons you line up against, but also with yourself. The physical and mental preparation required to put your body under sustained and extreme stress in competition requires a long and constant battle against those inner voices telling you to relax or have another slice of pizza – and a lonely one at that.
Understanding the struggle better than most is former elite triathlete Chris McCormack – known as “Macca” to followers of the sport. “Athletes are time-obsessed. I think it has more to do with the fact that literally every positive emotion we have about the output we are delivering is attached to time in some way,” he says.
Every aspect of McCormack’s life used to be linked to training, from what time he woke up in the morning to how many calories he consumed – it was all meticulously calculated to help him achieve and maintain optimal physical shape.
In 2009, at the age of 38, many thought he was past his prime, and his intention to enter the 2010 Ironman Hawaii World Championship wasn’t met with much enthusiasm. “I received a lot of criticism from fans of the sport that basically said I was too old, and history showed that no one my age could win this event, and I should step aside for the next generation.”
But his determination and single-minded obsession gave him the focus he needed to stay at the top of his game.
“The game-like obsession I had with working harder than anyone else was my shield I took to racing. At the height of my career, it was nothing to swim 25km per week, ride 800km per week and run 140km per week. It was what I did and it was what encompassed all my day and all my thoughts.”