Kiwi triathlete Simon Cochrane has won the iconic Ultraman World Championships in Kona smashing the previous race record by an incredible 44 minutes. Travelling over 515km in three days of racing, the event starts with a 10km ocean swim followed by a 145km cycle. Day two a challenging 276km cycle and Day three 85 kms of running (a double marathon). We chat to Simon about his previous victories leading in to the World Championship – the Ultraman Australia race and Ultraman Canada, where he dominated the competition and secured his spot at the World Championships. He talks about his mindset going into the race and his strong performance on each day, including a challenging swim and a solid lead on the bike. As an experienced athlete and coach, Simon shares his approach to training and how he has consciously worked on developing mental strength. We discuss the significance of choosing more challenging options in training and how this translates to confidence on race day. Simon reveals his strategies for mental preparation and provides valuable insights into the mental side of endurance training. We talk through Simon’s race in Hawaii, the lead up to the race and how he adjusted his taper. We also hear about the challenging conditions which led to a crash on the bike. Simon shares his plans for the New Zealand summer, which includes a solid attempt at IRONMAN New Zealand in March, plus we’ll see Simon on the start line at the IRONMAN 70.3 Taupo this weekend! LINKS: Simon Cochrane at https://www.athleticpeak.co.nz/ Ultraman World at https://ultramanworlds.com/