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Meet London based triathlete Márton Cseik

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Hungarian triathlete Márton Cseik (22) made his mark on the sport of triathlon at a young age. He stormed onto the scene, after placing 3rd in the Hungarian Long Distance Championships.

Hungarian triathlete Márton Cseik (22) made his mark on the sport of triathlon at a young age. He stormed onto the scene, after placing 3rd in the Hungarian Long Distance Championships. Now based in London and juggling shift work with training, Márton has his heart setting on turning pro in the next few years.
 
You've been taking part in triathlons since you were 12, how did you get into the sport? 
I tried other sports, but there was nothing I could see myself doing for my entire life. In 2004 I did a 3km run with some of my class mates in my home town of Dabas, which is not far from Budapest, the capital city of Hungary. I finished in 64th place. A year later I tried again and finished in 72nd. I was disappointed with the results and wanted to improve. I heard about triathlon for the first time in 2005 and I knew it would be the chance for me to improve my running. I was attracted by the challenge of the three very different endurance sports and having to complete them non-stop. In 2006 I finished 11th. It was a great achievement to finish 61 places ahead of the previous year and that made me fall in love with triathlon. 
 
You recently moved to the UK from Hungary, how has that affected training? 
I moved last September. It was the off season in my training after 2014's competitions, so I had time to get to know the place, the culture and to sort out my everyday life. In October I contacted Havering Tri and they helped, and still help me, with my training. The terrain and weather are similar here to back home, however some of the roads in Hungary were terrible quality and very narrow which effected training. I’ve found the logistics and infrastructure in the UK to be better. Fortunately the people I’ve met through the sport seem to be similarly friendly and helpful in both Hungary and the UK. The main difference is, on my Hungarian team I am one of the oldest competitors, whereas here I am one of the youngest members of the club. Adapting to a new work schedule in the UK has been a challenge. I work irregular hours in a warehouse. My shifts vary and I can be called in for last minute shifts, so it makes it difficult to plan my training. I try to focus on quality sessions, rather than volume until my job settles down. 
 
Since joining Havering Tri, how have the club sessions helped your training? 
Most of the time I prefer to train alone. For example I try to run at a set pace and find this easier to focus when I am training alone. It’s good training to endure some monotony of training alone, but everyone needs group sessions too, for motivation. My favourite Havering Tri session is the Wednesday spinning class, where we sweat like it’s summer!
 
What’s been the highlight of your triathlon career?
In 2014 I completed my first Ironman and finished under 9 hours. I was 21 years-old and I did it in addition to work. This gave me the confidence to think I could have a chance of success in this area in the future.
 
What’s the current focus on your training? 
Running and strength training, but that will be changing soon. Swimming will become the main part of my training plan, as this is my weakest discipline.
 
What’s on your race plan this year?
The first competition to warm up for the year will be the Hungarian Duathlon Championship in May, and after that I'll have some middle distance races, including Ironman 70.3 Staffordshire and Ironman 70.3 Dublin. My main competition will be Challenge Weymouth in September, as this is the official ETU European Long Distance Triathlon Championships. With a total prize purse of 50,000 Euros, I’m hoping to finish in the top ten and be in the running for some prize money. Havering Tri are also targeting this event for team relays and individual entries. It will be an extra bonus and a huge motivation to race with my club mates.
 
What advice would you give to any aspiring triathletes?
Work hard. Enjoy your results, but never be satisfied.
 
 
Interview by Lucy Edwards (@paddlepedalpace) from Havering Triathlon Club and a member of the London Region social media team, you can follow her blog at www.paddlepedalpace.co.uk
 
If you've got a story to tell please get in touch with us email: jontrain@triathlonengland.org

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