Duathlon, triathlon and ‘All that Jazz’
The Central Gauteng athlete has been an active member of Benoni Northerns Athletics Club for three years and takes part regularly in time trials and night training runs at the club.
Jasper ‘Jazz’ Van Rensburg’s total dominance in his age group category was underlined by the fact that he crossed the finish line a massive seven minutes ahead of the second-placed age group competitor.
In a recent Facebook post, Jasper van Rensburg’s coach Casper Moodie said as long as his charge remained ‘disciplined, focused and hungry’, he would make it.
It is those very attributes which saw the Benoni Small Farms resident, simply known as ‘Jazz’, finish first in his age group (40-44) in the standard duathlon (10km run, 40km ride and another 5km run) at the 2019 ATU SA and African Championships at the Killarney Race Track in Cape Town in June.
His feat earned him an automatic berth at the 2020 World Duathlon Championships in the Netherlands.
But for now, with just nine weeks remaining, van Rensburg (40) is straight back in training mode and has re-aligned his sights on triathlon.
He is preparing for the Ironman World Championships in Nice, France, on September 7 and 8. He landed the slot at that prestigious event after finishing 10th at the Ironman Championship in Durban earlier this year.
He confessed to never having been a huge swimming lover prior to attempting triathlon.
“I chose duathlon because I liked running and cycling, but swimming is part of triathlon, so I engaged a coach and forced myself to start swimming.”
Combining disciplines doesn’t faze him in the least.
“Duathlon is two-thirds of Ironman, so basically I’m covering them already. It is just introducing a new sport (swimming).”
Tracking back to the Cape Town event, van Rensburg said the conditions were extremely cold and windy and he had to contend with leaning into a strong headwind at one stage on the bike.
Van Rensburg’s total dominance in his age group category was underlined by the fact that he crossed the finish line a massive seven minutes ahead of the second-placed age group competitor.
He managed to stay in the leading group from a bunched start and finished the first 10km running leg in 38 minutes, 55 seconds. He hit the bike transition in third overall and overtook the second-placed rider, averaging between 35 and 36km/h, but failed to haul in the race leader on the final 5km run.
ALSO READ:
Big learning curve for Indians trio
His personal journey is a remarkable one and he was a late bloomer in these rigorous multi-disciplined sporting codes. Until seven years ago, van Rensburg was a full-time musician, which was his chosen career path.
So, unlike most competitors, he was not groomed from a young age, giving inspiration to those who feel they are well past their ‘sell by date’ in top-level sport once they hit their thirties.
“I only started when I was 33. I was overweight and unhealthy. I joined a private gym called PHS with personal trainer Perren Miles and he basically turned me around,” he recalled.
“I got lean and very fit and bought a mountain bike just to ride on weekends. From casual riding I started entering mountain bike races and intensified my running and cycling to get fitter and started doing duathlons.”
So, unlike most competitors, he was not groomed from a young age, giving inspiration to those who feel they are well past their ‘sell-by date’ in top-level sport once they hit their 30s.
“I wish I knew about this in my early 20s. It would have been interesting to see where the sport would have taken me when I was younger.”
A typical weekday routine for the Benoni Northerns athlete includes a wake-up call at around 3.45am and a hop onto the bike for a 60-70km cycle, with an average 20km afternoon run depending on his training programme set by Moodie. With his new-found triathlon ambitions, he also now puts in a stint in the pool twice a week, with weekends reserved for longer rides and runs.
“I do my training early in the mornings so it doesn’t interfere with family life and does not take too much time away from my wife, Lisa, and three beautiful children, Grace, Lincoln and Coco.”
As if van Rensburg hasn’t already accomplished enough, he also intends to run back-to-back Comrades Marathon ‘down’ runs in 2020 and 2021. The 2021 race will coincide with the 100th anniversary of the famous ultra-marathon.
Any potential sponsors who would like to share Jasper’s journey to Nice, France, for the Ironman World Championships can contact him on jaspervr@mac.com
Follow us on these platforms:
Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter.
For news straight to your phone invite us:
WhatsApp: 079 431 1217
Instagram: benonicitytimes.co.za
For more #hyperlocal news at your fingertips, visit Boksburg Advertiser, Springs Advertiser, Brakpan Herald, African Reporter and Kathorus Mail
