Triathlon: Rhodes back in action for Timaru

Leading New Zealand ironman triathlete Bryan Rhodes is a surprise late entry for the Timaru round of the national triathlon series on Sunday.

Rhodes won the race last year before embarking on his international ironman campaign, which cruelly ended in August with a snapped achilles tendon.

Rhodes has recovered quicker than expected from the injury, which would typically sideline most athletes for seven to eight months.

In typical fashion the Christchurch triathlete has broken all the rules with regards his rehabilitation.

"Yeah, I'm ahead of time I think. I reckon I'm about the same as Dan Carter, he started playing some club rugby about the same time and we had the same injury," Rhodes said.

"I guess I've healed pretty well, thanks largely to work with some non-weight bearing running on the treadmill.

"This injury though, you just have to be so dedicated to the recovery."

Rhodes began his return to action quietly, taking part in a team at the recent Port of Tauranga Half Ironman and Challenge Wanaka.

The Timaru event will be first attempt at putting the swim, bike and run back together again since the injury.

"This is just the perfect race for me and all the more so as it remembers a good mate of mine in Chris McAteer, who passed away just over a year.

"It's pretty special to me and it's the ideal race at this stage of my recovery."

Rhodes said the enforced break from the sport had re-energised him, with his swimming and cycling back to near peak levels.

"But the running is still coming back and I won't be going too quickly on Sunday, more like trying to hold on I reckon."

Rhodes has his heart set on an Ironman return at the Coeur d'Alene Ironman in Idaho in June, with Ironman NZ just too soon to take on in March.