Ben Allen

Age 24
Sport Played Triathlon
Years Played 16 months

Tell us about yourself

I first started in the sport of Surf Life Saving which I have been competing for 12 years racing locally, nationally and internationally. I am currently part of the National Talented identification program (NTID). This program aims to identify talented athletes from other sports and transfer their talent in the sport of triathlon in pursuit of the 2012 Olympic Games in London. I currently train 6 days a week with one rest day. I train up to 30-40 hours a week, have a part time job as a pool life guard and attend University studying a bachelor of education physical and health education (PE Teacher). I race the Australian triathlon series during summer and this year was lucky enough to get a contract with a European triathlon Team to travel to Europe to race European World Cup series.

Proudest Sporting Achievements

Medalling at the Australian and World Surf Life Saving Championships 2002 in the same season when I was 16. Winning the Australian Adventure Racing Championships and representing Australia at the World Adventure Racing Championships in Ireland. Winning three State Surf Life Saving Championship medals.

What are you hoping to achieve

Representing Australia at the 2012 London Olympics. World Triathlon Champion.

How does LineBreak help

Training rain, hail or shine, I put my body through all extremes and LineBreak helps my body to cope with the stress that I place on it every day. Swim, Ride & Running, LineBreak helps me to give 100% every training session and achieve my goals.

My Blog

03/03/11
The New Year always brings new opportunities, and hopefully 2011 is no different. For most of January/February I have been at Falls Creek, putting my body through a five-week stint of altitude training, ahead of my return to Europe for the 2011 Triathlon Season.

It’s been great training at Falls, just like every year. With such a large contingent in attendance, it means there is always someone to train with, whether I feel good or bad. Since arriving on the 1st January, training has really picked up. After a break from training to give the body a much needed rest. The first couple of weeks you struggle, but then it gets easier. After a few more weeks, you get stronger before your body starts to feel tired from the routine again. A few weeks later everything is as good as it was before your break.

Over the last 5 weeks, I’ve worked back up to averaging over 160km per week of running and the body has been having its ups and downs. It takes a few days to adjust to running with thinner air, but the body adapts quickly and effectively. Before you know it, you are training as well as, if not comparably better, than when you are back at home.

Falls is going great. I feel stronger, fitter and faster than this time last year. As part of my preparation I raced in the Long Distance Falls Creek Triathlon. The day dawned with light to no wind and clear skies. The mist from the previous days was gone leaving an amazing skyline and setting for Australia's newest long course race (2k/80k/20k). Back to the old school long course distance was a treat for those with long memories and with a field capped at 550 it had all the feeling of a race from 20 years ago.

One of the pre race favourites Clayton Fettell was absent leaving the race a little lost for a swim leader. Enter Ben Allen. He swam away from the field with ease and had opened up a two-minute gap on the field with some superb aquatic navigation and speed. Behind him Olympic bronze medalist (Sydney 2000) Jan Rehula, who happened to be in Falls Creek for this weekend, was setting up his own race well coming out of the water next of the best.

Behind him the pros were stringing out and Leon Griffin, Monty Frankish, Lindsey Wall and Chris Bradford and Dave Meade were all getting to know one another as they cycled away on the 3 looped 80km bike leg in search of Ben Allen. Left behind was Jason Shortis. Shorto was not having a happy race and would have to work hard if he was going to get amongst it.

The men's bike was panning out as expected. Rehula took the lead from Allen and had a chase group of three in pursuit of him. While this was unfolding it was Leon Griffin who looked the best. Allen was strong on the bike but other pro's had an advantage on him opting to use time trial bike on the hilly course, putting a five-minute gap on Allen. Allen ran well to finish 8th in such a grueling race.

I’m looking forward to the 2011 season and can’t wait to test out all my hard work from the mountain.  

Up and Coming Events/Races:
Charity Event 24hr Swim for Multiple sclerosis 5th/6th March
Wellington Oceania Championships 12th March
Mooloolaba Oceania Championships 27th March
Sydney World Series Championships 10th April

All the best for the season ahead.

15/03/10

Headlines

2010 Singapore ITU Triathlon Premium Asian Cup 11th April.
Allen in Aussie Team for the 2010 World University Triathlon Championship Valencia, Spain.
Allen set to race Ishigaki, Japan World Cup Triathlon.

03/01/10

Race/Training News
Merry Christmas and Happy New year……
I hope you were good for Santa and 2010 is a great year for you. I’m currently down in the Victorian Snowy Mountains of Falls Creek on a camp, running, riding and swimming. I have a two and a half week intense training block.
There are excellent running trails and endless mountains to climb. I am training with some of Australia’s best distance runners and am enjoying the hard training every day. I return back to Wollongong on the 14th of January and I’m looking forward to some up and coming races.
Not sure if you have heard about Triathlon Australia withdrawing from the Challenge Series in 2010. Whilst disappointing, I believe Triathlon Australia are implementing some prudent measures to ensure the sport is financially viable and improve its servicing of its members in years to come.
The elite series now reverts to two races, with Caloundra on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast to host an exciting Enduro format on February 7th and also a race at Raby Bay, south of Brisbane, which will feature a spectacular and very fast Triple Super Sprint format on February 28th.
Keep training hard and looking forward to a super year.
Thank you for all your support

Up & Coming events:

Feb 7th : Enduro format on Caloundra, QLD
Feb 28th : Triple Super Sprint format on Raby Bay, QLD
13th Mar: Wellington, NZ (ITU Oceania Championship
28th Mar: Mooloolaba, QLD (ITU World Cup)
11th Apr: Sydney, NSW (ITU World Championship Series)

20/8/09

I have attached an update of what I've been up to and also a newspaper article from Le Journal Du centre (French Newspaper) from my recent win at the Nevers Triathlon Championships. I'm sorry its in French.... I'm off to Czech Republic for the ITU European Championships on the 23rd August and then to Poland for the ITU Premium European Championships on the 30th August....

Photos below:

20/07/09

Bonjour,

I am in Europe training and racing for the ITU European Triathlon Cup Series. I arrived in April and headed straight to the French Alps, a town called Embrum for a two week Altitude camp.
The camp was focused on run and bike, with the riding to be very tough. I was lucky enough to ride up the famous Alpe d'huez, which was an awesome experience.
Whilst in Europe I am based in France, Poitiers where I am training and also racing for my French Triathlon club Stade Poitevin Triathlon and representing Australia on the ITU European Triathlon Series. I have been racing in a couple of the French Championship races and have achieved top five finishes and winning a couple of French Titles.
I am using The French Championship races as preparation for the ITU European Series. Currently I'm in Brno, Czech Republic where I am racing in the Czech Republic Championships, but due to recent floods and bad weather conditions the race organisers have decided to cancel the Triathlon race.
My training has been going really well and I was looking forward to the race.
I'm heading back to France to race for my French club in the French Championships at Parthenay.
Then onto Egirdir, Turkey where I will race in the Turkish Triathlon Championships. I am looking forward to my next couple of races and if I have time will try to see a bit of Le Tour de France in between training this week. Go Cadel....!