Jeroen D’Hoedt
Athlete
“My ideal morning starts with a well-rested feeling. When I can sleep through the night, I’m energetic and that means I can meet my busy schedule head on. If this is not the case, my schedule is adapted according to the amount of sleep I had. A good night’s sleep is very important! A real runner’s high I get when I wake up in the morning and the sun is shining. Those are the good days!”
The sun is shining, the leaves are swaying gently in the wind and we’re enjoying summer on a cosy terrace in Antwerp, where we’re seeing athlete Jeroen D’Hoedt. He discovered Floom in his search for a tasty and nutritious way to start the day and a couple of days before the official start of the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, he’s enjoying his cappuccino together with us. We can’t wait to hear about his morning rituals at home and during the Olympics.
“I have a flexible training schedule. On some mornings I go for a run before breakfast, running on a couple of sips of sport drink and a quick bite and starting my recovery training immediately, other mornings I take my time for breakfast. How much I eat in the morning depends on the types of training I’ve got scheduled during the day.”
“Still, I’m not afraid to confess that I have some morning rituals. For example, I never get out of bed without a catchy song and I eat quark with a healthy mix of oats and Floom granola. No boring oatmeal breakfast for me! I try to keep up my morning routine as much as possible, on regular days as well as game days… Even if that means taking 3 kg Floom granola to America or a cooler of quark to Spain. It calms me mentally to know that I don’t need to worry about having a healthy, fulfilling breakfast like I want it. I know my body runs smoothly on this type of food.”
“I’ve long ignored the effect of food on my performance. My breakfast used to be traditional cereal and after practice, I drank a can of Cola. Along the way I discovered that running on sugar during a training isn’t ideal, which is why I’m being guided by a very passionate food specialist. We look for a combination which I’m comfortable with and that benefits my performance. It takes a bit of discipline, but I can’t complain. My goal is clear and I get the chance to see the world, doing something I love. I couldn’t forgive myself if I didn’t give a 100% and my diet is an important part of that 100%. I can still eat 4000kcal a day though, so at least I’m not going hungry!”
“Balance is and always will be at the centre of my life. As I’m preparing for Rio, my diet is quite strict and I try to keep it that way. During the year I certainly indulge in some guilty pleasures! Eating is usually a social affair and it would be a shame if I have to l stop enjoying that. Food, for me, is all about planning. My body needs specific nutrients the day before and after a game to perform at full speed. I sometimes have a cheat day and indulge in croissants, bacon, eggs or pizza – the ultimate guilty pleasure! For now though I’m focusing on Rio, I’ll have some champagne and pizza after!”
We wish Jeroen a lot of luck in Rio and will be cheering for him on the 15th of August.
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