Pushing Boundaries: From Office Routine to the Triathlon World Championship in Nice

Christoph, you’re taking part in the Triathlon World Championship. How does a non-professional even qualify for such an event?

Christoph: At every Ironman race, a certain number of slots for the World Championship are available. These are distributed among the age groups according to participant numbers. For the race I took part in, there were eight slots for my age group (30-34). That means you can roughly estimate beforehand what place you need to reach in order to qualify. If a slot isn’t accepted during the award ceremony, it’s passed down to the next finisher. 

Last September, I took part in a race in Italy. I finished with a time of 9:02 hours and ended up in twelfth place in my age group. That was enough to qualify for the World Championship, because some of the higher-placed athletes didn’t take the slots. 

How did you get into triathlon?

Christoph: My oldest brother was my inspiration. He would ride his bike for hundreds of kilometers, go for a run afterward, and apparently even enjoyed it, which I couldn’t understand back then. 

When I was in my mid-twenties, I took up the challenge with a friend to do my first Olympic distance triathlon. That’s 1500 meters of open water swimming, 40 km of cycling, and 10 km of running. The following year, I convinced my brother to do a triathlon with me. Now, seven years later, we’re competing at the same event again. He’s doing a shorter distance, but I’m thrilled that I was able to motivate him this time. 

How does your preparation for the World Championship look like? Can you give us some insight into your training routine?

Christoph: That depends on how close to the World Championship we are. Since June, I’ve been in the toughest phase. The last three months are the most important. The intensity generally decreases, but the training sessions get longer and higher in volume. In the morning, I start with my first session, usually swimming or a short run. Then I have a quick breakfast and head to the office. After work, I’ll either go for a run or get on my bike. Occasionally I’ll hit the gym, too. 

The long sessions take place on the weekends. Sometimes there are three training sessions in a single day, depending on the training plan. I try to keep the order like in a triathlon: In the morning about 4 km swimming, then 4–6 hours cycling, then running. You never actually train the full triathlon distance in a single day, because the risk of injury is too high and the fatigue too great. One thing is constant every day, rolling out with the Blackroll and stretching in the evening. That prevents injuries and helps with recovery. 

What motivates you when training gets especially tough? Do you have a secret to success?

Christoph: There’s probably no secret, everyone has to find their own answer to the question, “Why do I do this?” Music really motivates me. I also keep going by reminding myself how far I’ve come already and that it’s always the last stretch that is really tough. I try to break it down into smaller goals and focus on those. “Just 10 km more, and then I’ve already done more than half.” 

Just thinking about starting at the World Championship gives me goosebumps. That’s really special for me. The work pays off — holding onto that helps a lot. Growth happens outside of your comfort zone. Sometimes it’s the little rewards that are enough to keep going, even if it’s just a good coffee or a refreshing drink after training. 

Doing triathlons at this level requires a lot of discipline and training time. How do you manage to combine your role as Team Lead of the cplace Presales team with your sports commitment?

Christoph: There are different aspects. Basically, the support and understanding of the most important people around you is fundamental. My girlfriend, family, and friends have to put up with a lot (laughs). It’s also a mix of good time management and flexibility. I plan my training week according to workload and customer appointments. If things heat up and my team needs support, that obviously takes priority. That means shifting sessions and adapting the plan, which in turn needs an understanding environment, and I’m really grateful for that! 

How does cplace specifically support you in pursuing your athletic ambitions?

Christoph: For example, with our flexible working hours, which allow me to plan my training around work. We also have a great corporate fitness program with EGYM Wellpass, which I can use for swimming or the gym every day. I also really appreciate the extra special leave days cplace has given me for my preparation. 

The most important component for me is a cultural one: My boss gives me a great deal of trust and personal responsibility to get my work done. It’s not about monitoring every step, it’s the outcome that counts. 

There are little things, too, like being able to ride my racing bike to the cplace summer party at Lake Chiemsee and taking my bike back on the bus. That’s not something you can take for granted, and it really helps me train. 

Are there similarities between sports and your work in cplace Sales?

Christoph: One of the most important skills for me in both work and training is time management. That’s not just about the work or training itself, but also the social aspect. If I lose the enjoyment, I’ll burn out. At work, that means taking a break sometimes to play table tennis with my team or join after-work events. In training, it means sometimes doing sessions with friends, or spending the evening with friends instead of training. 

Keeping the balance is a real tightrope walk, and also an exciting challenge. If you take a sporty approach to it all — including work — it doesn’t get frustrating, instead it motivates me to keep going. 

Looking ahead to the World Championship in September: What is your personal goal?

Christoph: Predicting a specific placement at a World Championship is impossible since the best triathletes in the world will be competing. To break it down: the swim will probably take place in the warm waters of the Mediterranean, so wetsuits likely won’t be allowed. As I’m not a particularly strong swimmer, that part will be challenging for me. My aim is to finish the swim in good shape and conserve my energy for the next stages. The bike segment is difficult to assess because the route features over 2,600 meters of elevation gain. I have certain power targets I want to reach. For me, the bike leg is a success if I can appreciate the course, enjoy the ride, and still have my legs feeling fresh enough for the run. Success in the run will mean crossing the finish line feeling happy. My goal is to complete the marathon in around three hours. Most importantly, I want to create an unforgettable day and truly appreciate the experience of racing at a World Championship. 

Do you have a tip for your colleagues, or anyone who wants to pursue a passion or hobby more seriously alongside their job?

Christoph: It’s extremely important that you enjoy it. It can be tough sometimes, but that shouldn’t be the permanent state. Everything around it needs to work and stay in balance. For me personally, my private environment is the foundation that makes everything else possible. And without my employer, it also wouldn’t be possible! 

Thank you, Christoph! We wish you the best of luck at the World Championships in September and are rooting for you!