Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 60, July 2014 | Page 38

OBSTACLE RACING

MA: You’ve had a successful career in triathlon, representing both SA and

Germany and competing all over the world. Where did it all start?

Claude:

I grew up running and in 1997 I made the step to triathlon,
representing SA at the junior championships. Two years later I decided to
take it on full-time and went to Germany to compete there. I was racing
all over Europe with the top guys and competed for Germany after 2004
with my dual citizenship. It was a great platform to have and I travelled
all over, competing in the States, Australia as well as the Euro and World
Cups.

MA: You competed in and won your first ever obstacle race at the 2013
Impi Challenge. What made you decide to take it on?

Claude:

In late 2012, I stopped competing in triathlon because I
needed a break. It was a mental struggle to get into anything else, but I
slowly began trail running, because running has always been my first love.
Then I stumbled across the Impi on TV and thought I’d give it a go. It’s
high-risk stuff that I wouldn’t have taken on if I was still a pro triathlete.
From Impi, I discovered the Warrior races and have won four events to
date. I already had that running base to work on.

MA: What new aspects did you have to focus on in training?
Claude:

Obstacle races are very upper-body orientated, so you have
to work on your strength. Once you have that, it helps your overall form
and grip. Running and strength have to work hand in hand because
obstacle racing is meant to test your endurance, agility and balance. At
the moment, I’m running less than I used to so that I can broaden my
strength training.

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ISSUE 60 JULY 2014 / www.modernathlete.co.za

MA: What sort of training exercises do you work on specifically?
Claude:

Everything from pull-ups and dips, because there is a lot of
climbing in events. I also do a lot of work on the ropes and rings, do
sandbag training and tyre-pulling. What I like about these types of workouts
is that you don’t have to be in the gym. You can create your own workout
and work on transitioning. As a triathlete, I swam, cycled and ran. In
obstacle racing, I have learnt to run, do an obstacle and run to the next
one. It’s important to work on that if you want to maintain that race pace.

MA: Obstacle racing in SA has grown considerably in the last few years.

What makes the events so unique and what are your goals for the rest of
2014?

Claude:

Every course is different, so you never know what to expect,
because you don’t see the course beforehand. You can probably see the first
few obstacles and then you’re ‘running blind,’ so it takes a lot of strategy,
thinking about the easiest way to get through. It’s about endurance, too.
There are usually 35 obstacles and it’s quite daunting.
I think it’s become popular because it’s fun and different. It’s great for team
building and you get competitors helping each other to the finish. It’s for all
fitness types and people. Later this month, I’ll be taking on Warrior in Ballito
and then I’ll be competing at the Spartan World Championships in Vermont
in September. It will be more technical, but I’m excited to compete with the
best.

Images: www.nickyswanevelder.com, Cherie Vale/NEWSPORT MEDIA

Having competed in triathlon for more than
a decade, Durban’s Claude Eksteen has
recently taken to obstacle racing with great
success. He chats to Modern Athlete about
making the shift and how he’s adapted his
training. – BY LAUREN VAN DER VYVER