Train like an athlete with Olympic heptathlete Nadine Visser
On December 15th, Olympic heptathlete Nadine Visser will share her athletics techniques during a clinic at Het Gymlokaal. Nadine is a three-time Dutch champion in hurdles. In 2016 she competed in the Olympic Games in the heptathlon and her focus is now on securing a ticket for the 2020 Games. We spoke to Nadine about how she stays fit for top-level sport and she gives us a sneak peek of what awaits us on December 15th.
What do you love about athletics?
‘I really enjoy the diversity, which is also why I love doing the heptathlon myself. And I really appreciate the measurability of athletics. You train for centimetres and tenths of seconds and you see it directly on the scoreboard when you’ve improved.’
What is your favourite event in the heptathlon and why?
‘The 100 metres hurdles is my favourite event. I naturally have a good feel for hurdling and I find the combination of speed and technique really enjoyable and challenging to train.’
What does your week look like?
‘On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday I have 2 training sessions, so I’m at sports park Papendal from morning until late afternoon and afterwards it’s mainly cooking, eating and resting. On Saturday I have a short training session and Wednesday and Sunday are rest and recovery days. On Wednesday and weekends I mainly do fun things or study.’
How do you train beyond the athletics track to get as fit as possible?
‘Outside of track sessions I do strength training 3 times a week. I also eat healthily and pay close attention to my protein/carbohydrate intake before and after training. Otherwise, my time away from the athletics track is mainly dedicated to recovery, so I do as little as possible physically.’
How do you prepare for a competition?
‘Making sure I’m well-trained and fit. In the days before the competition I don’t train too much anymore, but I keep it specific and sharp. I make sure I eat well. Being rested and fit at the start is the most important thing.’
What are you most proud of?
‘The great life I lead through sport and the things I achieve, especially the two seventh-place finishes at the last World Championships.’
What was it like to compete in the Olympic Games?
‘A truly amazing and educational experience. Also really fun to watch all athletes compete for once instead of just the track athletes. Unfortunately I was not in good form due to a long injury period, which gave a mixed feeling. I really wanted to perform well there, that’s what I had trained for. But luckily there are tournaments every year!’
What is the ultimate goal for you?
‘From next year onwards I want to compete for medals at international tournaments and keep improving myself.’
What sets you apart from other athletes?
‘That I can individually qualify for tournaments in 2 events and have achieved a top-8 position in both at the World Championships. I’m also a very level-headed and critical athlete.’
What can people expect from the clinic?
‘I’m coming to Het Gymlokaal together with top athletics coach Thomas Kortbeek to cover all the ins and outs of athletics. We’ll give you an insight into our lives as athletes and how we prepare for tournaments. We’ll work on things like your running technique and hurdles technique. In addition, core stability and mobility are very important for athletics. It’s really great that we can share our knowledge and experience with you, so that you can apply it in your own training, for example at the gym.’
Registration opens on December 2nd at 12:00 noon on the schedule. The clinic with Nadine Visser on December 15th is the second in a series that Het Gymlokaal is organising together with Adidas. The first clinic was with kickboxing world champion Rico Verhoeven.
