Following some encouraging results last season, you get the feeling 2011 could be a breakout year for Tony Dodds.
The young triathlete from Central Otago has been training harder than ever to prepare for a huge season ahead.
And while most people will be enjoying their Christmas and New Year break, Tony will be out grinding away trying to improve his base fitness and speed.
Tony has been a great swimmer all his life, but decided to make the switch to triathlon when he was 17 years old.
While he has a natural advantage in the water and is a good runner, the bike looms as the discipline he admits still needs the most improvement.
"A few guys got me into triathlon and I won my first one so decided to keep going. That was straight after Hamish Carter won at the Olympics and I was really motivated then as I am now,” Tony says.
"Back then guys weren’t really swimming that well so it gave me a big advantage, all I had to do was work on the bike because my running was up there and I had good lung capacity.
"With the bike I had no muscles in my legs so I had to work hard on that.”
A long 2010 season took a toll on Tony, but after a short break he’s raring to go and is bubbling with excitement.
He has a huge goal in mind – performing well enough at trials to gain a spot for the 2012 London Olympics.
"It was a long season and it definitely drained me mentally and physically. There was one race I really wanted to win and that was world champs. It didn’t happen like that but I did win a few races along the way and it went well.
"The aim is definitely to make it to the trials for London Olympics then progress from there.”
Tony has been doing a great deal of lower body and strength work in an effort to become even faster.
It will be a gradual build-up to the new season for Tony, competing in some local bike and running races.
He’ll then increase his workload – targeting the Wanaka Triathlon and Takapuna and Wellington legs of the Contact Tri Series.
As the year goes on, expect Tony to get stronger and stronger.
