Triyaningsih (JP/Seto Wardhana)

With a total of 11 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games gold medals to her name, Indonesian long-distance running star Triyaningsih has revealed that keeping a sustainable training regime and maintaining a good mood have been her mantras over the years.

On Thursday evening, Triyaningsih won the gold medal in the women’s 10,000-meter race at the Kuala Lumpur Games. It was her sixth SEA Games gold in the category, as well as her 11th from various categories from six separate editions of the biennial event since the 2007 Games in Thailand.

In Thursday evening’s competition, Triya, her nickname, clocked a time of 36:39.37, beating out two Vietnamese runners, silver medalist Pham Tie Hue (36:54.02) and bronze medalist Pham Ti Hong Le (37:6.64).

In Friday’s events, however, the 30-year-old failed to retain the 5,000-m crown after clocking in at 17:36.98 to win silver. The gold medal went to Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Oanh (17:23.20), while Hue earned the bronze medal (17:33.45).

Her overall performance at the Games over the years has seen Triyaningsih collect five gold medals in the 10,000-m, four golds in the 5,000-m and a gold in the marathon category. So far, Triyaningsih has participated at the 2007 Thailand Games, 2009 Laos Games, 2011 Indonesia Games, 2013 Myanmar Games and the 2015 Singapore Games.

“Sticking to the training programs that are tailored for each athlete is pivotal so athletes can measure their readiness for competition,” she told The Jakarta Post over the weekend.

Besides that, Triyaningsih remains convinced she has witnessed divine intervention in each of her victories.

“I present this medal for God and my country,” said the silver medalist in the 5,000-m race at the Myanmar Games.

Agung Mulyawan, her coach and training partner, acknowledged that Triyaningsih had always been able to maintain her good mood and physical fitness.

“It’s no wonder Triyaningsih excels at the sport,” he said.

“She manages to maintain her fitness and is always cheerful when we train together. She is always mentally ready to compete,” he said.

In response, Triyaningsih said she had inherited her passion from her older sister Ruwiyati, who was also runner. It was Ruwiyati, she added, who had instilled her spirit and motivation in her early in her running career.

She recalled that the first time she encountered running as sport was when she was still in senior high school and living with her sister in Salatiga, Central Java.

“I dealt with flaws and difficulties during my early years as a runner,” said Triyaningsih, who finished in 84th place after recording a time of 2:41:15 in the 2012 Olympic Games marathon.

As a professional runner, Triyaningsih discussed her results with Ruwiyati to find ways to improve her skills for future competitions.

When asked about her next target, Triyaningsih said the 2018 Asian Games were her next big competition. However, she revealed that she had not yet received any information about the Games.

“I will do my best if I am in the squad. There is no reason not to,” she said.

Popular

Indonesian Muslim groups rally behind Iran amid escalating war

Details on gasoline, diesel rationing remain elusive

Witnesses, activists in Andrie case subject to threats