#156 - How Hattie Pearson Went From Beginner to Ironman Athlete & Why Adventure Is Her Number One Priority!

On this episode of the RunThrough Podcast, Hattie Pearson shares her inspiring journey from complete beginner to Ironman triathlete, in conversation with host Ben Sheppard. 🏊‍♀️🚴‍♀️🏃‍♀️

Hattie opens up about how embracing adventure and challenge transformed her approach to fitness and life. From taking on multi-day endurance events to pushing herself beyond her comfort zone, she explains how stepping into the unknown became the key to building confidence, resilience, and long-term motivation.

She also discusses the barriers women face in triathlon, and why community, support, and mentorship play such a crucial role in helping more people get involved in endurance sport. Along the way, Hattie shares honest insights from her journey, including lessons learned the hard way, moments of doubt, and the mindset needed to keep going.

From swimming in freezing conditions (“Swimming Loch Ness was Baltic” 🥶) to learning to embracing the new, whether you’re training for your first triathlon, chasing an Ironman goal, or simply looking for motivation to start your fitness journey, this episode will leave you inspired to take on your next challenge.

Ben Sheppard - https://www.instagram.com/bensheppard93/

Hattie Pearson - https://www.instagram.com/hattiepearson/

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome back to the Run Through Podcast. It is Ben Shepard with you, and today we've got another incredible guest, Hattie Pearson, who went from a complete beginner to becoming an Iron Man triathlete in just nine months. Hattie's journey is all about embracing adventure and challenge and how stepping into the unknown completely transformed her approach to fitness and life. From multi-day endurance events to pushing herself beyond her comfort zone, she learned first hand how confidence, resilience, and long-term motivation are built. We also talk about the barriers women face in triathlon, why community and mentorship are so important, and the mindset you need to keep going when things get tough. And yes, we also hear about some epic moments as well, like swimming in freezing conditions. Quote, swimming in Loch Nest was Baltic. Whether you're looking at your first triathlon, chasing an Iron Man goal, or just looking for some motivation to be honest, to start your own fitness journey, Hattie's story is full of lessons and inspiration, and she was a brilliant guest. Hattie Pearson is on the Run Through podcast.

SPEAKER_02 1:02

Whilst I was training for the 70.3, I signed up to the full distance, not having even completed the 70.3, which was a bit mad. So I basically went from like zero to Iron Man in like nine months. I always say to myself, like, control the controllables. And if on race day it doesn't work out the way that it was meant to for you, like, does that make you a failure? Well, no, because you showed up in the first place. There really isn't that the need to put so much pressure on myself. If things go wrong or not how you potentially planned or expected, then like kind of taking check of that and being like, well, that's okay. It's like it's all part of the journey and the process, isn't it? I'm Hassie Pearson. I'm a radio presenter, DJ, various other things, voiceover, event host. And um in my part-time, I like doing triathlons. So I do a lot of running, a lot of less swimming than I should probably. Uh, but I love riding my bike as well. So um, yeah, and I'm one of those people that if you give me a new challenge, I'll probably say yes, and then I'll be like, why have I said yes to that?

SPEAKER_01 2:06

Oh god, what the work it takes to get there. That's part of the fun of it, I suppose.

SPEAKER_00 2:11

Hattie, we've we've we've known each other for quite a while, and like people listening to this won't know that. But um, my background's in radio as well, and of course, we've we've kind of been in the industry together throughout the years. Um, and when I first met you back in the day, I and me, myself at that point as well. I don't think either of us would have ever thought we've done the stuff that we've done to this point now. I think it's a good way to start this conversation by saying we were gonna do this an hour earlier, and you messaged me and you said, uh, can we push it back an hour? Because I've got a three-hour turbo session this morning. Like, where did that even enter your life in the first instance?

SPEAKER_02 2:49

The triathlon kind of popped up. Well, the very first triathlon I did, I think it was 20 like 18 or no, it must have been 2019, perhaps. Maybe it's years ago anyway. And I did it with one of my best friends um who actually lives around the corner from me. Um, and we run like two, three times a week together. I actually ran 17 miles with her yesterday because we're both doing Copenhagen marathon together in like six weeks. And um, yeah, we basically held hands the whole way, um, which you're not really allowed to do in a triathlon, but we were right in the back, so we were never gonna get disqualified anyway, because nobody cared. Um, and I just absolutely loved it. I I thought this is like so much fun, and it just feels like such an adventure um putting like all three disciplines together. Um and then I kind of got into running a little bit more after that. Um, and then I signed up to do a 70.3, and whilst I was training to do the 70.3, so like a half Iron Man distance, um, I was like, oh, this feels fun. Surely I could do a full distance, uh like full Iron Man distance. So whilst I was training for the 70.3, I signed up to the full distance, not having even completed the 70.3, which was a bit mad. So I basically went from like zero to Iron Man in like nine months. Um, so yeah, I like a challenge. Uh, and then since then it's just kind of been yeah, bigger things and more adventurous things. Like last year I did a seven-day triathlon from Loch Ness to London, um, which was yeah, completely wild. That's Monster Triathlon. And then this year I'm taking on in June Slate Man Ultra Triathlon, which is also going to be a pretty hefty effort uh because you end up doing 50k uh for the run and finishing by running up Snowdon with like 2,000 metres of elevation on the trail run. So yeah, challenge is what motivates me.

