Reid is making the best of it

THAT WINNING FEELING: Tayler Reid crosses the finish line to become the under-23 world triathlon champion on Australia's Gold Coast in 2018. He was targeting a spot in the New Zealand team for the Olympics in Tokyo this year, but the Games' postponement till next year has forced him to reset his preparations and adapt to the new schedule of events. Picture by ITU Media/Wagner Araiko

WORLD-ranked triathlete Tayler Reid has found innovative ways to keep training at home in Gisborne, and he recommends other sportspeople do the same during the Covid-19 crisis.

The 23-year-old came home from his training base in Cambridge two weeks before lockdown to be with family.

“I am super-grateful to be back home with my family, even just being in Gizzy,” Reid said.

“I spend so much time in Cambridge and overseas; it's good to be back here, enjoying being home.”

He was a member of the New Zealand Commonwealth Games team who won the bronze medal in the mixed relay on the Gold Coast in 2018.

Reid won the world under-23 title there the same year, and last year he was named in the New Zealand under-23 squad.

In January he won the King of the Lake title at the Blue Lake Multisport Festival, and he was a serious contender to be named in the New Zealand Olympic team for Japan.

“I think I was tracking well for making the Olympic team,” Reid said.

“I was one of four athletes under consideration for two men's spots in the team.”

Before lockdown, he had been consistently doing 25 to 30 hours of training a week — 25 to 30 kilometres in the pool, 80 to 90km of running, and nine to 14 hours on the bike.

“Under lockdown, training has been a bit limited, but I have improvised,” Reid said.

“At Dad's home, where I'm living, we have a small paddle pool, and I tie my feet to the end and swim for up to an hour every second day.

“I run locally, close to home, and am still doing my normal kilometres. I use a stationary cycle, a wind trainer, to do the bike work.”

Reid races online on the bike.

“On my wind bike there's a power meter that connects to a laptop, then I connect to an app that allows me to compete against people all over the world.”

He reckoned he was coping pretty well with lockdown so far.

“Initially when things were getting cancelled, like the Olympics, it was disappointing and my motivation dropped,” he said.

“Everything came to a halt, and got wiped from my calendar.

“But since then, I have got my motivation back and now I'm just looking at the situation as an opportunity to improve and get to where I want to be, physically and mentally.”

He said the lockdown was for the best.

“Professional sport is probably the least essential activity, and we were the first thing to be shut down.

“I think it is a privilege to do our sport, and do what we love, and it was for the greater good to put it on hold, and we know it's not forever.

“I don't know about everybody else, but I have ridiculous amounts of spare time each day under lockdown, so it's a matter of being innovative and then maybe you can still practise the things you love.

“My advice to other sportspeople is to make set-ups in your home and make the most of the spare time you have to build on your skills, fitness and other areas, so when you get back to doing what you want to do you will be stronger and ready to go.”

Reid said he was still hopeful of making the team for the Japan Games.

“It (the Olympics) has been a goal of mine since I was five years old,” he said.

“As soon as they put a triathlon race back on the calendar, I plan to be ready to go.”