Working out ten times a week: Pleun van Leijsen is training for an IRONMAN 70.3

Without a road bike or running experience, master’s student Pleun van Leijsen signed up for a half triathlon. She now shares her intense training on social media, where she has over 5,000 followers. ‘At first, I thought about a half marathon, but everyone does that already.’

If you work out ten times a week, there’s little time left for social activities. Still, fitness influencer Pleun van Leijsen (22) shows up at the university library on Friday morning with a slight hangover. ‘I had a few glasses of wine on the terrace yesterday, but don’t tell my nutrition coach,’ she jokes.

Alongside her master’s in Communication and Information Sciences, a side job as a tutor at Avans University of Applied Sciences, and running two businesses, Van Leijsen is training for an IRONMAN 70.3, also known as a half triathlon. It’s happening at the end of June. In one race, she’ll swim almost two kilometers, bike ninety kilometers, and run a half marathon.

To prepare, she follows a strict schedule: two cycling sessions, two runs, two gym workouts, two handball practices, and one or two swims per week. ‘Whether I swim a second time depends on how busy I am with my thesis—and if I’ve been on a terrace Thursday afternoon,’ she says, laughing.

Why are you doing an IRONMAN?

‘The idea came up in December 2023. I’d been working out for years, doing strength training and playing handball, but I still felt like I was missing a challenge. I don’t have a natural endurance athlete’s body and I’ll never be the fastest, but that’s exactly why I wanted to do something I thought I couldn’t do.

‘At first, I thought about a half marathon, but everyone does that already. Then I came across the IRONMAN and thought: this is it. At the time, I couldn’t even run two kilometers, didn’t own a road bike, and hadn’t been in a pool in years. It felt like a huge leap.’

And was it?

‘Yes, especially considering the costs. The entry fee is 500 euros, and on top of that I had to buy a road bike, wetsuit, freestyle swim lessons, running shoes, and all kinds of training gear. It’s an expensive joke when you’re a student. But I try to be smart about expenses. For example, my bike is second-hand. I don’t need the best gear, as long as it works well. That’s good enough for me.’

How do you juggle the demanding training schedule with your studies and work?

‘Planning is really the magic word. I hesitated for four months before signing up, but once I decided to go for it and said it out loud, I knew: this is going to be a top priority. That meant giving things up and managing my time wisely. I still see my friends, but work, study, and training come first.’

What do your weeks look like?

‘My schedule is pretty packed: Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday I work as a student mentor, and on Wednesday and Friday I’m in the library. I usually work out before or after studying, and I go all in on weekends. In between, I also try to put some time into the run club I organize in Breda. Oh yeah, and I have a strawberry vending machine. I pick up strawberries from the farm three times a week and sell them in that machine.

‘I’ve had to learn that there’s a balance between training and knowing when to take a step back. I’m naturally a “pusher,” and sometimes I think I can just keep going, but then I really hit a wall. So now I have a rule for myself: I need to keep at least four evenings a week free to relax.’

Have you run into yourself during training?

‘Definitely. I was in the university library and even the smallest trigger was too much. I started crying and thought: “I just can’t right now.” I wanted so badly to prove to myself that I could do it all, but sometimes you just have to take a step back.

‘So now there’s room again for a glass of wine on the terrace. My nutrition coach lets me have a treat once a week, and I plan that in on purpose. That balance is important, because I get a lot of energy from socializing. If I gave that up, life would get really lonely.’

What does your demanding training schedule mean for your social life?

‘I’m usually in bed by 9:30, so going out is off the table. My social battery also runs out quickly. I don’t just spend Thursday to Sunday doing fun things with friends anymore. And my dating life? I just don’t have time for it. I wouldn’t even know where to begin. Even eating is a challenge. If my friends have a slice of cake, I go for an apple.’

You just mentioned you don’t have the ‘ideal endurance body,’ and you sometimes share that on Instagram. Do you get any comments on this?

‘I’m lucky to only get positive responses. My followers often say my content feels real and that I don’t come across as someone who thinks they’re “better than everyone else.” You often see athletes on social media making it look like everything is easy and always goes well. But that’s not real life. It’s all about trial and error, and I think it’s powerful to show that.’

Still, you seem to be handling your busy life pretty well.

‘Seems like it. I’m a go-getter, but sometimes I really wonder if I’m doing well enough. Will I make it? Is my work good enough? You don’t always see that insecurity, but it’s definitely there.’

Are you ready for the IRONMAN?

‘I still have a long way to go in training. After my half marathon in October, I got a meniscus injury, so I wasn’t able to run for a long time. There’s still a lot of progress to be made there. Right now, I’m mainly working on building up my cycling, but I’ve got a lot of ground to cover there too. So I’m just going to keep training, and it’ll have to work out.’

Do you have a goal time?

‘No. If I cross that finish line, I’ll be happy. And if I’m not the last one to finish—though I don’t think that’ll happen—that’s a bonus.’

_Advertentie.