SPEAKER_00 4:54

I like the word challenge, and like that's something that we've said a few times already. Where where does that come from? The the like desire to challenge yourself? Is that something that you kind of know where that was from, or is it just something that's developed, you think?

SPEAKER_02 5:08

Yeah, I think it's I'm a very goal-driven person anyway. I mean, I and I am competitive, not just with myself, but like, yes, with other people, but more with myself. And I think rather than because I'm not a professional athlete, you know, I'm out here like doing my own thing and um trying to, you know, inspire other women to kind of get to the start line because the um you probably know some of the listeners, viewers probably know that like the gender gap in uh triathlon, especially long distance, is pretty low. Like in a full distance iron man, for example, you're looking at between 10 to 15 percent women on the start line, but it is getting better, and so I think for me it's um about showing up and uh you know, hopefully inspiring a few women along the way. Um, so that's part of it. Um, but yeah, I think it's I like doing different challenges. Like I say, because I'm not a professional athlete, it's not like I'm going out every year doing in every triathlon season thinking, right, I need to beat my 70.3 time. Like that isn't my purpose or what drives me. I think it's finding new uh like new events and thinking, oh wow, I've not done something, you know, with that much elevation before or for that many days before. So I'll give that a go. And so it's always like something new, something different. Um, and seeing what I can do really, um, rather than you know, wanting to, like I say, beat a PB every year. Because I'm that doesn't really interest me, to be honest.

SPEAKER_00 6:41

Yeah, and one thing I like that you do is like it's not just right, and this is a part of it, let's go longer. Because I think that's something I think people almost fall foul of sometimes. They're like, the only way I can change is to get longer, and it's not, it's like you can go and do a different event, or you can go and travel to that country, or you can go and try this new thing. And I feel like you do that really well. You kind of like bounce about all sorts of styles of racing, places, uh events, which is which is quite cool because then you get the full experience of it all, don't you?

SPEAKER_02 7:12

Yeah, I think that's exactly it, and I totally agree. I think, especially in like the modern world that we live in with social media, it is you can constantly be comparing yourself or yeah, falling into that trap of like, right, okay, well, I've done a half marathon, I need to do a marathon, and then I need to do an ultra marathon. And yeah, I have done ultra marathons, and even like like I say, this triathlon that I'm gonna do has an ultra marathon in it, but I'm certainly not going right, okay. Well, I've done a 50k, I need to do an 80k or 100k. Um, I'm not saying that that won't ever happen, but well, I'm sure it won't. I mean, multi-day events are like a whole nother level, and like the lack of sleep thing. That's what I liked about Monster Triathlon last year was that I was in a hotel every night, right, with a full buffet breakfast every morning. It wasn't like the spine race, for example, where you're not sleeping or you know, getting half an hour's sleep on the like in the middle of a field somewhere or in a shed somewhere. Um, yeah, the lack of sleep, I'm not sure I could do that, to be honest. But and I think I'm I'm in a fortunate position where you know I work with I'm an ambassador for sports shoes and they often invite with Nike ACG as well and invite me to some incredible events that um you know I get to like showcase and be a part of. Um and so they're things that yeah, I probably wouldn't sign up to if it was if it was that off my own back. But when the opportunity arises, I'm like, okay, well, this is a cool thing to do, I'll go and do it and uh give it my best shot, really.

SPEAKER_00 8:44

When you were when you were training for that first 70.3 and you said like it was that zero to Iron Man in sort of nine months, when you finished the 70.3 and you realized I've kind of got to do that again, literally double the distance in X amount of time. Did you regret signing up for that Iron Man at that point? Or what was that, what was that feeling like?

SPEAKER_02 9:06

No, I don't think so. Apart from the fact that um fueling wasn't great at that point. I remember being in so much pain on the run, being like, I either need to go to the toilet or I need to like throw up because I'm like my body is not handling what is going on right now. So I actually like spoke to a nutritionist to be like, please help, because there's no way I'm gonna be able to get through the Iron Man if I feel like that. Um, and so working that out was really important for me personally, and I think that's something that you know, especially when people are getting into triathlon, and even you know, like running and stuff, like fueling is a massive part of it. And if you don't get that right, obviously everyone's different. We can handle different types of nutrition or and we can handle different amounts, and it's about finding out what works for you because everyone is different, um, and making sure that you nail that. Otherwise, you're not you're simply not going to be able to complete it. Like, you know, you can't run a marathon on no nutrition, it's never gonna happen, let alone uh you know, an Iron Man that's gonna take you 12 hours plus, for example, you know.

SPEAKER_00 10:15

There's so like there's so much in nutrition, isn't there? And like I feel like everybody is so different and there's so much nuance in it. It's hard to almost talk about it. Uh, because you can't you can't give it like a you have to do this and you have to do this and you have to do this, because everybody is gonna have different levels of carbs that they need, everybody's gonna have a different kind of salt intake that they need. But I think the most important thing is just making sure that it's something that you address, because I think some people just go, that's too complicated, I'm gonna ignore it. And if you ignore it, it's gonna be at your detriment, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02 10:50

