It is a cool and overcast Saturday evening in Cape Town. With the autumnal dusk approaching and a nip in the air, the elite women's race of the ITU World Series event has concluded. With Table Mountain and Signal Hill cutting a dramatic backdrop, the sun has set over the Greenpoint Athletics Stadium and most athletes are heading back to the their respective hotels and homestays for some much needed rest and recovery.
Amid this winding down, a lone figure strides up and down the back straight of the tartan track. Toes down, head back and arms swinging, this athlete embodies the poise and grace reserved only for the sporting elite. This guy is clearly in the zone, so to speak, clearly enjoying the tranquillity and solitude of his training session.
“I'm looking forward to tomorrow,” says Alistair Brownlee as he wipes his face under the floodlit sky. “It's really good to back racing again. It is going to be intense, but I like that.”
Having arrived in the Mother City on Wednesday evening, the defending Olympic Champion has been laying low this season owing to some bio-mechanical issues. And with the ITU World Series already in full swing, Brownlee is keen to make his mark in a sport that he has dominated over the past view years. Together with brother Jonathan, the Yorkshire-native revels in competition. Be it World Championship triathlon or club cross-country racing, he just loves to compete and, more importantly, be outdoors.
“Chile was fun,” he says of one his more memorable treks. An adventurer at heart, Brownlee's eyes light up when recounting his tales of off-season travels to places afar and mountainous.
“We strayed off the set route of this hiking trail and ended up walking for most of the day. A compass would have been useful because there was no phone reception. Our guide was confident that we would end up in the right place though. Eventually!”
With Mount Kilimanjaro already under his belt, Brownlee reveals he would love to spend an extended period in the Himalayas and, more specifically, scale Mount Everest. But only after his triathlon career is over. There is still so much to do.
And with the elite men scheduled to plunge into the freezing Atlantic a little after three this afternoon, resuming his place amongst the world's best triathlon exponents is foremost on his mind. Although not without a tiny bit of distraction.
“How long would it take to run up Table Mountain,” he inquires enthusiastically, a distinct glint in his eye. “I'm only going home on Monday night so it be a great thing to do. Perhaps run up and catch the cable car down?”
