I first approached Racepace after I had signed myself up to do Ironman Switzerland in July 2013, and felt that I needed some help to give the race my best shot. I had done a handful of triathlons before that, but I knew I had taken on a big challenge. Rodge became my coach about 6 months before the event, and we worked closely together to guide me to successfully completing that event.
During that initial period, I quickly realized how much I enjoyed working closely with a coach, and how quickly I was learning new skills. After the Ironman I decided that I wanted to continue to set new challenges and goals for myself, and to improve as an athlete.
Over the subsequent four years we have looked at and re-visited many aspects of the sport. Getting pacing right is fundamental when doing multi-sport events, and we are always looking at improving this, either in training, or reviewing post-race. My transitions have improved dramatically, and I also now have a good understanding of how to prepare for a race.
Personally I have been able to identify where my strengths and weaknesses are. As my bike handling skills have improved under Rodge’s guidance, I have come to realise that this is my strongest discipline, and I now particularly enjoy duathlons.
I have had an amazing journey, competing in numerous events all over the world. My highlights to date has been representing GB at the World Age Group Duathlon Championships in Adelaide 2015 and Penticton, Canada in 2017.
The best thing about working with Rodge as my coach, is that he is always challenging me, mentally as well as physically. And whilst I have become much more confident in my abilities, we are always looking for ways to improve, and always looking to learn. It is also a great deal of fun!