Oh, yeah, absolutely. Like, you know, you hear it, it's like rule number one, don't try something new on waste day. If you haven't been, you know, trying to consume gels in your marathon training, and then you get to the marathon and you try and smash six in that, you know, four or five hours, however long it's taking you, you're probably gonna get yourself into some trouble or have to like visit the portaloo a few times, which nobody wants when you put in all that training. Um, so yeah, it's about like figuring out what works for you. And I think I what I learned was don't eat too much. I was probably doing the opposite. Um, I mean, I'm a very like hungry person anyway, and I love my food. So I saw it as an opportunity to like eat as much as I could, and actually, it was about no, no, don't eat quite that much. Like, because by the time you get to the run, you're gonna feel absolutely full. You know, on the bike, I was like eating sandwiches and like stuff as much as I could. Like, um, so yeah, it's about and like maybe leaving it for the last hour, like don't eat solid food on the bike and like transition to gels before you get to before you get to the run. But uh yeah, I've certainly had my uh fair share of incidents, let's say, uh, and learnt the hard way. But um, I think I've just about nailed it now. I know how much I can, and that's why you know what, because I do a lot of trail running as well. That's why I like trail running because you can eat proper food. Like, you know, when you're road running, you do generally uh have to rely on gels a lot more. Um, and I think like 99% of people, if you had the choice, you'd rather eat proper food over gels. Like that's that's pretty standard. Um, so you know, like the Rice Krispie bars and stuff like that, or just energy bars or whatever, you're able to eat those on a trail run because you're not running as fast, you're not gonna get a stitch, you're walking up a hill, and you can take that, you know, five-minute recovery to eat some proper food, and then know that you know you're not running at like your max speed and you're gonna like feel rough for having taken on like some proper food. So yeah, trail running, I love it because I can eat proper food.

SPEAKER_00 12:59

I I've been out with people like over the years, and you you kind of you you know the experienced trail runners versus the people that have just started doing it almost by the nutrition that they take on a lot of the time. Like I've been out with mates that'll get out what what looks like a full-scale picnic out of their bag. I'm like, mate, you've done some press beer, haven't you? I like this.

SPEAKER_02 13:21

Oh yeah, like the corn corn picnic eggs are my favourite, like special. Um, you know, but that's it. You literally like when you're trail running, you literally can, as long as it's you know, all the all the carbs, you can eat a full sandwich whilst you're you know trail running. Why not? Like um you you can you can totally do it. And you know what that I always think the checkpoints at trail runs, and especially like smaller events, they're always absolutely mega, like way better than any triathlon event. Like, you know, you're not finding like you know, some Jaffa cakes and all that kind of stuff that and crisps as well, like they always have crisps because of the salt, right? So um you always find them at like trail events, and you don't get that in triathlon, you don't get like very sorted crisps at a triathlon sex point.

SPEAKER_00 14:11

It's the small things to make you happy, evidently. Um give me a bag of McCoys and we're all good. Um take us back to that finish line then of that first that first Iron Man. Um, what was that like? Because to go from zero to that point in nine months is such a short period of time, but it's also quite a long period of time when it's the thing that you've been looking at for that basically three quarters of a year.

unknown 14:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:35

So when you finish it, you complete it, you've done it, you've got that medal. What what is that feeling like in the first instance?

SPEAKER_02 14:43

Like sheer exhaustion, to be honest, like get these shoes off. Uh it was so it was in Barcelona in October. So I'd had like the whole kind of spring summer to be able to train for it, and then obviously like 70.3 throughout that um like in the uh like late spring in the May to kind of prepare for it. So, you know, you spent your whole summer like working through that like missing social events because you have to do like five-hour bike rides every weekend and you know, three hour runs getting you ready for it. So I think it it's just a real sense of achievement, isn't it? You know, when you cross that line and that Iron Man took me like 12 hours, 46 minutes, it's that's a long time to be exercising. You know, I started, um, it was, you know, the sun was just coming up on the beach in Barcelona, and then by the time I finished, it was dark, it was like 10 p.m., you know. So you're like, I've literally spent all day doing this. And I think everyone goes when whenever you kind of achieve something that you've never done before, you're like, okay, that's it. Never again am I doing something like that. And then very quickly you forget like the pain and like how awful it was, and then you're like, okay, I want to do that again. But uh or you know, and actually I haven't done a full Iron Man since. Um, I mean, I've obviously done other things that have taken that long um and big long days and multi-day events, but um yeah, I think it's it's just a real sense of achievement knowing that you can like stick to it and it's that consistency, and it's like showing up for yourself and reaching your potential and proving to yourself that you are capable of hard things. And uh if you stick at something, um you will be able to get there, and it doesn't really matter what that looks like for you know, again, it's the comparison thing, it doesn't matter what other people are doing, it's just like pitting yourself against yourself, really. Um, you know, you've set out to achieve something you wanted to do, and when you do it, it's just like, oh yeah, I I I can do that. And I I was able to like put my, you know, put my heart and soul into something and achieve it ultimately.

SPEAKER_00 16:53

And I think that's the thing, isn't it? Like that's one of the most important messages that I think people try to share, and a lot of people do it well, some people don't do it that well. I think you're one of the people that does do it incredibly well. It's that thing of like, you know, if you want to do something, you genuinely can. Like, I think people will hear your story, hear the things that you've done, and we'll get into a few more of them very soon, um, and be like, yeah, nah, there is absolutely no way that I could do that. But genuinely, and I've said this to so many people over the years, if you're listening to this and you want to do a full distance triathlon, like it is possible if you're able-bodied and you've got the means to train, like you can, you can do that. Like it's something that you could do.

