Ironman: Filling up with fuel

For a surf ironman, Glenn Anderson eats what he admits is an appalling diet.

"I do eat the Nutrigrain," he said of the sponsor's product. But there's also "too much fried chicken by far".

And just down the road from his home in Maroochydore, Queensland, is a chicken franchise, the fish and chip shop, a kebab shop and a bakery.

At the end of days that include three gruelling training sessions Anderson is too tired to cook. "It's much easier to get in the car and go through the drive-in."

The 25-year-old from Gisborne is New Zealand's only competitor in the 20-man field of qualifiers for Australia's toughest ironman competition, the three-round Kelloggs series. He follows the big footsteps of Cory Hutchings and his fellow Gisborne competitor, now retired, offers advice to Anderson while working for the sponsors and race organisers.

The surf season in Australia is far longer than it is here thanks to warmer waters and Anderson shifted over nearly four years ago to pursue the more intense competition. He lives and trains with his sister Rachael who is also involved in the sport, winning a teams title in the surf race event at the world lifesaving championships in Italy in September. Glenn was also in the competition.

Five other Mooloolaba Club members also qualified for the professional series in competition at Coffs Harbour and they drive each other hard in training, which starts with swimming early morning, includes running and biking during the day and a skills session in the late afternoon.

They do an ironman course on Saturdays and rest on Sunday.

In the first race at Broadbeach, Gold Coast, Anderson thought he was well-placed when a wave swept others in to overtake him in the final canoe run to the beach and he finished 13th.

"That's the luck of the surf - it's been happening to me a bit lately so I guess my turn is coming."

Surf lifesaving competitors get little prizemoney and all have to work in "real" jobs. Anderson is lucky that his coach Michael King owns a swimming pool and conducts training for schools, so King can schedule his work around training.

Ironman Series

Round 2: Portsea Beach, Victoria, January 9
Round 3: Sydney, NSW, January 30

Qualified athletes
Men: Zane Holmes, Luke Richmond, Shannon Eckstein, Dean Mercer, Jeremy Cotter, Dane Hurst, Wes Berg, Steven Meredith, Tim Peach, Ky Hurst, Daniel Shade, Nathan Smith, Joshua Blair, Hugh Dougherty, Travis Callaghan, Glenn Anderson, Rhys Drury, Simon Musgrove, Corey Jones, David Smith.

Women: Kristy Cameron, Kristyl Smith, Kristy Munroe, Naomi Flood, Lee Teudt, Hayley Bateup, Kirsten Jenkins, Kristie Lee Ogilvie, Britt Collie, Gemma Newbiggin, Naantali Marshall, Amanda Hey, Sheree Merryfull, Emma Wynne, Kate McNamara, Chelsea MacKenzie, Amanda White, Elizabeth Plumiers, Emma Schnieder, Candice Falzon.