Fahmi ‘Kei’ Basar
Amateur Triathlete
Q&A With Fahmi 'Kei' Basar
1. When and how did you get involved in triathlon?
It all started with a bet with a friend in August 2018, where we would do something crazy in 2019. Since she was into running and swimming back then, she proposed a bet to do a triathlon and that is how it all started. At the same time, I started The Kei Show, a YouTube channel and Facebook page to actually share information on swimming, cycling and running that I have gathered from the elite athletes in Malaysia to help people understand more about the sport itself.
2. What is the Xterra Asia-Pacific Championship all about and how do you prepare for it?
XTerra Asia-Pacific is an off road triathlon event where participants are required to swim in the open water, ride in the trail with a mountain bike and continue running in the trails. To be held in Taiwan this March, it looks like an amazing place for me to race with the beach and the mountains next to each other. Preparing for the XTerra event is tough. After my foray into triathlon in 2019, I actually have no experience in mountain biking. The best way I could improve was to get help from Xterra experts like Jessen Lee and Sue Teoh from The Ride School. They really helped me from the basics. On top of that, I have improved my swimming so much under Coach Shauqie from MySwim, coming from someone who can’t swim at all. In a nutshell, when preparing for a major event, my advice is to get a coach, commit and pray for the best.
3. What is your biggest motivation to keep pushing your limits of performance?
My biggest belief is that no matter at what age, you can still do something if you believe and put your heart into it. I want to believe that there’s no limit to human potential.
4. What are your aspirations for 2020 and beyond?
2019 has been a learning year where I have learned a lot from experts and coaches all around Malaysia. 2020 is the year that I want to train harder, improve more and continue to help spread more information for people to learn.
5. What are your top three sports nutrition tips?
Nutrition is something personal and should be tested out in your sport discipline. First, remember that everybody reacts differently to what he/she eats. So never try anything new during race day. Do it during training. Secondly, during an event, schedule your feeding. Know what to eat before, during and after the event. If you do this, “bonking” will be just a myth. Lastly, know what you eat and put into your body. For example, Beet It Sport provides me with nitrate, which increases my nitric oxide level and that leads to improvements in my cardiorespiratory performance.
6. What are your top three training tips?
For triathlon, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with different disciplines in swimming, cycling, running, strength & conditioning and also nutrition. The best thing you can invest in is a coach who oversees your training. Secondly, consistency is “king”. Show up, and commit. You will only improve if you have done something. Lastly, recovery is as important as training itself. Adaptation only happens when you sleep and recover.
7. How has Beet It Sport helped your triathlete performance?
In the beginning, I was sceptical with the benefits of beetroot. After trying out Beet It Sport Nitrate 3000 for a whole week daily, I was sold. My heart rate during my trainings have improved drastically when consuming Beet It Sport, compared to before when I was without it. With Beet It Sport. I can hold a certain power level during harder workouts and that really speaks and validates what this product is all about.
8. Anything additional you would like to say about Beet It Sport?
Nutrition plays an important role in helping us to improve faster and better, and Beet It Sport is a product that can help athletes to do so. If it is trusted by Eliud Kipchoge and the NN Running Team, where marginal gains are hard to come by, we should be exploring it to where our potential is endless.