SPEAKER_02 17:36

Yeah, I mean, yeah, I think I have that because of the job that I do, I always say this like I'm very privileged that I don't work a nine to five, so I have the time. And I think, especially like being a woman as well, and then you look at other accessibility issues, like it's not as simple as you know just being able to do it. I think that there's elements of truth in what you're saying, of course, but there are barriers to entry, and like that's that's the point. And like the sheer cost of like signing up to an Iron Man is quite obscene, and I understand why. Um, but I think like we can't ignore those things, but also just the actual time, and I think it depends what you want to achieve. If you want to go into it going, I just want to complete it, then yeah, I think that is possible to some degree. I mean, you still have to make the cutoffs, right? Like, and um you have to be, I don't think you can turn up to an Iron Man having probably if you've never swum or you've never learned to swim, like learning to swim takes some real effort. And again, like the confidence on the bike, like things like that. It's like there are, I think, some certain limitations, and it um it is hard work. Like, you know, the the hours that you have to put in. And I think like some of the I'm in a community called Ten Iron Women who basically um set themselves up as uh a goal to achieve like 50-50 gender split on the start line of a full distance um triathlon event, like an Iron Man. And uh some of the girls that were in the group when I did Barcelona, they're like they were like nurses, you know, working 12-hour night shifts and um, you know, doing four days on and four days off or whatever. And I was like, I don't know how you're doing this, like how you're fitting your training around your job, like you know, finishing work at 8 a.m. and then going to the gym or sitting on the bike, or you know, just just the nature of that. I think like I'm in a very privileged position where I can train in the morning for two, three hours, go to work, can do some stuff in the evening. Um, I don't have kids. Uh, so you know, that's another thing that uh would obviously take time away from your life. So yeah, I think there's an element in truth of like anyone, anyone can do it, but there's certainly a lot of barriers to entry that prevent a lot of people um from getting to the start line in the first place.

SPEAKER_00 20:00

I think the cost is a massive one as well, like and and yeah, neglecting to mention how much this sort of stuff costs is silly because it's not just the entry, is it? It's the kit, it's everything around it. It's maybe the maybe the financial sacrifice that you'd have to make to make the time to be able to train. So yeah, there is a huge amount of barriers to entry, but I think physically most people would be able to work their way to it if they if they have the means and ability to do that, is I think what I what I kind of meant by that. I think we've we've mentioned that barrier to entry piece quite a lot. And when you're standing on the start line of these events and you are surrounded by, you know, only 15 to 20 percent women, that does feel mad. Like I didn't realise it was that low. Um what are those main barriers to entry that are preventing women getting on the start line or more women getting on the start line?

SPEAKER_02 20:56

Well, I think it's like we say, I think the cost for a start, um, I think it's um yeah, you know, role models and it's the thing of you know, you can't be what you can't see. And so it's you know, knowing somebody that's there. And I think there's some, like I say, Ten Iron Women is a brilliant community, like encouraging more women and non-binary people to the start line, as is um women in try as well, um, who are a fantastic organization doing uh mentoring schemes. And I've been a mentor for them in the past, and so it's in within those kind of groups and communities, it's just an amazing place for you know people who have a bit more experience, like myself, being able to share that with people that don't, and you know, no no question is too silly. Like when I was starting out, I had all of those daart questions that you think, oh my god, I'm gonna sound so stupid if I ask this. But it's like you have to start somewhere, but it's like anything, right? You know, you've got to learn those processes, and um yeah, again. And it's like not most people, but and I think you know, trade like you have to have a training plan, whether you've got a coach that you're paying for, which again, of course, is another cost. Um, and that's a very privileged thing to do, be able to afford, as well as a gym membership or you know, a turbo trainer, or a bike that you're going out on, as well as you know, access to a swimming pool. It's like all of these things, like, so it's not just about having having a bike that you got off Facebook Marketplace for 100 quid and a pair of trainers. It's like, oh, you need a wetsuit as well, and then you have to learn how to swim in open water because that's very different to you know, swimming in a pool at your local leisure centre. So I think it's just like all of these things combined, like it it's a lot, and it's a very overwhelming thing to kind of figure it all out. But once it's like anything, once you've kind of learned learnt the basics and kind of grasp that, then it becomes easier. Um, I can't remember the question. I think I've gone off on a subject.

SPEAKER_00 23:03

Not at all. And I think no, we were talking, we were talking about like the barrier to entry, and I think you've covered that really, really well. Um, and I think the you can't be what you can't see piece is so important as well. And I think that's why like people like yourself, people like women in try sharing the message of being able to do the sport and being able to get into the sport is so important. Um, we recently had Cat Matthews on the podcast, and we've had Lucy Charles Barclay on in the past as well. And like it's amazing to see British female athletes at the top of the sport being the ones that are kind of getting looked at as well now, and kind of I feel like getting their roses a little bit more than maybe they they have in the past because it shouldn't matter about gender, it should just matter about um you know, those two people are their stories are so inspiring in different ways. And it doesn't it's inspiring to anybody, isn't it? It's not like I'm a bloke, I can't see inspiring in that, or like it's it's mad when people think in that way. I I just I literally don't understand it, if that makes sense.

SPEAKER_02 24:11

Yeah, and I think you're you're exactly right, like to have especially like Lucy and Kat, they're two incredible athletes who are like really flying the flag for triathlon and British triathlon predominantly to um, you know, and when I started triathlon like a few years ago, you know, more than a few years ago now, I had no idea who they were, and now it's like you know, you follow the races and you're kind of behind them, and you know, they they have ups and downs just like any amateur athlete does, you know, they might be injured, and then you're like you kind of want that comeback story, and it's um you know, you kind of buy into that. So yeah, it's really interesting to follow for sure.

