PEOPLE » NATIA VAN HEERDEN
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A running dynamo working hard on her bike,
NATIA VAN HEERDEN
looks on form for Durban after a strong
performance in PE. The pint-sized organic chef
talks to Paul Ingpen about the highs and lows
of a year she hopes will see her honeymoon in Hawaii.
irst off, Natia, congrats
on your wedding at the
end of April. How was your
special day? It was magical,
and having it on our family
farm [Summerfields Rose Retreat &
Spa near Hazyview] was very special
indeed! We had a short honeymoon in the
Tsitsikamma, but we’re hoping to have a
trip to Kona in October!
You are in the shape of your life
heading into IRONMAN 70.3 Durban.
Defending champ Mariella has
turned pro and can’t race, so perhaps
the race for overall title is a rematch
between you and Gabriella Gioia?
Winning in Durban is definitely a goal
this year! It is only a sharpener race for
IRONMAN Switzerland in July, but I’ll
definitely race for the top step!
What advice can you give amateurs
hoping to slay the ‘flat and fast’
course in search of PBs? Don’t
overcook the bike leg – the rolling hills
can be brutal. Bike hard, but keep a few
matches for that very hot run! Use the
sponges/water at the aid stations to cool
yourself down and stick to your nutrition
and race plan.
Seeing you come in the top 10
women overall at IRONMAN African
Championships in April was a blast.
How did you prepare for that race and
how did that feel? I had my work cut
out for me as I had to take a break from
training over the whole of December and
the first two weeks in January due to work
commitments, and then relocating to Port
Elizabeth. My coach Richard Lawrie and
I are really focussing on my biking and
swimming, and just trying to keep my run
constantly ticking over. Living in PE and
training with Richard and his squad has
been really amazing – and training on the
IMSA route has also been very beneficial.
Long hours on the bike, with lots and lots
of race pace intervals, made up most of
my sets. It was really tough to get back
into shape.
You were 2nd in your 25-29 age group
and the first SA amateur overall
(same as at IRONMAN Western
Australia last December) but sadly
the size of your AG category meant
that only one World Championship
slot was given, so you missed your
ticket to Kona. Talk us through these
highs and low. Yes, it has been quite a
journey. I was really disappointed that only
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