With racing on hold around the world, and no clear timeline on when triathlons will return, we checked in with some of our deboer Team athletes to see how they are staying occupied through this uncertainty.

• Multiple Ironman 70.3 Champion

Home in the beautiful Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. 

 

What are the current training rules in your area?  

New Zealand is COVID free now (excluding the odd case arriving from overseas but we have strict isolation requirements at our border), and therefore all businesses, facilities and public spaces are open as normal. That means I am lucky enough to train (and live) as normal here. All gyms, pools, cafes are open with no restrictions on group size or social distancing. 

 

I have recently decided to take this time as an opportunity to freshen up a little bit, with a few weeks off training. While all facilities are open as usual and events are able to run, it is our winter here and therefore there aren't a lot of events on. So now is a good time to take a break. I would usually be overseas racing, or training, probably in Noosa about now. Instead I will be spending the winter at home and training in the cold. But thankfully here in NZ we are very lucky to be living COVID-free as normal, so while it may be cold, I am very happy to be here. 

 

I believe many people are struggling with the fact we are unable to travel for races. Aside from that though, we are getting on with things as per, with local triathlon club events (winter series etc.) all going ahead like normal. It is great to see people getting out there and doing the small club events, and when I start getting back into training again I will be getting involved too. There will also be a few larger running events coming throughout our winter/early spring that many of us will be getting involved in too!

 

It is our winter now, so no triathlon races just yet. But plenty of running events are coming up. I hope to be getting involved in a few half marathons and the ASB Auckland Marathon (NZs largest marathon event) throughout September/October/November and I also may look to do a couple of duathlons. Triathlons will start back up in November.  

 

Definitely a good chance to take a short break from training, freshen up, and then start another (slow) build. There is no rush at this stage and I don't want to be trying to maintain fitness for too long and be shattered by the time racing does return. So it really is about being patient and training smart I believe.