Here’s Danielle Scott’s fantastic report of her race at the Lakesman Triathlon, which was also the British Middle Distance Chamionships for 2025. We always love the honesty and detail in Dani’s reports that take us on the racing journey with her.
Post-Pamplona Blues
Following the Pamplona Middle Distance European Championships, I was feeling a little deflated and tired. I had put the work in, ticked off all the sessions, but I didn’t feel I’d had the race I was capable of or achieved the results I’d targeted. I was ready for a break—but one more triathlon stood between me and some well-earned rest.
Past Dani’s Optimism
Looking through TrainingPeaks, I saw The Lakesman on the calendar, along with the very optimistic race goals I had set when entering last year. Past Dani clearly had more confidence in Future Dani than Present Dani currently had!
Goals from 2024:
•Finish time: 5h15
•Swim: sub-35
•Bike: sub-3
•Run: sub-1h35
•Position: Top 5 in AG
I stuck to the process and kept ticking off the sessions. I wasn’t fixated on those targets anymore, but they gave me something to aim for. Ultimately, I’d have been content with a solid, well-executed race—one that felt like progress from Pamplona.
Race Weekend
We headed up to the Lakes on Friday. I thought arriving early would give me time for some parkrun tourism and a relaxed registration on Saturday. Unfortunately, parkrun was cancelled due to a flooded course. The heavens had opened Friday night, and it rained for hours.
Still, the rain didn’t dampen my spirits. I headed out for a shakeout run around the lovely Lakeland lanes. After drying off, I went to registration and racked my bike. Leaving my pride and joy alone in transition, soaking wet, was a sad moment—but we were all in the same boat.
Race Morning
A 6:12 a.m. start meant a very early alarm. Up at 4:00, race day admin done, porridge eaten, pre-race banana packed. We left the hotel at 4:30 for the 40-minute walk to transition.
On the way, we bumped into Shane and Mel, who were staying just down the road. We were all a bit weary but excited for the day. The walk took us across part of the run course—a footpath through a farmer’s field, now flooded. We laughed it off. At least it had stopped raining.
The Swim
The 1.9-mile swim took place in the clear waters of Derwent Water. It was a deep-water start with self-seeded waves. The course looped around Derwent Isle, with plenty of buoys for sighting.
In Pamplona, I swam 40 minutes. I knew I was capable of better, so I seeded myself in Wave 2 (33–40 min). I felt calm and relaxed getting into the cool water, treading water on the start line, finger poised over my watch.
An air horn sounded—we were off. I hadn’t done a mass deep-water start for a while, but I stayed calm in the chaos. I sighted regularly, focussed on my stroke, and tried to get on feet where I could to conserve energy and stay efficient.
I had to stop a couple of times to fix leaky goggles (my fault for not adjusting them to suit my hair!) and it got a little frantic around the buoys, but I had an enjoyable swim overall.
I exited the water and hit stop on my watch: 38 minutes. Not quite the optimistic sub-35 of Past Dani, but two minutes quicker than Pamplona. Job done.
T1
Out of the water and up the slope to T1, I ran past Matt and told him to get in for a dip—too good an opportunity to waste!
The soft carpet gave way to tarmac and gravel. Ouch. That was a rude awakening for my feet fresh out of the cold water. In the tent: wetsuit off, socks, shoes, helmet, and number on. Then I went on the hunt for an open portaloo. After trying three, I finally succeeded—necessary, though time-consuming. I still can’t bring myself to pee on the bike!
The Bike
The rain had stopped but the roads were still wet. I headed up the hill and turned left into town. About 400m later, a sharp 90-degree turn approached. I squeezed the brakes—nothing but a screech. I hadn’t considered how wet they were from sitting out overnight. I managed to make the turn, but it was sketchy. I took the next few bends with caution.Out of town, the route followed mostly A roads—freshly tarmacked and straight. It was advertised as “flat”, but with over 2,500ft of elevation, it was Lake District flat, not Dani flat! I’d call it “rolling.”
I settled into my aero position and aimed to stay as efficient as possible, wanting to make the most of the free aero gains. Heading out, I hit a headwind—cruising at 20mph one minute, grinding at 10mph the next. I focussed on keeping my RPE steady at 7/10.
At halfway, I averaged about 17mph. The tailwind on the return leg was glorious, and it felt like I flew back into Keswick.
The final miles got frustrating—open roads meant traffic was building, and I got stuck behind cars, unable to overtake.
Final bike time: 3h01 (18.4mph avg). Just over the goal of sub-3, but without the delays, I’m confident I’d have done it.
T2
Much smoother than T1. Bike racked, helmet off, trainers on, gels packed. No portaloo stop this time!
The Run
Legs felt good. I’d taken on plenty of nutrition during the bike and didn’t feel I needed more, but I stuck to the plan: gel out of T2, washed down with water.The run started with a 1-mile stretch from T2 to the Rugby Club, followed by four laps. The Club marked the start/finish of each lap and the final finish line. Music blared and the crowd was amazing—it gave me a real boost the first time through.
I started at around 7:30/mile pace. It felt comfortable, but I wondered whether I could hold it. I stuck with it, trusting my training. The weather was cooler than Pamplona, though warming up as the sun came out.
Crossing the flooded field again, I didn’t bother avoiding puddles—I just ran straight through. Some athletes weren’t thrilled at the splash zone!
Next up was the “Highway to Hell”—two out and back sections with a gentle incline. It looked grim on paper, but I loved it! Great to see other athletes, cheer on friends, and get inspired by the speedy ones flying past (they were on their last lap while I was on my first!)
I saw Matt and gave him stick for skipping both swim and run training while I was grinding on the bike. He cheerfully reported he’d had a nap and a full cooked breakfast!
Three laps ticked off. Gels taken. Splits consistent. Effort rising.
On the final lap, I surprisingly still felt okay. Just 5K left—just a parkrun. I tried to pick up the pace. Fatigue was creeping in, but I pushed on.
With 800m to go, I passed a girl who’d flown past me on the bike. I didn’t know her age group, but I remembered thinking, “Wow, she’s fast.” Then, just before the finish, I passed another girl. No time for milking the red carpet—my competitive side kicked in!
Run time: 1h39 — not the ambitious sub-1h35, but with consistent 7:30/mile pacing and negative splits, it was a big improvement on my 1h51 in Pamplona.
Overall
Final time: 5h35. A long way from the dream sub-5h15 of Past Dani—but a solid race, executed well, and one I’m genuinely proud of.As usual, Matt found me collapsed on the floor, and we recapped the day. I checked my phone, I had loads of messages. Then one caught my eye:
Sammie: “Was she 3rd in AG?”
Wait, what?!
I stared at the message in disbelief. 3rd in AG? No way. I was convinced the tracker had glitched. I kept refreshing the results app, sure it was a mistake.
Then I saw her name—the girl I’d overtaken with 800m to go. She was in my age group. I’d beaten her… by just 20 seconds.
An hour later, it finally sank in. I’d podiumed at the British Champs.
Better than any time goal I could’ve set. I may not have earned a PB Pizza—but I’d earned a Podium Pizza, and it tasted even better.