SPEAKER_00 24:50

Right, let's touch on the the monster last year because that's we I know we've mentioned it briefly in the multi-day thing and kind of been able to sleep in the hotels and stuff like that, and that being a little bit different to some multi-day stuff, but that was um some journey for people that don't know what the monster was exactly. Split it down for me, give me the stats, and yeah, I mean, why hat why?

SPEAKER_02 25:15

Firstly, the stats. Uh, I mean, getting up to Scotland was I mean, I live in Mandarin. We're getting up to um where was it? Like Fort William. Like that that was a journey in itself. In the car, it took bloody forever. Um, I had to like stop in Glasgow overnight because it was so far in the bloody car, let alone cycling it. Um, so yeah, on the first, so it's a seven-day event. Um, and it it was just absolutely epic. It was so much fun. Um, the first day we swam 5k in Loch Ness, which was Baltic. Like, I'm not I'm not like I'm used to swimming in a wetsuit in the lake between like I'm gonna say April, really I mean like May to September. That's like the window for most triathletes, right? Um, anyone who swims in skins, even in like 14 degrees, to me, you're absolutely crazy in a great way. Like that is insane. Like one of my closest friends is swimming the channel in a couple of months solo. She's done it as a relay previously, but she's doing it solo. And to get the official like certificate of you've done it, you you have to do it in skins, which means just a swimsuit, no wetsuit. You have to do it just in your swimsuit. Um do you know how cold the channel is? Like you get in when you go to the south coast, it's bolted, it's so cold. She's gonna be in the water for like a whole day, like you know, 22, 23, who knows how long because the tide and stuff, you can't really predict how long it's gonna take. But yeah, to me, that's just like wild. So I mean, Luck Ness was cold, it was like nine degrees, and I was in a thermal wetsuit. This thing is like this thick, and it's like it's more like a surf wetsuit. It is still a swimming wetsuit, it's like fleece lined, and then I wore I had neoprene boots on. You couldn't see like any skin apart from literally like this bit of my face. I had two swim hats on, as well as like a full neoprene balaclava. I had two pairs of neoprene gloves on, I had a swimsuit, a tri-suit, and then my wetsuit. So I was wearing three layers and I managed to do the full 5k, um, which I wasn't sure. I mean, I can I can swim 5k in open water, like that isn't the problem. It's swimming 5k in open water, wearing all those clothes, which is also really hard because you literally feel like Mitchell in man, and like being able to survive it because that is the kind of temperature that you can really get hypothermia, you know, if you're not used to it. And um yeah, it wasn't nice. It really wasn't nice. Like I could actually feel like my organs kind of shrinking um by the end of it. It yeah, it wasn't it really.

SPEAKER_00 28:02

You chose to do that, hey? Yeah, which is the mad thing. I will say as well, um scroll back on Patty's Instagram, and when she's describing the way she looked, there are some photos there, and I mean it is exactly how she describes. Let's let's be fair here.

SPEAKER_02 28:16

The funny thing is when I got out, there's a f there is like a photo videos of me, like all scrunched up, and I feel like I look like my dad. Like I've like gone so I look so old and wrinkled. I'm like turning it to my dad like this. Like, oh, it was just it was horrendous. Like, but I'm glad I completed it. And the great thing about Monster, you know, it wasn't a race. Like, that's what they, you know, the organizers were so good. It was such a brilliant, it was an adventure, it's not a race, it's a fantastic event. And like everyone that did it as well, that was taking part, were just like the nicest people. I've made some friends for live who you're and you kind of split into groups, right? Because then when you're on the bike, like you want to stick together with a little group and look after one another because it's like hard days, and you know, there's no like no drafting rules or like there are in normal triathlons. So it's just a much more like community event in that respect. Um, so yeah, I'm like going on a cycle holiday with like my little five that we like became really close with that we kind of stuck together throughout Monster. So yeah, then on the so swam 5k on the first day, and then it was like 55k on the bike to the first stop. Um, so by the time we'd done that, and even after the swim, yeah, I took like an hour to warm up. Like there was no way I could get on a bike, you know, like you would in a normal Tethlon, taking your wetsuit off and getting I was absolutely freezing cold. Like I couldn't feel my hands, I couldn't feel my feet. So it was about getting warm, like taking the time before getting on the bike and getting to the hotel. And then uh over the course of the next five days, we cycled a thousand kilometres. So in total, we did 1,055 kilometers on the bike, and then so that was all the way from uh Fort Augustus. I want to say, I might be wrong. I think yeah, maybe Fort Augustus is where we started in Loch Ness, and then I think we cycled to Fort William, so then it was Fort William to uh Swindon? No, not Swindon.

SPEAKER_00 30:23

So far. Uh further down than that, right?

