#WorkoutWednesday: Kenny van Weeghel

The Netherlands’ world and European 200m T54 champion Kenny van Weeghel continues to dominate out on the track and currently tops the 200m T54 world rankings – for the fourth year running.

With the experience of five World Championships and nine podium finishes behind him, van Weeghel will be hoping for further global success in Doha, Qatar, this October.

Now as part of our Workout Wednesday series the 34-year-old talks us through a typical day’s training – and his favourite way to relax at the end of the day.

Kenny van Weeghel

I’m usually not a very good person to wake up in the morning - I try to stay in bed as long as possible then I have a sprint start to get going. I moved house in February, and I live near Eindhoven in the Netherlands in a place called Heeswijk-Dinther.

I get up around 07.30, and breakfast is yoghurt with muesli and some orange juice, but if I’m really in a hurry, which is often, I just grab some milk and bananas and get in the car and go on my way.

It takes me about 45 minutes to get to the training centre in Papendal. Usually it’s also a sprint to get from my home to get there! I train together with the Dutch team. In the mornings we are on the track, and first I warm up.

We do start training and short work – sometimes some sprint training with weights too, although I do that less now – more power training in the racing chair – uphill and that sort of thing, although that’s mainly in the afternoon. The morning session out on the track will last about two hours – we have an indoor track too for when it is really bad weather, but I prefer being outside.

For lunch, I try to get a little bit more protein. I love bread - that’s a thing I have to have a little bit less now. It sounds just like regular food but that’s what I have! The training centre has a restaurant – it’s been there for the last two or three years - the facilities are really good, so I eat there.

After lunch most of the time I grab a coffee in a nearby café, relax and go for physiotherapy afterwards, then rush back to the afternoon session. It used to be power training with weights; now we try and do more things from the chair – like uphills.

We add weights to the chair itself, or my coach holds on to the back, that’s a pretty good challenge – especially if you have to do a lap. We have a good hill going down to the track and there is a longer run next to the track, so we use those too. That session lasts about two hours as well, so we finish up about 17.00 or 17.30.

Next is dinner, still at the track, as sometimes I stay at the hotel there. I might have pasta or rice with curry. We have a special chef – a good cook - making everything for us so we have a selection. It’s got a lot better than it used to be. Most of the time I have chicken – it’s good for you, I think.

Then it’s time for another cup of coffee and sometimes I watch a movie, or sit in the hotel café watching television. I do like movies - action movies, and adventure - to take my mind off things. Most of the time I have my lap top with me and so I watch movies during bath time. That’s the most relaxing time, just watching a movie and for one or two hours, soaking away!

I get to bed around 23.00. Often it is difficult to get to sleep, although it is getting better for me now. It’s been quite a hectic couple of years and things are settling now.