Here’s Dani Scott’s review of 2023 which has been packed full of achievements and are well worth reflecting upon.
“Surround yourself with people who inspire you to achieve great things.”
One message that rings loud and clear from this report is that despite triathlon being mainly a solo sport, just as in life, it’s also important to have good support and people around you who will push you beyond what you previously thought was possible.
Settle down and enjoy Dani’s tale of 2023.
Over 10 years ago I read Chrissie Wellington’s book, A Life Without Limits and was instantly inspired by her completing and winning what I thought to be the ultimate endurance event that existed, an Ironman. I subconsciously put it on my bucket list but never thought I’d achieve it having not cycled or swam since I was a kid, I didn’t know anyone who had completed a triathlon let alone an Ironman.
Fast forward 10 years (2020) and I met Matt whilst completing an Army fitness test, racing each other to the finish line, him bouncing along with his Ironman tattoo on show, one second ahead of me. After that most conversations started with ‘This one time in Tallinn…’ or ‘when I did an Ironman’. I soon met Dan, Martin, Jon and a few others from the club on a cold morning at the marine lake whilst Dan and Martin were completing the Goggins 4x4x48 challenge. Whilst running a leg with them… I thought to myself, these guys are crazy, why would you put yourself through this, but I loved the determination, peer support and camaraderie.
In 2021 I got myself a bike and set myself the goal of completing Deva Divas in the summer. The thought of the swim was daunting as I couldn’t do more than 2 lengths crawl without stopping for a rest or switching to breaststroke to get my breath back. Once lock down was lifted I went along to the Total Transition swim sessions, where Jane Roberts took the time to help me with my technique and build my confidence. Here I met Donna and another Jane. Donna had ‘the fear’ but relentlessly was determined to improve and Jane massively played down how amazing she was by saying she dabbled in triathlon from time to time. It was only later in the car Matt said she was a GB Age Grouper and I thought WOW these people are amazing.
Deva Divas came around and although not officially part of the club I was made to feel welcome and the support was incredible. I didn’t drown on the swim, survived on the bike (being taken over by what felt like most of the field) and excelled on the run, posting the quickest time of the day (redemption I thought!).
Matt had entered Ironman Ireland 2021 but unfortunately it was cancelled due to covid, fortunately for me it gave me an extra year to train and I planted the seed I’d like to do the 70.3 while he was over there. A full Ironman was off the cards, a half Ironman seemed somewhat out of reach having only done one sprint but I had a year to train and got my head down. 2022 and race day soon came around and Ireland was buzzing, I realised what all the Ironman fuss was about, it was on ANOTHER LEVEL. Windmill Hill felt like I was in the Tour de France and running down the red carpet was like winning the Olympics and that was only the 70.3! I wanted more and within a couple of weeks we’d signed up for Ironman Hamburg 2023.
I attended the Christmas Party under my WAG status as I hadn’t fully committed and signed up to be part of the club (I lived in Huyton and was a runner after all). Drinks and conversations were flowing and aspirations for a club 70.3 outing were being batted around, Ironman Ireland was in the mix but the club soon settled on the Cotswolds 70.3.
My target races for 2023 were;
Four Villages Half Marathon (still a runner at heart) – February
Boston Marathon (a long time bucket list race) – April
Hamburg Ironman – June
Cotswolds 70.3 – July
Four Villages Half Marathon is a toughie, a cold wet winter morning on a hilly course, I finished in 1 hour 33 mins achieving my aim of sub 1.34 and qualifying for a guaranteed entry at New York Marathon.
Next was Boston Marathon, training had been hampered as I was away with work unable to run for 3 out of the final 6 weeks leading up to it. Another cold and wet race day came around (at least I was used to it with british weather). I stuck to my plan of 7.45-8 min miles and scraped a sub 3.30 marathon, finishing in 3:29:09, not my PB but given the disrupted training and the heartbreak hill section in the latter part of the race, I was over the moon. Having Paul and Cathy there from TTTC was mega too, unfortunately I didn’t see them but could feel their presence and there were many messages of support.
The BIG one, only 7 weeks later it was Ironman Hamburg. A big shift in training occurred in those final 7 weeks. I started open water swimming (I’m a wuss and it was too cold prior) and I upped my cycling milage, completing my first 100 miler 3 weeks before race day. For those who want to be bored with the details the rest can be found on my race report!
Spoiler alert: I beat Matt to the finish, over-taking him on the run but he actually beat me overall as I got confused with the pens and ended up starting about 30 mins before him, right behind the pros! It made good viewing for those following the tracker!! Finish time 12hours 16 mins.
During this busy year my house was put on the market, Huyton was just not conducive to triathlon training and we needed more space for a turbo room and a garage to store the ever growing number of bikes. We moved to the Wirral to be closer to the Tri Club, West Kirby Marine Lake and I finally signed up to the club (I felt like I’d been part of it for years!)
Cotswolds 70.3 was my first outing in club colours (I didn’t have a club tri suit in time for Hamburg!). It was great to catch up with and meet club members for an evening meal the night before race day, exchanging triumphant stories (Martin also completing his first IM), and having one or two drinks to calm the pre-race nerves (it was the first 70.3 for many club members). I had completed my big races of the year so there was no pressure on me for this race, I just went out to enjoy it. The water was crystal clear which made for a lovely swim; Jon, myself, Martin PH & Neil O all exited in the water in quick succession, it was great to exchange a few words in transition but before I knew it they were off and I was still faffing with my kit (note to self, must improve transition times!). The bike was a (not so) flat 2 loops followed by a traily half marathon run. Once again the support on course was epic, from the club members who travelled down to spectate to the athletes out on the course. I loved seeing everyone, repping the black and orange and shouting words of encouragement as we passed each other. I felt strong during the run and came down the finish line with a run time of 1 hour 41 mins, knocking 30 mins off my previous 70.3 time finishing in just over 5 hours 30 mins.
Looking forward to next season I mentioned to my coach that I was interested in targeting some GB Age Group qualification races to gauge where I rank amongst others, he suggested that I also consider Middle Distance. A quick look online and I found that for the middle distance age group team, you submit a qualifying time from a race that meets a strict criteria to be considered. Cotswolds 70.3 and my time/position met that criteria and I submitted an expression of interest. To my delight, in early November, I got the email to say I’d been selected to represent GB at the European Championships in my age group. To say I’m elated is an understatement.
I have got to finish by saying it’s the people you surround yourself with that inspire you to achieve great things but also keep you grounded. Meeting superhero GB age grouper Jane two years ago planted the seed, seeing the hard work Donna put in to overcome her fear of swimming and completing a 70.3 made me so proud. Constantly being around ‘Ironmen’ made it seem achievable. Dan & Jon’s Ultraman journey was such a honour to be a part of, seeing the grit and determination put in by both, it kind of made an Ironman seem insignificant! We’re all on a different journey and I’m just at the start of mine, let’s see what the next few years have in store.
