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For thirty-four-year-old Sam ‘Appo’ Appleton, triathlon has been a constant in his life. His 2024 has been a stellar performance across the world: a win at Ironman Australia, 2nd at Ironman Canada and a 3rd place at Ironman 70.3 Boulder.

It has been Appo’s first year solely focussing on the Ironman discipline, previously dabbling in middle distance too. The focus has worked, and his 2024 has been one for the books, but there’s one big race that remains: Kona.

“My mum also raced Kona in 2012. It almost feels like my whole career has been building to race in Kona since I was a young lad.”

SE: Sam, triathlon has been a big part of your life. How did it all start?

SA: “I’ve been racing triathlons since I was 13–years old. I started as a competitive swimmer who dabbled in soccer and athletics growing up. My swimming coach at the time encouraged me to try a triathlon when I was 13. I DNF’d my first-ever triathlon as the 14km ride on an old huffy mountain bike was too much for my little legs. I caught the bug, and wanted redemption…”

SE: So Kona, that’s the biggest prize of them all?

SA: “Kona has always been a huge influence on my triathlon career. I grew up idolising the Aussies racing there like Craig Alexander. My mum also raced in 2012. It almost feels like my whole career has been building to race in Kona since I was a young lad.

I raced Kona in 2022, but it was a little bit of a disaster. My son was born a month before the race and the whole house had COVID around the same time. I still raced and did not regret it as I learned so much about the race and the dynamics that I have been able to use for this build in 2024.

It sounds cliche, but I just want to get the most out of myself and race to my ability. It is a World Championships, so it’s hard to put a finish place as a goal. I think if I race like I know I can I can be in the hunt for a top 10 which would be amazing.”

The Bike

Sam rides one of the most striking set-ups on the pro triathlon scene, the CADEX tri frameset. He has this coupled with CADEX wheels, and a full Shimano DuraAce Di2 groupset with 165mm cranks.

Appo has been riding our Aerobar Three ecosystem and in the last month we have made him a set of custom basebar adapters, that allow him to achieve his perfect stack, reach, width and aerobar angle. 

"For us at Sync, we have found that most customisation is in the finer details of aerobar setup, allowing the athlete to achieve there perfect TT position. The modular nature of our Artobar Three allows for a high level of customisation, based on forearm length and the desired position over the bike. But with Sam, as many of the other athletes we work with, we have gone the extra mile on the mounting accessories." 

Ken Ballhause - Sync Ergonomics

How to Prep

Sam has been racing triathlons for over two decades, it’s fair to say that he has quite the background of prepping for all distances. We asked him what the key is to becoming a great triathlete.

“Consistency is key. Big training days and hero sessions are great to do from time to time, but it’s more important to nail the consistency and keep layering on the training, day after day, year after year.

The aerobic base you need to have to execute a great Ironman takes years to build. It’s a long day and requires many hours of training.

A lot can go wrong in an Ironman, but you can minimise the risk by knowing your limits and staying within them. You can also minimise the risk of blowing up by training to the demands of the race, which again, is a lot of time.

I have had a few blow-ups in Ironman races by completely ignoring my limits and also, not being appropriately prepared. You learn so much each race you do which can help direct your training leading into the next one.

For me, I would say it took four tries at the Ironman distance to have a performance I was really happy with, which was Ironman Australia earlier this year.”

The Data

At the pointy end of professional triathlon, the data points the athletes put out are insane. We played a quick fire round with Appo to give an insight:

SE: Watts and speed in the bike leg?

SA: “My best is 281w for 4 19 mins. Every course is different, but speed usually sits between 41kph and 44kph average.

SE: How about your run pace?

SA: “My best run is a 2:43 marathon at Ironman Australia, which I think was an average of 3:53/km. Kona is a different beast with the heat and humidity, so again, different courses and conditions play a huge role in determining pace.”

SE: How do you fuel an Ironman effort?

SA: “I aim for 120g/hr of carbs on the bike, and then 60-70g/hr on the run. I find it challenging to consume carbs on the run, so I like to preload a little more.

SE: Is it illegal to stop for a coffee mid-race?

SA: If they had some anaerobic processed Ethiopian at aid stations, then I’d be stopping!

Whether you’re a professional triathlete who’s been racing since a teen like Sam Apop, or a relative rookie like Sam Musgrove, we understand that you want to get faster, and at Sync Ergonomics we offer solutions that cater for each athlete's requirements.

The Ironman World Championships take place in Kona, Hawaii on October 26th. You can find ‘Appo’ racing at the front of the pack, or searching for any good coffee.