SPEAKER_02 30:27

Yeah, no, yeah, it was more east. We ended up in Richmond, where am I thinking? Like Maidenhead or somewhere like that. Um, and then yeah, what was it? Like Maidenhead or something, and then we ran on the last day, 50k to Richmond, um, and finished uh well, finished in like Twickenham. So yeah, it was it was a it was an event, but it was you know what we really lucked out in the weather. If it was raining every day, it would have been miserable. You know, we were doing like 200k days on the bike, it was long and there were some hills, but it was it was great weather to be honest, and like I say, like the five of us um kind of stuck together and um yeah, we spent the whole day just like laughing and stopping and eating and like getting to the checkpoints and um you know crying, and we each have one of our moments being like, I can't carry on anymore. And then you know, you get to the hotel and it's like 6 p.m., 7 p.m. You shower, like wash your bib shorts, eat, and then you go to bed and then you wake up and you do it all again. It just felt like it was like this relentlessness of you know, and you're pretty sore by day like by day three. And then by the end last day, you're like, oh great, I have to run 50k. Um, which again wasn't really a run, it was like a yeah, and we stopped at like the ice cream van along the River Thames and like got ice. It was about that point, it was like just finished, like we just needed to get to the finish line, and um yeah, but it really was like an amazing event. Like for anyone who loves sitting on a bike, it's a good event, like yeah. I mean, you still have to be able to swim in Loch Ness and uh I think my swim sends it brutal to be honest. Yeah, it wasn't. I don't ever want to swim in Loch Ness ever again.

SPEAKER_00 32:16

So, no channel for you then, high.

SPEAKER_02 32:18

Absolutely not. Um, I I did actually get approached by um some of the the Ten Iron Women um crew, and some of them are doing it as a relay, and they asked if I wanted to, and I was like, absolutely not. I also think being in Manchester because you have to go down and do like some test events and stuff, um, yeah, swimming and I love swimming, but I get bored after like an hour. I don't I just find it so boring. Like I understand why people enjoy it because it is very meditative, but that's why I like cycling and running because you get to look at the view, you get to eat, you get like whereas swimming in open water, it's just head down and it's like black water. You can't, you know, every every other stroke you might look up and see a nice view, but for the most part, it's head down. And I just to me, it's like it's torture. I just can't. I do it because I have to, but any longer than 3.8k, I'm like, nah, nah.

SPEAKER_00 33:17

Best to be the worst at, isn't it? That's the thing as well, with it, with with triathlon. Like, you just have to get through it, like just get through it and then do the bit that you actually enjoy. I mean, I'm talking personal experience there, but um you you've you've said the word adventure a lot throughout this conversation, and it's it's dead interesting. Like, as you're talking about like events and races, it's always that word adventure that comes up. Like that feels way more important to you than anything else, almost.

unknown 33:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 33:46

Do you reckon that's the case? Yeah, 100%. Because I think it's like I say, um, doing doing a road race and getting a PB and trying to doing that road race every year and trying to get a faster time. Like, I understand why people want to do that, and that's fine. That like, good on them. That's just not what it motivates me or drives me. I want to like go out and enjoy the scenery and like see incredible nature. And so, you know, getting the opportunity to go and do like Slate Man in June in Snowden, like, yes, I'm aware I'm going to have to get up Snowden after having already been exercising for probably 15 hours that day. Um, like that's an adventure. And it's like, you know, if I don't complete it, then it doesn't it doesn't matter. I'm not a professional athlete. It's like I'm doing it because like I want to, and it's gonna hopefully not rain because it'll be bloody miserable if it rains. Um it's so miserable. I just think like that bike course as well, because it's like 2,400 meters of elevation over the like 180k, it's just like there's nothing too horrendous in terms, you know, there's climbs on that steep, but it's just constant, like lumpy. Just think like if you can't take some real speed downhill because it's wet, and then you're climbing when it's wet, that's miserable. That's when I don't want to do it. But I'm not gonna pull out because it's raining. I might just go really slow so I don't make the cutoffs.

SPEAKER_00 35:13

Get that wetsuit back on, Hattie. Get that fleece line wetsuit back on. Um when you started all this, like on as well.

SPEAKER_02 35:19

It's like, you know, you can't predict it. And as much as, you know, with the awful weather that we've been having lately, um, you know, in my marathon in my training, I'm meant to be doing like 18-mile like trail runs. I'm like, I just, I just can't bring myself to do it. I'm like, I'm gonna do a 16-mile like like run up the canal because I know that's gonna be a lot quicker than an 18-mile trail run in the miserable like four degrees and like wind that we've been having. If it's lovely and sunny, don't get me wrong, I'll be up at 6 a.m. going for the sunrise, and like that's a completely other, completely different story. But yeah, the bad weather, I just I can't fucking it is brutal.

SPEAKER_00 35:58

It has been brutal. Yeah, I mean, it like what was that? There was that mad stat that it rained like every day till like the middle of March or something. You're like, this is this is proper, proper belief.

SPEAKER_02 36:10

Yeah, anyone who's been training for a marathon, a half marathon like, yeah, it's been a brutal winter to get through it. And you know what'll happen? Manchester and London marathon will happen, and it'll be like the hottest day all year. All these poor people that have trained in the grimmest winter that we've had, they won't be prepared for the heat because we haven't had any heat, and then everyone will get bloody sunstroke, which is what always happens, isn't it?

SPEAKER_00 36:35

When you started all this, like taking taking me all the way back to that first 70.3 and then that first iron man, did you ever think that you'd have like this platform that you've got now and kind of be almost um you know, in the position where people were asking you to have these experiences? Like that feels because that's all developed like so much over the last few years. Is that how like how do you feel about that whole that whole thing? Because it's kind of just happened, right? As well as you put effort into the building of it.

