In a world where perseverance, dedication, and indomitable spirit reign supreme, few individuals embody these qualities as vividly as triathletes. These modern-day warriors undertake the daunting challenge of swimming, cycling, and running, pushing the boundaries of human capability and achieving awe-inspiring feats that leave us in awe. Recently, I had the privilege of sitting down with a remarkable triathlete who has triumphed over adversity, defying limits and setting new standards in the realm of endurance sports.
We sat down to interview fitness coach and triathlete Gabriella Venturina to discuss her journey as a triathlete.
LOUIE: When did you start competing in triathlons and why?
GAB: I started competing triathlons back in 2015, so it started off as me doing the first two disciplines that I have been competing in already –which is actually competitive running, that’s when I started. So I do have a bit of a track and field background.
I was a distance runner before and I would already compete and win in a lot of run events, particularly the 3K and 5K distance. So I noticed that I had a good development on these two distances, and so I wanted to venture out by applying that one discipline among the three when it came to triathlon.
So I started training for my swim and my bike, and then the rest was history.
LOUIE: Do you feel that there is a particular personality found among triathletes? If so, how does your personality fit that mood?
GAB: Well, one personality that triathletes do have is they are very determined and disciplined. They have this insane amount of grit when it comes to putting in the work that they do in their training.
Because in triathlon, we recall there are three disciplines involved. They swim, bike and run. So of course that would entail a lot of time to consume in their training within a daily and weekly basis. So among other things, it is really knowing how to prioritize how they do things.
They know how to prioritize their tasks, their energy and their time within a day and on a weekly basis in order to fit in the schedule. And they also have that grit to keep persevering because there are definitely gonna be not so good days. There are gonna be bad training days and they will still power through regardless and put in the work.
Because each bit of progress matters and my personality fits in this because I am very particular with how I manage my time and energy on a daily and weekly basis. I also have an insane amount of grit, like I said, because despite the failures that come in my way, I make sure to put in the work and still cover through regardless, and it pays off eventually.
Many people only think about the physical aspect of competing in an extreme event, but don’t, don’t take into account the mental part.
LOUIE : Which is the more difficult aspect of preparing for the competition. The physical or the mental, or are they equal in difficulty?
GAB: Personally, I find that it’s a combination of both, but I do find that the mental aspect might just be a tad bit above the physical on this one. Sure, triathlons are physically demanding and require a lot of endurance and a lot of work to put in in order to compete, but the mental part is bigger because apart from putting in the work in the physical aspect, you have to learn how to prioritize everything else that you do in life.
Most of the people who are triathletes, especially here in the Philippines, are age groupers. So these are people who, some of them are students, some of them are working already, some of them are professionals, so of course they have good things going on, and with the mental aspect, they have to put in their mind that there are things that you have to do, but at the same time, you have to make time for your training.
And you also have to put into your mindset that you would be able to train and to compete and to finish the races that you signed up for. It can be taxing a bit, but It’s really a bit of a mind game because if you said in your mind that you can do this, that you can accomplish the race, you can finish them, then it’s very much likely that your body will follow what your mind had said.
So that is why the mind, the mental aspect, would be a little bit more than the physical.
LOUIE: Which part of the race is your strongest and your weakest?
GAB: Personally I find that the run and the swim would be my strongest just because these were the ones I had started with and was competitive with before. And my weakest is the bike because it was the one I trained the least back then and I had a little bit of a trauma when I had a bike crash a few years ago. Preparation is obviously the key to success.
LOUIE: What is your training regimen?
GAB: Well, right now I haven’t been training as much when it comes to triathlon as I’ve stopped competing when the pandemic hit in March 2020, but I do maintain strength and conditioning training through a hybrid type of training with calisthenics and weightlifting combined.
So there are days that I had set for skill training for calisthenics and there are days that I do a bit of street lifting and powerlifting, and sometimes a combination of both.
LOUIE: For professionals or athletes, competing is a job. So finding time to train isn’t as difficult as it is for amateur triathletes with other priorities. How do you fit training in studying for law school, your career, and other personal responsibilities?
GAB: I am able to find time for training by doing a timetable on a daily and weekly basis to manage my time.It’s also key to manage my energy so I know how much load I have within a certain day. I know which days I have classes, and which days shouldn’t have too much of a rigorous type of training.
So I feel that the combination of managing your time and your energy is key. It’s not just time management here since only relying on one could be a bit detrimental, but if you balance both, you’d be able to do so.
LOUIE: Was there a time you ever thought of giving up?
GAB: Well, other aspects in life, maybe yes, but in the sport of triathlon, I never really came into my head that I’m gonna give up, especially in a competition, because once I am in the competition and I’ve started already, the gun start has been done.I said in my mind, I’m just gonna do my best in this race, whether I win or not, you know, whether I get the best time or not, I’m just gonna do, I’m gonna give my all and it has never been set in my mind that I will not finish.
LOUIE: Give us a bit of insight as to what goes on inside your head of competition and how you keep yourself going.
GAB: Well before a race I kinda pump myself up a bit. I listen to a bit of music and I remind myself that I’m just gonna do my best today.No pressure. Because sometimes the pressure gets into our head, especially when we’re already competitive and we are trying to get the gold.
But you know, on the bigger side of things, I just think that I’m gonna do my best today regardless of whether I win or not. But if I do win, that would be a great bonus, something to celebrate. But either way, it’s a win for me.
LOUIE: How long do you see yourself competing?
GAB: I see myself competing in the long term because although I did stop competing when the pandemic hit after the bar exam, I planned to go back to the sports slowly but surely, and it’s actually a sport that I can see myself competing in in the next 10 years or so.
LOUIE: What’s your advice for aspiring triathletes?
GAB: My advice is to take it one step at a time and to be patient as you put in the work because sometimes we kind of wanna rush into things. But I feel that with proper training and with a more structured program, most likely you’d be able to compete better in triathlons without injuries and without any frustration.
So I would suggest preparing well and second is to learn how to manage your time and energy. I feel that this is the most important thing because again, it’ll take a lot of your time. So if you’re balancing it with work or studies or a bunch of other things, it’d be good to know how to manage your time and energy and when to fit your training within your, your training within your daily or weekly schedules.
And lastly is to enjoy. Honestly, it’s a really fun sport. It’s something unique. It’s one of the only few sports in the world that combine different events into one. So do enjoy the process and enjoy the community that you belong in.
