Stay Home Story with Sepp Kuss

How are you?
I am doing well. I’ve been in lockdown in Spain with my girlfriend Noemi for the past seven weeks. Luckily, from this week onwards, the restrictions will get eased little by little. I have to admit that time has passed quite quickly! At the time, I had made the decision to stay in Europe rather than go back home to the United States. Of course I miss my family there, but it is good to hear that the situation in my hometown is a bit better at the moment than in Spain. And that my family is doing well.

What do your workouts and training look like at the moment?
For the past few weeks I have been training on the Tacx every day at home because of the lockdown along with some explosive training. It is mentally very tough to do long, endurance efforts indoors. Therefore I’ve used the time to work on more intensive efforts. If you set yourself a goal for each session, it will also stay fun and you will last longer. It is also fun to participate in the different e-races. It’s almost like learning a whole new sport

How do you get on with your days?
In addition to my workouts, a few hours a day, I try to stay busy for most of the day and maintain some sort of routine. I use the mornings and afternoons to stay up to date with the latest news and to study. Around dinner time, my girlfriend and I try to take a little more time for ourselves to make something fun and delicious and enjoy the moment. Other than that, we usually have a ‘happy hour’ in the evening and play some board games. It is a different situation than normal to have to stay at home for so many weeks, but it’s been a nice change of pace to step back. You do different things that make you appreciate everything you normally take for granted.

How do you motivate yourself?
That’s no problem. I am always very motivated and driven to keep improving myself. It doesn’t matter to me whether there are races or not. Right now, I really enjoy the process of developing myself as a bike rider step by step. And I just really enjoy riding my bike.

Which series or movies are you watching at the moment?
My girlfriend and I watch a few episodes of the hit series Suits every day. We also regularly watch some funny reality TV programs.

Which songs do you play on your playlist by default?
During the necessary hours on the Tacx I mainly listened a lot to reggaeton. Reggaeton originated in the nineties in the underground scene of mainly Puerto Rico. Reggaeton is a mix of reggae, dancehall, hip hop and traditional Puerto Rican music. It is far from traditional and perhaps not very well known, but it is very nice to listen to. On other days I also regularly listen to country music from the United States and the various news podcasts

Do you have any tips for people to stay fit?
It may sound cliché, but find an activity you enjoy! It doesn’t matter if you exercise ten minutes or three hours a day, as long as you are consistent with your activities, you will stay the fit. If you are struggling to find motivation, I recommend that you just start your workout. After you are done, I am sure you will feel much and much better

What is your favourite dish?
Normally my favourite is Mexican food. Nowadays I also go through different phases with what food I like. At the moment it is mainly Callos Guisados - a kind of stew with beef tripe, various sausages, chickpeas, et cetera. In any case, it tastes better than it looks.

What other sports do you like?
I like to watch NHL ice hockey. I grew up playing ice hockey. Usually because of the time difference I watch the summaries when I am in Europe, but when I am in the US it is fun to watch hockey, football or basketball with friends. I am not an avid sports follower, but I appreciate the other sports and learn about them from people who are more diehard fans than me

What is your favourite game?
I’m really not very good at playing video games. Sometimes I play, but usually I get frustrated very quickly. When we’re together with the team and we play FIFA, it probably hurts to watch because I’m so bad at it. Usually my girlfriend and I play a few rounds of Rummikub every night. It gets pretty competitive!

Which apps on your phone are running in overtime?
Besides the usual social media apps, I like to listen to the NPR Radio app for the latest world news and news from the US. I also use The Week Magazine’s app for news updates.

What is your guilty pleasure?
Beer! And the different types of fast food. Especially burgers.