As the first and only man to have won a World Championship title on French soil, it would be a fair bet to suggest that Sam Laidlow has all the answers when it comes to preparations for next month’s IRONMAN showdown on the French Riviera.
The English-born athlete, who now lives in France and competes under the colours of the tricolour, made history in 2023 when he crossed the line in Nice to secure victory in the only men’s championship to have ever been held outside of the USA.
With the event set to return to the Côte d’Azur on September 14, Laidlow – fresh from successive wins at Challenge Roth and IRONMAN Leeds – will no doubt be regarded as one of, if not the favourite, in a field which will once again boast the very best of the global IRONMAN talent.
Having recovered from the illness and injury which hampered the early part of his season, it now seems that the 26-year-old is firing on all cylinders as he heads to the South of France.
Focusing on the positives
Of course, it is not only the body that needs preparing for such a huge challenge, with signs already evident that Laidlow has also been working on his mindset, with a series of crafted affirmations to keep the pre-race vibes ultra-positive.
Posting on his Instagram page, he posed the question “The process. What do you tell yourself before a race?” before adding a series of images and sentences clearly designed to give him the best possible mental chance of repeating his 2023 heroics.
Under the heading “Things I’m reminding myself before the Ironman World Championship, from the last guy to win it in Nice” he adds the following statements.
“Trust my own abilities, I’ve done it before. And I can do it again.”
“Whatever the outcome of this race, good or bad, it doesn’t define my career.”
“Being on the startline is a true privilege. I’ll never take that for granted.”
“As Jan (Frodeno) once told me, it’s just another race… show up healthy, fit and ready to f*ck things up.”
Among those to react to the post were Frodeno himself and England’s Kat Matthews, who both wished him well on his quest for a second title.
Momentum shift
His win in 2023 was a masterclass in IRONMAN perfection as he came out of the water in the leading pack, broke clear of the field on the bike and then stayed strong throughout the marathon to become the youngest-ever winner of the men’s event.
After his win at Leeds, he admitted to feeling something of a momentum shift in his favour as he builds toward the most important date in the men’s competitive calendar.
“Since Roth or even four or five weeks before Roth, I’ve started to get some good momentum and I just want to keep that going,” he told TRI247. “The plan is just to not do too much. This is probably the least I’ve trained and I’ve put out two good full-distance races now. So yeah, just don’t do anything crazy. Listen to my body and trust that. I trust my capabilities and my level.”
With the body now holding together, it is the mind where Laidlow is looking for that extra edge as he seeks another massive home win in his adopted nation.
