Do you remember your breakfast you had before both of the IM-victories?

N.S.: Always the same – not toasted white toast with butter and marmalade. Always up to six or seven pieces. It is very well digestible. This way I got a basic. Additionally I have some cups of black coffee, more or less three or four hours before the competition starts. This composition has worked well up to now. Half an hour before I have to go to the swim start I take some carb gel. What I definitely can’t eat on Raceday is cereal which produces acid in your stomache, fruits, yogurt or milk.

How do you subsist during the last compact training phase, for example at the Hawaii-training camp in San Diego? On the one hand you burn a lot of calories, on the other hand it is important to keep the best competition-weight?

N.S.: I always need to lose weight before Hawaii and I always do. My best body structure is the one I have got every time at Hawaii. Before the Raceday I live like an ascetic. I abstain from everything which is necessary. Things like white bread or chocolate. Sometimes I eat a little bit icecream. But all of the sweet pastries are forbidden. Except for one after a really hard unit. Generally I eat very balanced: Many vegetables, meat, many proteins. In California and at Hawaii I add some fish, in Germany I usually don’t. Furthermore a lot of fruits and good cereals. After hard units I enjoy a shake of proteins of my supplier so that my power recovers again. I always take some supply with me to be sure that the material is clean. All in all I have stayed a normal eater in spite of my sport.

How do you manage the „Taperphase“? Many athletes, pros or not, have very specific programs to subsist.

N.S.: I do not have a „Saltin-Diet“. (This is a diet which clears the reservoir of Glykogen one week before the competition by having a hard training unit. Instead of recovering the athlete does not eat carbs the next three days but mostly fat and proteins. Afterwards the athlete starts with the so called „carbs feed. The editorial) I do not eat anything special. I just need to keep an eye on my weight. It is important to drink enough during this phase, especially at Hawaii. Because of the humidity in the air you lose a lot of liquidity. And it is necessary to take the minerals before the Raceday. The last year this has been my problem. I started the competition with a loss of minerals and was not able to compensate this during the race. Thus I already suffered cramps at the bicycle. It is important to have a good balance of minerals and electrolytes before you start the competition.

What is your commendation for hobby athletes?

N.S.: Trust in the plans which work well at the training. I eat the same at the „Tapern“ which I eat at home before my training units. Why change it if it always works? A necessary thing to do is to ask which drinks, bars and gels the staff gives to the athletes during the competition. If you have got the chance try some of the offered things before. For example: When I got the information that there will be Gatorade at Hawaii for us I take Gatorade during my training as well. This way I am able to find out if my body accepts it. The same with the gel. If my body does not feel good with the material I have to take some other things with me – it is the safest way to work.

Do you use kind of a special culinary wish to motivate yourself? „I would like to have a cold beer“ or something like that?

NS.: Yes, sure, when I eat all day long sweet gel sometimes I long for something cold, sparkling and tasty. Not always the boring water. Once I enjoyed two Snickers during a training unit. But generally you can have several wishes at the Energy Lab – the reality is different, because you have more or less ten hard kilometers in front of you.