SMASHING OLD BOUNDARIES
Dumisile Mthalane transformed her body and her life when she discovered triathlon , and after her recent successful outing at the Discovery Triathlon World Cup Cape Town in February , she reckons everybody should start preparing now to be part of the event next year !
Looking at the harbour sea water as she prepared to dive into the swim leg of the Discovery Triathlon World Cup Cape Town , Dumisile Mthalane admits she was panicking a bit . “ Everyone had told us that the water in Cape Town is freezing . I come from Durban , where we swim in water of 20 to 21 degrees , so when I heard the water in Cape Town was only about 14 degrees , I started to panic , because I had never swum in water that cold before , but I actually found it OK ,” she says .
“ In the end the swim was lovely , especially since the water in the harbour is nice and flat , with no waves . After that the bike leg had amazing views , plus we had a bit of wind to cool us and sometimes push us from behind . Then the 10km run was also great , all run in the Green Point precinct , with lots of spectators and more than enough nutrition on the route . I never once felt dehydrated .”
Unsurprisingly , after enjoying such a great day out , Dumi says she can ’ t recommend this event highly enough . “ It was very well organised , all the way from registration to the finish line , and I really enjoyed it . I loved the great atmosphere , with all the spectators shouting your name , and I also love that the event caters for everybody , whether you ’ re just starting out with triathlons and want to try a sprint distance , or doing the longer standard distance , for those of us who want to push it up a bit or improve our times . It ’ s a great event , and I hope to see even more people joining us at the start next year .”
GETTING INTO TRIATHLON
Dumisile ’ s adventure began when her weight really started to hold her back in 2014 . “ I felt heavy , and would huff and puff from climbing just one flight of stairs ,” says the 35-year-old project manager . At this point she weighed 82kg , with a body fat percentage of 36.9 and cholesterol of 6.9 mmol / l , and says that her weight had gradually crept up over the years . “ It started when I moved to varsity in Joburg . I stayed in residence , where the food was not the healthiest , and because I didn ’ t exercise at all , I gained a lot of weight .”
Having decided enough was enough , Dumi started running in order to lose weight . “ I love to be outdoors and I have the beautiful Durban Promenade on my doorstep , so it made sense , but I didn ’ t enjoy running , so I moved to cycling ,” she says . “ However , my diet was still
not great , so I wasn ’ t seeing results . Even when I added trail running to my exercise programme , the weight-loss wasn ’ t happening . Frustrated , I visited a dietician and went from eating three meals a day to eating five , with adjusted portion sizes . That ’ s when I started seeing my weight drop at last ,” she says .
“ Then in June 2015 I volunteered at the inaugural Ironman 70.3 Durban , and was so impressed by the athletes . I thought I would also like to see if my body can go the distance in a triathlon . Because I couldn ’ t swim well , I started lessons with stroke correction a few months later , and I set a lofty goal for the year of my 35th birthday : To do the Ironman Durban 70.3 .” And so in August 2016 , she took on her first multisport event , at the 5150 Bela Bela Triathlon in Warmbaths , and she says it was a nerve-wracking experience at first .
“ I was so scared I would be cut off during the swim leg , because I had no confidence in the open water , even though I had done a few sessions in the sea . Fear of being in the middle of the water surrounded by lots of people swimming faster and better than me , and not being able to touch the ground or a wall , terrified me . But I made it , and I was incredibly proud to win my first triathlon medal ! Then I entered my first Ironman 70.3 event in Durban , taking place in June 2017 , and having entered , there was no turning back ! I enjoyed the training and became far more confident when swimming in the ocean , and I completed that 70.3 in a time of 7 hours , 58 minutes and 38 seconds .”
CHANGE OF FOCUS
These days Dumi says her focus has shifted completely . “ My training is no longer about weight-loss , because I found something I love doing , and activities that make me happy . Training for races and collecting medals are much more exciting goals .” Nevertheless , nutrition remains a major part of Dumi ’ s regime . “ I eat healthily because I need to fuel my body with good , nutritious food to perform well in training and races ,” she says .
“ I used to eat three meals a day , but often I would get so hungry I would buy junk food to fill me up until I got home for supper . Now I eat five smaller meals , so there ’ s no need to find unhealthy fillers , and I prepare my meals based on my training demand for the next day . I also cut out juice and fizzy drinks , and I drink a lot of water now .
Images : Josh Reid & Roy Esterhuysen
28 ISSUE 105 APRIL 2018 / www . modernathlete . co . za