Ruth Astle

Race week is here and I wanted to share my thoughts going in.

The Course

The bike is going to be the decisive leg. 2,400m of climbing over 180km with a brutal headwind section on the Queen K highway. I've done my homework — rode the course twice this week and know every corner, every climb, every place to push and recover.

The run is flat and fast, which should suit my strengths. But after that bike, nothing is guaranteed.

My Competition

The start list is loaded. At least 5 athletes w...

Race week is here and I wanted to share my thoughts going in.

The Course

The bike is going to be the decisive leg. 2,400m of climbing over 180km with a brutal headwind section on the Queen K highway. I've done my homework — rode the course twice this week and know every corner, every climb, every place to push and recover.

The run is flat and fast, which should suit my strengths. But after that bike, nothing is guaranteed.

My Competition

The start list is loaded. At least 5 athletes w...

Mental performance coaching is a game changer. Working with a sports psychologist has transformed my race-day mindset.

Not the result I wanted, but plenty of lessons learned.

Swim: Solid. Got into the front group and stayed there. Nothing to complain about here.

Bike: This is where things went sideways. I went too hard on the first climb trying to stay with the leaders, and paid for it in the second half. My power dropped significantly in the last 30km. Need to be smarter about pacing in the mountains.

Run: With the bike effort catching up to me, the run was about damage limitation. Walked through...

What a day! This was one of those races where everything just came together.

The Swim

Fought my way into the top pack early and held on. The washing machine start was intense but I stayed calm and found clean water quickly. Split: 24:38

The Bike

Pushed hard from the gun. The course suited my strengths — rolling hills and a few technical sections where I could gain time. Averaged 310W normalized, which is a new race-day best for me.

The Run

Ran scared for the first 5km, then re...