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Motivational Triathletes

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Switching from international rowing to triathlon 

This year’s Trigirl ambassador Natasha made a name for herself in international rowing before she switched to triathlon in 2022. 

Natasha won two gold medals in the World University Games in Shanghai. She spent time in the GB rowing development squad at Leander Club where she won prestigious events including Henley Women’s Regatta and Henley Royal Regatta.

Read here how her switch from rowing to triathlon went and what she has learned.

Trigirl Ambassador Natasha Harris-White switching from rowing to triathlon

“After 11 great (and often, tough) years of rowing, I decided that I wasn’t enjoying it anymore and that I had achieved as much as I could. Triathlon had always appealed, having watched it on TV and having enjoyed all 3 of the disciplines (even though I hadn’t swum in years).

My greatest strengths are my mental toughness and my endurance but I realised that I would need to re-train my muscles for triathlon. For me, even with a new sport, the desire to win is very strong so I have to take it seriously. So, switching from rowing to triathlon – where do I begin?”

Making the switch

It is quite daunting starting a new sport from scratch and on your own. In rowing, you are always part of a team or a club. You always have a physical coach for the team. That’s different with triathlon. You may find you have no triathlon club in your vicinity but you can still take up the sport. You can sign up to online coaching. You will find lots of training advice online. You can get by without a triathlon club. However, if you have one in your area, we do recommend to find out what they offer their members. (click here for British Triathlon club search).  

Rowing versus triathlon

Rowing is hard physically, in fact a total body workout, using most muscles in your body. Training involves time on the water or indoor rowing machines, backed by strength and conditioning. 

“I found training for three different disciplines a challenge. Having decided swimming was my greatest weakness, I started by working very hard at it and paid for a couple of lessons to teach me correct technique, and how not to waste energy, which is so important in a triathlon.”

My first triathlon

“I did my first standard distance triathlon at Eton Dorney Lake in Summer 2022 around two weeks after I stopped rowing. My greatest fears were crashing on my bike, as there were so many people. I was also worried about getting a stitch running. 

It was an incredibly hot day. The start line for the swim was 50 meters off-shore. As a comparatively new swimmer I found this exhausting so I tried not to think about the rest of the swim. 

My transition was good. I remembered to put my helmet on first, grabbed my snacks and put on my trainers (I hadn’t yet learnt to cycle in cleats). I really enjoyed the cycling and, fortunately encountered no crashes, as everyone was spread out. 

When I first got off the bike, I couldn’t feel my legs. They were so wobbly but I somehow made it to the transition area to rack my bike and put a cap on. I started running quite slowly. As my legs regained feeling, I managed to overtake people and sprinted the last 200m to overtake the girl ahead of me. I finished in 2nd place!”

Lessons learnt

“I learnt a lot from my first race. Triathlon is a long event, unlike a rowing race that can be over in 6-8 minutes. You have time to push yourself, yet you can conserve your energy at different points in the race. 

“While my swimming had greatly improved, it still needs more work. I found that drinking water rather than squash worked well for me. Also, pouring water over my head to keep cool helped me to cope with the heat. 

For a standard distance distance triathlon, I would recommend to eat a little in T1 or early on the bike. There is no need to eat later in the race. 

All in all I loved the race! I loved pushing myself. I love the excitement of finding out what  I will be able to do in triathlon, my new sport.”

Look out for our next blog soon to read how Natasha is getting on in her second triathlon season. Will she love her second season as much as her first stab? Can she replicate the success of her very first race?

If you have advice or questions for Natasha, please get in touch. We would love to hear from you.

A bit more about Natasha’s background

Natasha has always been keen on sport – gymnastics and running early on, leading to county cross-country in later years. Predictably as she lives in Henley-on-Thames, rowing came into her life at 15 at Upper Thames Rowing Club. She then had a successful rowing career at Newcastle University, winning multiple events including the Met Regatta and the British University Championships (BUCS). 

by Natasha Harris-White

Race Across America (RAAM) cycling race starting 15th of June

Trigirl is thrilled to announce that we are sponsoring the Serpentine Golden Girls in their second time racing as a four-woman team in the Race Across America (RAAM) cycling race.

RAAM, a.k.a. The Toughest Bike Race in the World, is a 3,000 mile race across the US, riding through 12 states, starting on the West Coast in California and finishing on the East Coast in Maryland. Taking in the Rocky Mountains, the Great Plains, Monument Valley as well as the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts.

The race also has 170,000 feet worth of vertical climbs! Sounds tough for even the most ‘typical’ lycra-clad road warriors… but the Golden Girls aren’t your typical cyclists! At a combined age of 280, the women were the eldest four-person team ever to complete the race when they did it at an average age of 60, 11 years ago. They are now looking to beat their own record. 

“I can’t do a triathlon, I’m too… old? overweight? non-athletic?”

Whatever your excuse, we think that you CAN do a triathlon!

Don’t believe us? Trigirl’s inspirational video, featuring Irongranny triathlete Eddie Brocklesby, will change your mind. Eddie not only took up sport at the ripe young age of 53, she has since run marathons, done triathlon at highly competitive levels and ridden her bicycle more miles in a year than some of us drive in our cars.

Watch Trigirl’s video and hear about Eddie’s accomplishments from the woman herself- we think you’ll be motivated to get out there and do something amazing, too! No excuses 🙂

Thanks to Audiofuel for providing music to go along with Eddie’s story. If you like your fitness inspiration in the form of a good beat, check out Audiofuel’s full line of adrenaline-packed musical arrangements, available as motivational coached sessions or just great audio compilations to keep you moving!

 

… and Learning How to Swim

Newbie triathlete Helena shares the story of completing her first triathlon. Though she insists it’s a bit wordy, we really enjoyed every detail of her experience and think you will, too. Short on time? Don’t miss the last two paragraphs where Helena’s words are sure to inspire you, no matter where you are in your triathlon journey!

What does it take to do a triathlon? Well of course all the inspiring stuff….you know….sheer determination, 100% commitment, being focused, overcoming your fears and setting your mind to something and making it happen. Then there’s the other stuff, being able to run, bike and swim. I had the run and bike down but the challenge for me was the swim. “Will you ever do a triathlon?” I was asked back in 2010 while busy cycling up and down the A1A and running a few times per week. My response “Er no, you have to be able to swim right? I can’t swim, so it’s not happening!” My mind was made up it seemed. No triathlons for me. I spent the end of 2010 and most of 2011 focusing on cycling and running. I completed some duathlons, a marathon and other various running races and while I was completely satisfied with those goals, I knew I wanted more.

Click here to continue reading Helena’s inspiring story.