Jan van Berkel crowns his career by winning the Ironman Switzerland. In his seventh year as a long distance professional and after clinching several podium positions, he pulls off a major victory for the first time.

How did you find «your» day? Can you give us insight into your race and your emotions?

Mentally, it was an extremely good day. I almost always managed to keep my thoughts from wandering and only thought about what I needed to do in the present moment to achieve my goals. One special moment was when I started to catch up big time after nearly 20 km of running and noticed how the spectators and home crowd slowly realised that I could win. I sensed how the cheering had changed. It carried me. I had to wipe a few tears from my eyes while running the last 5 km to the finish... It was unbelievable. 

When we study your section times, your incredibly fast marathon time of 2:45:18 stands out next to your top swimming time (50:25). And this at almost 30 degrees no less! Can you tell us how you divided your race, which strategy you adopted in terms of food and drink, and how you managed to cope with the heat?

After getting off the bike with a lag of almost 9 minutes, I realised that I would have to run the marathon of my life if I wanted to have a chance of winning. I managed to achieve this by always running at the right level of intensity. I could check this during the final marathon by using a GPS watch (including heart rate for a subsequent analysis) and by monitoring my average pace. This gave me a great sense of security, especially during the first 10 km when I felt uneasy due to pre-fatigue and during the euphoric start of the marathon. 

In terms of food and drink, I stuck to the basic rule of roughly 60-80 gr carbohydrates and 900 ml of fluids per hour. During the marathon, too. I swear by the Long Energy Gel from Sponser, which contains ginger extract to soothe the stomach and also some fat as a source of energy. 

To deal with the heat, I relied on tried and tested methods: keep your clothes wet and whenever possible, carry ice with you and keep it close to your skin. I simply slipped a beaker full of ice under my suit and let it melt. 

Although you compete with others in an Ironman, the fight is primarily with yourself.

Your triumph was foreshadowed by your fabulous time of 7:48:41 in April. In your eyes, what are the three keys to success?

• 2.
  Uncompromising dedication to the high-performance sport as a way of life 
• 4.
  An environment that facilitates and supports this lifestyle
• 6.
  Enjoyment and passion

New Zealander Dan Plews, who is a sports physiologist and Ironman athlete, has been coaching your for almost two years. What levers did he pull to turn you into a successful athlete?

With Dan I have notably optimised my metabolism by switching to a «low carb high fat» diet. What’s more, with the help of heart rate variability, we have discovered which forms of training I respond to well.

Do you have a secret tip you would be willing to share with us? A training, nutrition, or recovery tip, for example.

There is no secret tip. And anyone seeking it is trying to avoid the hard work. 

Fotos: ©Ironman Switzerland