Not known for taking half measures, Kat Matthews will attempt a terrific transcontinental double next month, as the British star continues to pursue both the T100 Tour and the IRONMAN Pro Series.
Fresh off an incredible victory at IRONMAN Texas, her second successive win at the event, the PTO World #9 has revealed her next two races, which will take place in quick succession in June.
Set to compete at both the IRONMAN European Championship in Hamburg and the San Francisco T100, Matthews explained the method behind the madness on her social media.
“Adapt and overcome at all times”
Admitting that things could change, the 33-year-old stressed that this was “just a plan”, but underlined why it would work well for her objectives this season.
“Eight days of recovery with some exercising for fun, a relaxing of my (what feels like) overly precise lifestyle, and now I’m on the build for June 2, IRONMAN Hamburg – the European Champs.
“This is the most tactical (for me) second Ironman to attempt for the Series, with the most minimal effect on the IRONMAN World Championship in Nice. From here, I plan to travel to San Francisco and race the T100 6 days later.
“Yep, I’m aware of all the negatives with this plan and considering a non-optimal “base”. I’ve spent a lot of the last eight days going over and over what I want to achieve next and by the end of the year.
“IRONMAN Hamburg is a big step towards completing the inaugural IRONMAN Pro Series and the T100? It looks really COOL, and I desperately want to race it. JUST a plan. Adapt and Overcome at all times.”
Analysis – Could this be a deciding move in the season for Matthews?
Currently sitting in third place in the IRONMAN Pro Series rankings after picking up the maximum amount of points in Texas, another strong result over the full distance for Matthews in Hamburg could be a decisive move in the battle for the Pro Series title.
Additionally, ticking off her second full distance race early, means that after Nice, she will be able to turn her attention fully to the T100 Triathlon World Tour for the final four races (Ibiza, Las Vegas, Dubai and Grand Final) before gearing up for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship.
A high risk/reward strategy, however, the prospect of racing at the highest level so many times this season could come back to bite Matthews, who has already suffered an injury this season at the Miami T100.
But, if anyone has the resilience and determination to see it through, it is undoubtedly the Brit. Like her compatriot Lucy Charles-Barclay, Matthews has an incredible ability to bounce back stronger from every setback, just like she did for the second year running at IRONMAN Texas.
Whatever race schedule eventually unfolds, Matthews has shown over the past three years that she has what it takes to fight for the win over any distance, on any day, and will garner a huge amount of support wherever she decides to race next.
