Nina, Michelle and Julie – the three Derron sisters stand for triathlon. While Michelle and Julie are aiming for the Olympic distance at the 2020 Olympic Games, Nina is focussing on the long distance. Her goal is the Ironman in Hawaii. 

Three sisters, one sport. Tell us how much (if at all) you train together and in what way you support each other.

Since all three of us live together and are also all still studying in Zurich, we almost always do our daily swimming training together, normally early in the morning. However, we all do somewhat different running and bike training. Julie, for example, quite often does shorter intervals whereas my program tends to involve long bike rides. We therefore normally do these units alone.

In the past we also frequently tried to be faster or better than the other sister when training. In the meantime, we have learned that it is more important to motivate each other and do the training as a team.

What’s more, we are best friends and tell each other practically everything. If we have the time, we often go for a coffee together after our swimming training or massage each other in the evening to ensure we are fit again for the next day.

While Michelle and Julie are concentrating on the short distance, you are focussing your attention on the long distance. What do you find appealing about these exertions lasting several hours? What are the biggest challenges?

As a junior, I also competed in short distance competitions. After a lengthy break due to an injury, I actually thought about quitting. Then in 2015, I registered “just for fun” for the Half Ironman Rapperswil 70.3. I loved being able to cycle at full speed and not in a group, which is normal on the short distance. I have been competing in the long distance ever since. In 2016, my trainer Susie Langley and I decided together to buy a professional licence for long distance races. I have learned a great deal over the past two years and have steadily improved.

On the one hand, training for the long distance gives me great pleasure, on the other hand it is also extremely physically and mentally challenging. A lot goes on in your mind both during training and in a competition, so you need to develop strategies on how to overcome the distance. It motivates me to see how I can improve and how far I can get.

Unlike other triathletes at your level, you're not competing as a professional but are studying health sciences and technology at the ETH Zurich. What does your everyday training look like? How do you manage to juggle studying and sports?

After gaining a bachelor’s degree in health sciences and technology, I am now studying for my master’s in biomedical engineering” at the ETH Zurich. I am currently writing my master's thesis in a laboratory at the ETH. My first training unit normally starts around 6:30, after which I work until 16:00 or 17:00 and then do a second training unit. Sometimes I take a longer lunch break and go on the treadmill in the ETH sports centre or go to the indoor pool for swimming training. It is not easy combining both, however, it forces you to be very efficient and 100% focussed during the respective training unit to get the best out of your performance. It also means that you don’t have any time to think too much about upcoming races, which is not always bad. :)

Nevertheless, I also enjoy training like a full-time professional, just like now in the St. Moritz training camp, and above all, having more time for recovery.

Many amateur athletes have the goal of competing in a triathlon once in their lives. What are your three most important training tips to make it go smoothly?

• 2.
  The best thing to do is set yourself a goal at the beginning. I am always really motivated if I have a specific competition ahead of me. In Switzerland there are numerous competitions for beginners. For your first triathlon, it is probably best to do a short- or sprint distance and not start off with an Ironman. J
• 4.
  And don’t shy away from swimming! Yes, the swimming section may be the shortest section in the competition in terms of time, however, swimming requires the most training by far to improve. What’s more, swimming also helps build up your stability and strength for the other two disciplines. Beginners will find it very helpful to train with a "pull-buoy". This helps you to achieve a good position in the water.
• 6.
  Treat yourselves to plenty of recovery time! Especially when you start a new sport, you want to improve as quickly as possible and perhaps train too much, which can quickly lead to an injury. After a hard unit, such as interval training on the 400-m track, it often helps to do a short cycling unit of 30-45 minutes in the evening to simply loosen the legs.

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

To be honest, I don’t believe there is a secret tip for the triathlon. Success comes from a lot of hard work over a long period of time. The most important thing is to be patient. You should never forget that you can’t get better in all three disciplines at the same time. Sometimes you find your swimming is better, sometimes your cycling or running. It is also important to make sure that you never stop having fun when training and enjoy the small successes.

Regarding nutrition, I believe a balanced diet is the “golden key”. Everyone is different and we all need to find out what is right for us. To give myself a little extra energy, motivation, or even a reward, I really enjoy eating anything with dark chocolate. 

To relieve small tensions, I often use a “Blackroll” or “force” my sisters to massage me with arnica massage oil.

Foto: ZVG