Interview with an Elite Athlete (Part 3)

También disponible en español

This is the third and final piece of the interview with tri-athlete Hernan Rubiano.

JO: What or who motivates you to continue to be an elite athlete?

HR: At this point in my career, it's a personal challenge to know that I can reach places I didn't think were possible. If one intends to achieve, one can do it. And my motivation has changed over time - it was more a game for me at the beginning. I used to do my training almost "unconsciously". Now, I challenge myself daily to do my best.

JO: Where or who do you look to for inspiration?

HR: I'm inspired by seeing other athletes win, world champions like Alistair Brownlee. And I look to competitions and the fact that I now know that it is possible for me to win. The sensation of being a winner is awesome! When I win, I forget all the difficulties that I went through to get to the podium.

JO: What was (were) the factor(s) that allowed you to become a sponsored, elite-level, athlete?

HR: I think it was the combination of my dreaming or visualizing that I can reach the elite level in the sport and capitalism. I started winning and that caught the attention of potential sponsors. Professional athletes become consumable products, though. Once performance decreases, or the results are not what is expected, sponsorship goes away. I try not to think about that fact to stay motivated.

JO: How does it feel to make a living from a sport?

HR: It is very gratifying, especially because an elite athlete has a high quality of life. The basic needs are met at an optimal level (housing, food, plenty of rest). And there's a daily discipline and focus on doing one thing, and doing it right. The difficult part is to strike a balance between the self-confidence one needs and letting the ego take over when winning competitively.

JO: What is your mental training like?

HR: I have to be focused all day. It involves a high level of abstraction because I have to use both my mind and body. One of my mental exercises is to try to isolate specific times while competing. I record and internalize those moments, replay them mentally, and improve on them. I also meditate to clear the mind, though not frequently enough. A strong mind is critical during those times I simply want to quit in the middle of a hard training session.

JO: Do you have any advice for anyone thinking about doing triathlon?

HR: My advice is to take it easy. I know several people that were new to the sport, started with a lot of energy, and spent a fortune on equipment; six months later, they got fed up with it and quit. Triathlon is rewarding, but requires all of your energy.

Race of Faith appreciates Hernan's time and candidness in sharing his experiences and thoughts for publication in this blog. Whether Hernan wears a red cape, runs with his cycling helmet on, or refuses to shower the day he's competing, we think of him as one of our super heroes.

[Part 1] [Part 2]

Jairo Ospina

Interview with an Elite Athlete (Part 2)

También disponible en español

This is the second part of a three-part interview with elite tri-athlete Hernan Rubiano. He spent about three months in the Los Angeles area in a training camp with other young athletes with the purpose of improving his performance and learning new techniques from a renowned American coach. During those three months, Hernan spent a couple of days at our house before returning to his native Bogota.

JO: What is your routine like during training camp?

HR: The training at camp and at home varies in terms of intensity and the type of exercises performed. The frequency of and training time is about the same. I train 7 days a week with a one day break every 3 weeks. Four days of the week are spent training for 2 of the 3 sports; the remaining days, I train for all 3 sports within the same day. A typical day may go like this: I am in the water at 6 a.m. for up to 2-hours of swimming and water exercises (now that I am in Southern California, I train in the ocean). I eat breakfast, rest and hop on the bike around 11 a.m. Depending on what the coach has for planned for me, I could do a long ride or time trials. Right after, I do some speed work on the running track, followed by stretching and a full dinner. I sleep at least 8 to 9 hours per day, and take naps depending on the schedule.

JO: Which of three sports are you strongest on? Do you have a preference for any of them?

HR: The first question is somewhat difficult to answer. Every competition is different, so I may perform better or worse than expected on any of the three sports during an event. For the second question, I don’t have a preference – I enjoy triathlon as a single sport.

JO: What is the food/diet situation like given the demands of your training? [Note: Before you read Hernan’s answer, I witnessed in multiple occasions this guy eat anything and everything that was placed in front of him].

HR: I eat anything I can. I must plan to eat throughout the day, so I carry food everywhere I go. My focus is on consuming large amounts of protein. Not counting a snack before swimming, breakfast after swimming, and dinner after the day is over, I can down five large bottles of water, one banana, one protein bar, and four energy gels. I also take mineral and natural herb and animal oil supplements.

How many pairs?

In the first 9 months of 2009, Hernan was already on his 10th pair of training shoes and third pair of shoes for competition. He also spends a small fortune on sunblock, which he wears year-round.

JO:Are there any odd or funny things that happened to you during a competition?

HR: During my first competitive event, I ran for about one kilometer before realizing I was still wearing my cycling helmet. In the middle of swimming in the last South American championship, another participant grabbed me and ripped a hole in my wetsuit. I had to finish the rest of the competition with part of my rear-end showing. I have had multiple toe nails fall off during a competition and ran with tennis shoes soaked in blood due to burst blisters (common for triathlon competitions). The most serious thing that has happened to me during a competitive event: I broke my right thumb when I fell off my bicycle (but I did cross the finish line).

JO: Do you say a prayer or have a routine before entering a competition?

HR: I have several routines that I do unconsciously. One of them is that I prepare a list of everything I need before leaving for a competition because I hate forgetting to bring apparel or equipment. And I never shower the day of a competition.

[Part 1] [Part 3]

Jairo Ospina
jospina@race-of-faith.com