Joy in Water: Triathlons by the Beachfront
Pursuing Joy in Water across a range of endurance events, Queensland Concrete Production Team member Nathan Pronger has embraced long distance challenges and triathlon events, clocking up many kilometres through his passion for swimming, running and biking.
In his role at Atlan, Nathan brings hands-on expertise to the manufacture of our precast OSD range, AtlanVault and MegaVault.
Always mindful of the finishing line, his ability to ‘see a job from start to finish’ mirrors his discipline in his racing pursuits – and we explore the time he enjoys training on the water with family friends.
How did you start out in triathlons?
Last year, I had a bet with my brother-in-law, and we started doing triathlons. My Dad and my sister have done them forever and competed for a very long time, and my sister runs a swim group/triathlon club in Redcliffe.
They just came back from the world titles, and Dad finished 10th in his age group – and my sister also does Ironman events. My 8-year-old daughter has started to do them as well.
How important is the family aspect of these events for you?
The camaraderie of these events is amazing, not just the immediate family – but the bigger family it creates.
Everybody comes together as one, and that’s the bit I enjoy about it. Everybody treats you as family, and they all support you during the training and cheer you on.
It’s great getting to spend time on the water with friends and family.
What does your normal training routine look like?
I try to run 30 kilometres a week, and the last event we did was the MS Ride in Brisbane, which was 100 kilometres (on the bike).
Lately, I’ve had a bit of a shoulder injury, so the swimming and triathlons are on hold, but usually I try to do 3 kilometres a week in the pool as well.
When is your next race?
The next event is the Cadbury Marathon which I’ll do virtually as it’s based in Tasmania (and I’m) going to sign up for the 10km.
What has been your favourite event on this year’s calendar?
For triathlons, I enjoy the Bribie Island triathlon because it’s a smaller course and a fun event. On the bike, the MS Brissie to the Bay Bike Ride is great – it’s a fun ride and there’s lots of stops and lots of the competitors are doing it for the right reasons. I also loved the Gold Coast 50; this year I entered the 10km run and we ran along the beachfront as the sun went down – looking out over the water.
I also did the Dreamworld Fun Run, which raised money for Guide Dogs, and the Tour de Brisbane which is a 120 kilometre (bike) event.
We also did the Remembrance Day run – it’s 11.11 kilometres at Currumbin (Gold Coast, Queensland). It’s known as the Mateship Run and signifies the 11th hour on the 11th day. Next year I’m looking forward to signing up for the Run Army chiefs challenge run as well.