Riding the Storm: A win at Eastbourne Middledistance Tri

If you’d told me a couple of weeks ago that I’d be standing at the finish line of Ironbourne as the overall women’s winner again — soaked to the bone, and still grinning — I’m not sure I would’ve believed you. But here we are.

The Middle Distance Triathlon in Eastbourne has always been one of my favourite local races. A fun course with beautiful scenery and great support on the course usually make the race fly by.

After a tedious injury and the disappointment of Ironman 70.3 Swansea (a DNF due to sleep deprivation), I was hungry to put myself through a proper test. I needed a race that would ask questions — and Eastbourne definitely delivered.

Swim – “Ride the waves like a dolphin” 🐬

The usual jump from the Pier for the swim start was cancelled, due to onshore winds which would have pushed participants into the pier. So it was a staggered beach start - straight into a very angry ocean. Winds were hammering straight into shore at 20–30mph, and the sea was churning like a washing machine on spin cycle.

At the briefing, we stood watching the surf and I knew I was going to be in for a good one, with many openwater sessions in the bank, and my ability to navigate difficult swim conditions.

But when the horn went, instincts took over. It was a two-lap ocean swim in full storm mode.

At one point, I had to remind myself: “Be like a dolphin. Ride the waves. Trust your stroke.” It worked. A full third of the field dropped out due to panic or conditions, but I stayed calm.

Sure, there were some pauses — either to cough up some seawater or to find the next buoy — but I didn’t mind it. Getting through in one piece felt like the first win of the day, and I had set myself up for a good race.

Bike – Wet, wild, and windy

The bike leg was a true test of focus and control.

The tailwind on the outward section gave us a flying start on the A roads, but the return leg? Headwind, crosswind, slippery corners on small country lanes — pure concentration and bike handling skill needed. Every turn was a calculated risk, and after a few near slips staying upright became as important as speed.

This was also my first real test of a new fuelling strategy: a combined carb/electrolyte mix in the bottles, with Precision Hydration chews tucked into the bento box. I managed to hit 100g of carbs per hour — a big leap for me — and felt strong the whole way through. Only a handful of Agegroup men overtook me, and I was moving fast and sensibly forward.

Despite the conditions, I took a lot of positives: better pacing, smarter nutrition, and hard-earned experience managing risk in chaos.

Run – Finding my stride post injury

After everything the weather had thrown at us, hitting the run course felt like relief.

I had zero expectations. After a long injury break, I wasn’t sure what my legs could handle. I told myself to take the few couple kilometers to ease back in and to had to run by feel. So I cruised out at about 4:20/km pace and adjusted as I went.

And then… something amazing happened. My legs started to come alive. I found my rhythm. I pushed harder in lap two, chasing down one of the pro athletes in front of my and trusting the training I had been able to do (mainly a lot of bike and gym work).

Seeing Oli on the course gave me a boost — he looked strong, and I knew he was safe out there too.

In the last lap, i managed to take the lead after a patient hunt down of the other female pro in the race. I crossed the finish with a 1:30 half marathon — just 90 seconds off last year — and a massive personal win.

Finish Line + Final Thoughts

I crossed the finish line as first woman overall, in the worst weather conditions I’ve ever raced in.

It was 19 minutes slower than my time last year (mainly due to an 8 min slower swim and a 10min slower bike!) — and yet, it meant so much more. It reminded me that in triathlon, times don’t always matter. What matters is how you show up, how you adapt, and how you race in the moment with what you’ve got.

Oli bagged his first ever age group podium in a middle distance race, and we both went home with sunflowers, smiles, and a shared sense of “we did that.”

What’s Next?

Now it’s time to build.

Next up: a big training block as I work towards Ironman 70.3 Zell am See. Run legs are coming back, the mindset is strong, and I’m ready for the next challenge.

Bring it on 💪