DAY CRAVES CONSISTENCY IN HUNT FOR TITLE
FORMER Nutri-Grain ironman champion Ali Day says consistency will be the key to this year’s series given the depth of the field.
Day finished third in the opening round at Queenscliff in Sydney on Sunday, finishing ahead of nine-time series winner Shannon Eckstein and defending champion Matt Poole in a race won by Day’s Surfers Paradise clubmate TJ Hendy.
Day won the series in 2015 but his focus in recent years has been more on the Coolangatta Gold, a race he won for the fifth time this month.
The gruelling marathon has often taken the edge off the start of his Nutri-Grain series but Day’s focus on recovery over the past three weeks paid off on Sunday with a podium finish.
“I really put a focus on trying to recover from the Gold physically,” he said.
“I think it’s the best I’ve recovered out of the five I’ve done.
“(Sunday’s result) sets the season up for me and it’s always good to start the season on a positive.”
Day put an enormous effort into defending his Gold title this year with Eckstein entering the race for the first time in a decade.
And he admits it took his focus from the Nutri-Grain series as details of its move into the Ocean 6 competition and likely format were worked out.
“I really only turned my attention to the series during the week (leading in),” Day said. “I took some time away after the Gold.
“But once it gets started, you go into that competitive mode.”
A podium placing was a good start but Day is not yet content and said there is plenty to work on.
“The guy who wins the series overall is going to be the guy who is most consistent,” he said.