Pro Ironman & Triathlete.

Mike Phillips - Pro Ironman, Triathlete & Myovolt ambassador. Mike started his professional career in 2015 specialising in 70.3 Ironman distance racing. He burst onto the international scene in Barcelona in 2017 when he achieved the fastest ever full Ironman debut in the world.

He went on to win the Ironman NZ event in 2019 and placed 2nd in the same event in 2020. Mike currently ranks 25th in the World among Pro men triathletes.

After the 2020 Taupo Ironman, Mike came off the podium and almost immediately went into lockdown in New Zealand.

With the global pandemic continuing to disrupt sporting events and in many countries restricting the ability for people to train and exercise outdoors, keeping fit and staying motivated is a challenge for elite athletes and weekend warriors alike.

We recently checked in with Mike to see how he managed his fitness and training schedules during the lockdown periods in NZ. We were keen to know how he stayed motivated despite the uncertainty of being able to compete in international and national events.

Q & A

Q. Mike, how has the pandemic impacted your training schedule this year?

A. “During the lockdown in NZ, pools were closed and open water activities off-limits. Obviously, this removed swimming from the agenda. We could cycle and run outside within our local area by ourselves, so I'd try to get out once a day, and also incorporate some workouts at home (cycle + strength and mobility). There is an online platform called Strava which records on segments outside, so I've had a bit of fun trying to capture all the ones close by and to try and knock my neighbours off the leader boards.”

Q. Was your training mostly restricted to inside workouts?

A. “I'd try to get out once per day, but otherwise there's a lot you can now do inside. With software like Zwift, its possible to do virtual bike rides and compete against others, this is a great way to stay motivated. There are also a lot of indoor strength and mobility workouts available which I find beneficial.”

Q. With the uncertainty around international competitions and even just local events, what gets you out of bed and into your training mindset in the morning?

A. “I have found it very beneficial to get into a routine. Also making the most of the various software and virtual challenges to keep some small goals for myself that I can work towards."

Competing at Ironman 2020, Taupo, NZ

Q. What difficulties have you discovered with ‘working out at home’?

A. “I find it easier mentally working out with others, being outside in the great training grounds we have in Christchurch. This is of course a little different when trying to do the majority of your workouts from home on your own.”

Q. What was your home fitness / workout routine during the lockdown periods?

A. “Typically I'd do some mobility work in the mornings, followed by a coffee and some breakfast. I would try to alternate between bike and run and living midway up a hill it was easy to get to some isolated training grounds. Typically I'd run around the local park, or cycle up the hill. In the afternoons we'd walk down to the local supermarket to top up on necessities, and it was always a good workout walking back up the hill. I also used the indoor cycle trainer in the evenings when I hadn't been outside to tick the legs over before dinner.”

Q. How do you think your fellow athletes are managing?

A. “A lot of endurance athletes are highly motivated individuals. We have three sports to train for so the training can be quite diverse. I am sure they are all adapting to the lockdown and keeping active and motivated throughout this period.”

Q. What’s your new training target Mike, are you now just focusing only on 2021 Events?

A. “I am just playing it by ear at the moment. Kona 2020 is still yet to have any announcements, I think it is unlikely we will race, but let's see how the next few months unfold.”

Q. Triathlon giant Ironman has created a ‘Virtual Clubhouse’ so that athletes can link up in races and be rendered into challenges all over the globe. We asked Mike his thoughts on this.

A. “I think it's a great idea to keep people active and have goals to work towards. I would however recommend not to push yourself too hard during lockdown periods. Long bouts of high-intensity exercise can suppress the immune system, and it's important that we all keep our immunities up.”

Q. How did you manage your recovery at home, particularly when it wasn't possible to get to the physio for treatment?

A. “A lot of the recovery principles remained unchanged in lockdown. Although I cannot get hands-on treatment I still have access to my Myovolt wearable devices, and can also continue to do my mobility and stretching work. I typically do some activation and strengthening work to help keep injury-free.

The lockdown periods can be used to hone your recovery and have you fresher for when events start back up again. There is no need to skip out on recovery when it is easy to do with tools like Myovolt that give you the ability to be your own physio at home."

Q. What advice would you give to others who are still restricted to working out at home and trying to stay motivated during this difficult and challenging time?

A. “I would recommend getting into a routine, keep some familiarity to what you would normally do. Get some fresh air once a day, utilise technology and virtual challenges and look after your recovery.”

Thanks for your expert advice Mike, we are looking forward to seeing you on the starting line for NZ events later this year and we hope some international competitions in 2021 too.