SPEAKER_02 37:04

Yeah, it has happened. Um I'm really, really grateful that um, especially like sports shoes, who I'm an ambassador for and Nike, um, have like given me that opportunity to you know shout about them and you know, represent them because um it is it's just something I love and I think I'd be doing it anyway. Yeah, um, so to be able to, you know, get the opportunity to go to events and um and I and especially without the pressure, like I say, I'm not a professional athlete, so it's not like I've got um those brands saying, right, well, you do have to perform, and if you don't win or come second, we're gonna, we're gonna get rid of you. So um I think that's a really a really privileged position that I'm very grateful to um be able to have. And I think, again, like I said earlier, for me, a lot of it is about, you know, if I can share my journey, you know, I'm aware I'm not like a normal person in the sense of, like I say, I have the privilege of only working for a few hours a day, that I'm able to fit in much more training in my schedule than perhaps the average person. Um, but I do believe that, yeah, you know, if I can inspire a couple of other people to, you know, get to the start line or, you know, do their first five couch to five K or whatever, you know, I'm not saying just because I've done an Iron Man or a seven-day triathlon that that's what everyone has to do. But if it means that, you know, it gets people moving and you know, moving their body in a way that is enjoyable to them, having new adventures like getting out their comfort zone or you know, going to experience nature, whether, you know, even if it's going for a hike because they see that I'm doing trail running and stuff, then that is that's that makes me really happy. So I'm really grateful to you know the brands that I work with to give me that yeah, the platform and the opportunity to be able to do that and to get to experience really cool events as well. And we're awesome kit in the process, so yeah.

SPEAKER_00 39:06

And I think it's that's the sort of thing of like you're almost giving people the ability to have those moments because you will have had so many moments over your like your career of doing these races and having these experiences, doing ETC, being up in the Alps, looking at the amazing views, thinking, like, this is insane I'm here, but sometimes it's even it's just as good if you've got out of bed at five o'clock in the morning, gone for a sunrise in the local hills, been up there and been like, this is unreal. But without any of this, um, and without having the experiences you've had, those little things would never they'd never have been an option, would they? They would never have happened, which I think sometimes is the is the biggest thing about all of this. It's giving yourself and in your instance giving others the ability to to have those moments, which yeah, like they're the things that really do stick out, I think.

SPEAKER_02 40:01

Yeah, absolutely. And I think, like I say, for me it is it is about the adventure and the challenge and kind of pushing yourself and saying yes to things that you might otherwise not, and and also like being okay with like failing, because yeah, you might not you might not make the cutoffs, and that's okay. Like, you know, we're amateurs, we're not professionals, so it's like give yourself the opposite like failing or not getting to the finish line, actually, to me, it isn't a failure because of all the work that you've put in, you know, just because you didn't meet that checkpoint and you didn't make the cutoff, that doesn't mean that all the work that you did in training was completely nullified. You still did that, nobody can take that away from you. So whether, you know, you got a puncture and that's what happened, or you weren't quite fast enough on that day because you didn't have enough sleep, it doesn't mean that your training was wasted. And it's all like a it's it's all part of the journey. And you know, you never know what's gonna happen, happen on race day, and anything can happen. And I think that's especially in triathlon, like I think you can like plan a little bit better for road races, like half marathons and marathons, but ultimately you still never know what's gonna happen. Um, but a lot a lot can go wrong in triathlon specifically. So I think that's that's the nature of it is like you know, preparing yourself that things can go wrong and things might be out of your control, and it's like a life motto, not just in like my sport and fitness kind of world. I always say to myself, like, control the controllables, and you know, it whatever your journey looks like, again, it's that thing of like comparison. If on race day it doesn't work out the way that it was meant to for you, like that doesn't mean it was a failure. Yeah, okay, you might not have got to the finish line at all or in the time that you wanted to, but does that make you a failure? Well, no, because you showed up in the first place, which is better than you know somebody who didn't even bother getting off the sofa at all, you know? So, which I know is really hard to do when you're in the moment if you've got a certain expectation for yourself, or you know, you've really wanted to get that certain time. But especially when we're not professionals, I think it's you know, we have that ability to be like, well, I showed up and I gave him my best, and that's all that really matters. And I had a nice day out and I met some nice people, and you know, I've made so many friends through triathlon as well. Like the I like a really good friend of mine. I met her at the end of a 70.3, we're in like the recovery bit, and um, yeah, she's like now a really close friend of mine. She cycled around the whole like coast of Brita of Britain like a couple of years ago, and now we're really good friends and we cycle together loads. And you know, I think that's the beauty of it. It's like when you're not a professional, you don't have that pressure to um to perform at a certain level. So I always say, like, yes, I take myself seriously in terms of my training, and I show up and I want to do my best, but also I don't take myself seriously in terms of well, there really isn't that the need to put so much pressure on myself. Like it's about the adventure and the journey and the challenge and what you learn along the way. And if things go wrong or not how you potentially planned or expected, then like kind of taking check of that and being like, Well, that's okay. It's like it's all part of the journey and the process, isn't it?

SPEAKER_00 43:31

I think that is so important because sometimes you do have to take that step back and check in with yourself. Because I don't know if you've you've fallen foul to this, Hattie, but I definitely have when you know you may be you may be driving down that road that you're supposed to be on, and then you do veer off a little bit into going back to thinking, oh, I should be better, I should be doing this more, I should be ha getting better times, I shouldn't have done that. I and I think sometimes stepping back and being like, Whoa, like doing what you're saying there, reminding yourself we're not professionals, we are actually just doing this for fun. I think that's dead important because sometimes it's so easy to fall off that cliff and be like, no, I need more.

