OFF SEASON WITH MATT BEVILACQUA

What is your off season plan / How will you be keeping yourself busy?

I'm really excited to get back home to Tasmania and see the awesome winter festival down there called Dark Mofo. I will have 3 weeks completely off training but will start easing back into training 11 weeks out from Molokai 2 Oahu and get ready for 52km of open ocean board paddling!

In addition to training I'm also finishing off my Bachelor of Secondary Education so I have my final 5 week placement at The Southport School to look forward too.

Do you have any goals athletically during your off season?

My biggest goal is to relax mentally and have 3 weeks completely off physical training.

It's surprisingly hard to relax after going non-stop for 11 months and something I really need to focus on.

If I don't switch off for this time and enjoy the break its likely I will break down and burn out later in the year.

What will you weekly plan be once you resume full training?

My weekly plan once I get going again is rough, as Molokai 2 Oahu requires a very large volume of work - in the dark and cold of winter!

I will board paddle up to 80kms a week (4 sessions), Swim 4 times (24km), Run 4 times (28km) and ski paddle twice (20km). That's building up to 152km a week and sometimes more!

What time will you be waking up?

My days will start at 5:00am and for the first 5 weeks I am on placement at school and I won't be coming home until around 6pm! It will be back to back 13 hour days which will be really tough.

Learning how to balance everything through this challenging timeI think helps a lot to build the mental strength that is key for not only Molokai but for all the racing we Ironmen and women do!

What will be your first race back?

Molokai to Oahu in Hawaii will be my first race back on July 29th then closely followed by the USA National Lifeguard Championships in Virginia Beach. I will then go straight from there to Bali for the inaugural World Ironman Event at Finns Beach Club.

Goals for the 2018/19 season

Win the Nutri-Grain Series! I will never stop striving for that Nutri-Grain Ironman Series Title. In my eyes it's the best our sport has to offer and now I have got one I feel the pressure is off and that box is ticked. Fingers crossed for another one!

Also a huge goal is the World Life Saving Championships in Adelaide. I can't wait to represent my country and win the International Teams Championship as well as put on the Kurrawa Surf Club cap for Inter-club. I grew up in the flat water and love a hard sand transition, add a bit of cold, it should feel like home!