Tim Van Berkel Interview: Professional Ironman Triathlete

Get Fast Podcast, with Gerard and Jordan Donnelly and guest Tim Van Berkel, professional Ironman triathlete

Tim Van Berkel has raced as a professional triathlete since the end of 2006, and he has learned what works for him: hard focus before a big race, and a life outside the sport. Gerard's takeaway is that "the minute he put too much pressure on himself the outcome was poor".

How did Tim Van Berkel get into triathlon?

Through football. Tim grew up in Albury Wodonga wanting to be an AFL player. His footy team did a triathlon in the summer and he caught the bug. He won his first Ironman at 24, in only his third attempt.

What makes Ironman suit him?

The run. Tim calls running his specialty and the swim "my Achilles heel". In an Ironman, "if you just mess one little thing up", like your fuelling or pacing, "you can pay a big price". So the race can change late.

He won an Asia-Pacific championship that way. He got off the bike "so far down" that he thought his day was over, and walked away with the win.

How should you pace the bike in an Ironman?

Know your numbers and stick to them. Tim has a power range he knows he can run off, and pushing above it means digging into his reserves. When he was younger, he says, "I would bury myself and then just wreck my race".

Now he'll let some time go on the bike, so there's enough left to run well.

What has Kona taught him?

Tim came seventh on his Kona debut. Since then, he says, "it's just getting quicker and quicker there every year". He also says "you just can't go there relying on a good run". So the bike has been his focus, and it's part of why he changed coach.

What does too much pressure do?

It cost Tim his sleep. At Kona in 2015 he was coming off that seventh place, with Giant launching a new bike and its global team there. He stressed himself so much he couldn't sleep, and thought he'd blown his chance. "I vowed that I would never do that to myself again," he says.

He still gets nervous, and he thinks that's good. To stay calm, he finds a quiet spot the night before and sits down to chill out. He reminds himself that "the sun's gonna come up tomorrow" and that "no one cares how you go except for yourself".

How does a pro prepare mentally on race morning?

Tim stays in the moment. On the start line he doesn't think about the swim, ride and marathon ahead. "I just worry about what I'm doing that very minute," he says.

Beforehand, he visualises the whole day: where he wants to be in the swim and on the bike, and when he'll eat and drink.

How does he handle a bad race?

He learns from it and moves on. Tim's view is that "you can't be at your peak all year round". One year he was in really good shape for Kona, then caught a chest infection three weeks out and spent two weeks in bed. His biggest lesson from the past 12 months is "it is what it is".

How much focus is enough?

For Tim, four to six weeks before a big race. All year round, he says, "for me that's not a healthy way to live". He likes beers with his mates, and he knows he's tired and cranky to be around during Ironman training.

Gerard's advice is that some athletes need it more serious and some don't: "you've got to find what works for you".

What should you do when racing stops?

Rest first, then work on your weaknesses. When the coronavirus stopped racing, Tim didn't train for five days. Then he dropped his program and rode or ran only when he felt like it, and the hunger came back.

From there he said, "this is a good time to work on those weaknesses". For him that meant the swim, the bike and gym work on niggles in his hip and glute.

Related

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