My Ironman 70.3 journey began in March with my first marathon in Rome.
This was an important stepping stone towards my bigger goal and taught me valuable lessons about endurance, pacing and listening to my body.
I then completed my first Olympic-distance triathlon in Southport.
Combining swimming, cycling and running was a completely new challenge, and the race taught me a great deal about pacing, transitions and race-day preparation.
I would strongly recommend shorter triathlons to anyone considering an Ironman, as they provide experience that training alone cannot replicate.
The months leading up to Swansea involved learning many new skills, including swimming efficiently, managing effort on the bike, fuelling correctly and pacing the run. I also had plenty of questions along the way, including asking Jon whether I should wear underpants on race day!
The support from Total Transition Tri was incredible. Having such a welcoming and knowledgeable community around me made a huge difference and helped me build confidence throughout the journey.
Ironman 70.3 Swansea was the most incredible race I have ever taken part in. The course was fair and forgiving, although the heatwave made the day extremely challenging, with temperatures reaching over 32°C. Hydration, fuelling and pacing became more important than ever.
The public support in Swansea was unbelievable. The crowds created an amazing atmosphere and helped carry me through the toughest moments.
My biggest takeaway is that completing a 70.3 is about much more than fitness. Preparation, race experience and community support are equally important. Smaller races are excellent stepping stones, helping you practise transitions, nutrition and pacing before taking on the bigger challenge.
To finish the season, I completed another Olympic-distance triathlon at Bala Lake and achieved an unexpected personal best of under three hours. It was a fantastic way to end a year of new challenges and achievements.
From Rome to Southport, Swansea and Bala, every race taught me something new and helped me become a better athlete.
Would I do it all again?
Absolutely — although next time, I might know the answer to the underpants question before asking Jon.