SPEAKER_02 44:12

Yeah. I think that's for me personally, that's that is helped by doing new challenges and doing slightly different things. Yes, triathlon, yes, trail running. But if you're always doing a different event, then you can't compare to events. You can't even compare two 70.3s because you know the bike course being how long is it? 90 kilometers. Yeah, 90. Like that bike course is always going to be different. You know, there might be, you know, uh like 20 left turns that you have to come to a complete stop at or whatever. So you can't compare like any 70.3. So even if you've got whatever time and you want to get like 10 minutes or 15 minutes off, like if if the wind is in a different direction on a following day, or you know, you're in a slightly different swim, like you've swum a little bit further out, you you just can't compare like two things. And I think, like I say, if I was if I was always chasing that like half marathon time or something, that's when I might fall foul to that for myself, which personally for me, I don't think would like benefit me because that's not that's not what's gonna happen, you know. Life does go like that, and you know, there'll be things going on with work or your personal life that you know, sometimes you can't show up to all your session your training sessions in the way that you want to. And you know, that actually it doesn't matter, like taking a rest day because you just can't be bothered is absolutely fine. So I think like for me, doing the different events, doing the different challenges, it gives me that like purpose. And then I can't compare each one that actually, yes, I know that I am getting fitter or stronger, but it doesn't really matter what that looks like. Um, as long as I can, you know, try my best and like show up and hopefully get to the finish line in one piece without being injured.

SPEAKER_00 46:04

I was listening actually to um the Run Through Trails podcast, um, the head of Run Through Trails, uh James Tilley, he's a like a GB mountain runner as well. And he he was talking about fitness is fitness, and I think that's something that's super important when you're talking about like hopping around races and things because I think people think, oh, I can't go and do that because it's gonna impact this. Oh, I can't go and do that because you know it's gonna hurt me in this. And yeah, like maybe like specificity is important, but I think sometimes we maybe overanalyse that part of it, and it's like you you're not gonna lose fitness if you want to go and do a multi-day cycle. Like, that's that's not gonna you you're probably gonna help your running. So, like, yeah, give yourself a break, and if you want to do that, it's that's what it should be about. Like, if you want to do it, do it. Don't be like, I can't do that because it's gonna impact this part of my life.

SPEAKER_02 46:53

Yeah, I think you're 100% right, and like the variety, and that's what I like about triathlon as well, is like firstly the variety, but also the fact that you know, I'm not I'm not running like five times a week, you know, and you know, there if I was doing a really high volume week, like the stats are that you are more likely to get injured. Whereas because I'm sitting on the bike and enjoying cycling, like the the lesser impact of that like is a benefit, isn't it? It's you know, there's less chance for you to get injured. So it toxically. Um, and again with the swimming, it's like that holistic like approach to training, really. Um, I think is hopefully what what helps. But yeah.

SPEAKER_00 47:39

I love that you love it so much. That's the thing that I love. And like I feel like if you don't follow Hattie on Instagram, go and do that because I think she puts out like content that can just just shows that you love it as much as you do, which is yeah, which is beautiful. I think um we'll wrap with this because we have talked about kind of like that barrier to entry piece and and um the fact that you know it is difficult to get into these races. I think from your perspective, if somebody is listening to this and they're thinking to themselves, you know what, maybe it's not a 70.3 in the first instance, maybe it's not an Iron Man in the first instance, but maybe they just they just want to move more, they just want to make this a bigger part of their life. And right now they don't really know how to do that. What would be kind of I guess your advice in the first instance and how to how to kind of inject this into their life a little bit?

SPEAKER_02 48:29

Um, I would say, well, thanks for suggesting following me on Instagram for a start, but and I would say like find people that inspire you, that like you you want to, you know, not copy or be like, but do inspire you to maybe make that change that are like you or look like you that you can identify with, and you think, oh, well, if they've done it, learn about their journey and what interests them and how they got into it, and then find communities in your local area. Like I joined Manchester Triathlon Club and they're amazing. Like, so you know, my swimming improves so much as a result of joining the club. Um, and I've made some like amazing friends for life through the club as well. And it again, it's just it's finding those that like your crew, your squad that you want to do that with. It's like I wouldn't do triathlon if it wasn't for the people that I like doing it with. Like, I want to go for a run with those people, I want to go out for a six-hour bike ride with these people because I like them. I absolutely and I would never go on a six-hour bike ride on my own. Like, I just would for safety for a start, but like it, I would just find that so boring. So it's like finding the people that um you want to do that with. And I get like, you know, it's quite scary making new friends the older you get. But you know, if that's something you're passionate about, and I think especially like Parkrun is a great example of like how you know communities can be built, and you don't have to know anyone when you show up to parkrun, but there will be people that will be there week in, week out, that you know, you can say hello to every week or go for a coffee with afterwards, and you know, everyone's in the same boat, like nobody's gonna be like horrible or unkind to you if you say hello and oh, do you want to go for a run together or what other sports are you into? And you never know if somebody's part of a run club and you could go along and join them. Or I think it's just about you know, pushing yourself to be out of your comfort zone. And if something does interest you, or you are passionate about triathlon or trail running or you know, open water swimming, just show up, show up and say hello and like don't don't be afraid of like the people in those communities because they will always be friendly. There are always friendly people who will be very welcoming. Um, and I think that's that's kind of the beauty of it is like making new friendships through things that you are really passionate about and want to learn as a new skill as an adult, which can be really terrifying. Like, you know, the older we get, the harder it is to learn new skills, right? But um, I think that's also the beauty of it is like pushing yourself out of your comfort zone to do something that you might be a little bit scared of.