I don’t think I’ve ever been excited for so long leading up to a race. Yes, there were waves of nerves in the weeks before—those horrible, stomach-churning ones—but the overriding feeling was pure, bubbling excitement. I just couldn’t wait to start. It had been a strange year: five weeks off with illness in February and March, which meant I didn’t manage any warm-up races before my A-race, Bolton 70.3, where my goal was to qualify for the Worlds. I missed out last year thanks

After years of racing, I finally made it to Kona, Hawaii the home of Ironman.  Stepping of the plane you are instantly hit by the most intense heat and humidity. The airport arrivals was like something I had never seen before it, looks awfully like the cafe and gifts shop area at Knowsley safari park just a little warmer.  We arrived, our luggage arrived all be it damaged but my prized possession and trusted stead was still in Seattle, on this occasion I was not panicking I h

Ironman number two for me was the biggest of them all, the big dance on the Big Island. My prep was going great: I was consistent in TrainingPeaks, feeling strong, and everything was coming together. But three weeks out, I rolled my ankle. I couldn’t run it off, and deep down, I knew I was in trouble. A scan and a few physio visits later, I ended up having a steroid injection to give myself the best shot at making it to the start line. That meant no training for a few days po

Pre-Race: The Calm Before the Cannon Race morning at the Ironman World Championships, Kona. The air was thick with nerves, humidity, and excitement. A brief stint of rain had rolled through earlier — just enough to add some drama to the sunrise — but spirits were high. Surprisingly, I wasn’t as stressed as usual. I felt calm, grounded, and genuinely ready to enjoy this race — a rare feeling when you’re about to take on 140.6 miles of suffering. I checked my bike thoroughly, d