Namita Nayyar:
You have won 4 World Championships and in 2012 were named as one of the “World’s Fittest Women” by CNN. Were your eyes always set on this goal? What inspired you towards these goals?
LEANDA CAVE:
I wanted to make it to the Olympics and my goals along the way were always geared for this. However, I realized after 2 attempts, it didn’t matter if I was the best athlete in the world, getting selected was based on a whole different set of criteria written out in a selection policy. I fell short of for various reasons which left me in a very low place in life. I decided to shift my focus and compete for titles that did not come with a selection criteria. The most prestigious event in triathlon was the Ironman World Title in Kona, so that’s where I chose to direct my goals.
Namita Nayyar:
How do you kick start your day. Share with us your first meal of the day? 2 ways to detox?
LEANDA CAVE:
I’m a fan of good coffee. If I am doing a short and easy aerobic workout, I just have coffee to help burn some extra calories. If I have something longer with some punchy efforts, I will have oatmeal with a scoop of almond butter to fuel up. I’m a firm believer that you can not put in more than you put out, so I do not diet, I just keep note of what calories I consume verses expend. Maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle is easy and fun if you apply this simple rule. Diets are complicated and not sustainable. Seasonally I put on weight (in the winter) and lose it in the summer. I also feel small fluctuations are good for the mind and body.
Accepting that you can be a few pounds heavier, while at the same time, lose these excess pounds takes the stress out of always being in tip top shape. I do not drink any magic potions or do a detox routine. I like protein shakes after a workout to help with recovery.
Namita Nayyar:
Before kicking off triathlon training, what are the key points a beginner needs to keep in mind? 5 key essentials.
LEANDA CAVE:
- Be mindful of what current fitness level/shape you are in. Doing too much, too soon can cause injury and burnout.
- Find a good coach or training plan that is adaptable and can accommodate your lifestyle and other commitments. I like Peakers.ai.
- Get the right equipment. It can be a landline out there of what shoes, bike, swim goggles, etc. you should buy. The best thing a beginner should consider is comfort over performance, this way they are likely to enjoy the sport over being irritated by ill fitting shoes, clothing, bike, goggles, etc.
- Train with a friend. This could be a beginner or someone who has a experience. But in both cases you can learn as well as keep each other motivated and accountable to turn up to each workout.
- Practice open water swimming at least once before you do your first race. This is the most intimidating part of a triathlon and with other swimmers in your space, there can be a lot of body contact that can cause an athlete to panic.
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