July Athlete of the Month 2012 - Anne Pleash

Reddog AOTM, how do you feel about that?

Stoked, surprised and extremely flattered.  Having never competed in a solo triathlon before, I didn’t think I was eligible to qualify for AOTM.

What attracted you to the sport of triathlon?

I’m not sure I am attracted to the sport of triathlon!!  A triathlon seems like a good idea and then reality sets in when it comes to running training – it hurts so much every time!  I’d rather swim 10km than run 10km.  I just really love swimming.  Having lived in very remote and regional Australia for the past 5years, I’m really enjoying being back in Brisbane and having access to a swimming squad.

If you were Reddog coach for the week, what would you do differently?

More swimming sessions at the Valley pool – at least every weekday lunch time and every week night.

How much training do you do at the moment?

In the lead up to the Magnetic Island to Townsville swim I was doing 10 swim sessions at week.  I’ve now cut back to about 7 swim sessions a week and some gym sessions.  My guilty pleasure is Les Mills step classes.  I love all the dancing and music.

Least favourite session and why?

Any session that is not swimming.

If you had one wish, what would it be?

To be paid to travel the world for Gourmet Traveler magazine.

Favourite motivational quote?

I don’t really have a motivational quote that I follow.  I tend to take inspiration and motivation from other people’s achievements.  There are times in life when an outcome is pre-determined and the choice is in how we respond and face the outcome.    I’m very inspired by brave people who face adversity or an outcome not of their choosing with grace, strength and good humor.

What advice would you give to other Reddogs who would like to be AOTM?

Try and time your training peak with Trent’s birthday.  I’m sure bribery comes into the selection process.

What are your goals?

I’ve seen a 9km swim I would like to do in December.  I’d also really love to do the Rottnest Channel swim in February 2013, but this requires some more thought.  There are some big sharks in WA!

Who would be your ideal training partner?

I really enjoy training with everyone at squad and it is such a supportive group of people. On the runs I’ve only really got myself to choose as a training partner – no one else is that far back in the pack!

For the swim sessions I love training with Linda, Bri, Sarah and Kristen.  There is always gossip to catch up on, someone to try and keep up with and Linda often brings some baking samples in.  What more could you ask for from a swimming session?