AS a triathlete and mother Peta Cutler knows all about mental toughness and adjusting - qualities she is now applying as her sport is in shut down.
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Cutler had planned to currently be training for the Port Macquarie Ironman in May, but the coronavirus pandemic has seen that event rescheduled until September 13.
So she has adjusted her training regime accordingly. Rather than being in the middle of a block now, she will instead look to start her build up for Port Macquarie in around two months.
"I was training for Port in May and I was just starting to feel like I was getting some speed back and all this happened. So I've had to reassess," Cutler said.
"For me personally, I can't keep training, I can't keep pushing myself all year.
"So I'm taking the next two months as a break, just tick the legs over and still stay healthy and like everyone else, spending more time with the family.
"I work better on a three-month, 16-week build. I think everyone is just taking their down time earlier than expected, most people would have stopped over July-August and then started training again."
If racing can resume to see Port Macquarie go ahead on its new date, it won't be the only challenge lying in wait for Cutler.
She plans to do the Western Sydney Ironman - an event where she not only finished second her age group last year but clock a personal best time of four hours, 37 minutes and 13 seconds for the 1.9 kilometre swim, 90km cycle and 21.1km course.
That effort qualified her for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships which are at this stage set to be held in Taupo, New Zealand in November.
Fellow Bathurst triathlete Terry Roberts also qualified for the World Championships.
"If all goes to plan and all these races are on, it's going to be a very busy back half of the year. Western Sydney, which I'm also entered in, will be two weeks after Port," Cutler said.
"Then there's the Nepean Triathlon in October and the worlds at the end of November, but they also haven't pencilled in Cairns, so that's got to fit in there too.
"Who knows about worlds? I am hopeful but I don't know if I can see New Zealand opening up the country to let everyone in come November, it still seems soon.
"It's just the unknown, so I guess we just take each day as it comes."
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