From Track to Triathlon with Beth Potter

Foreign.

I'm charlie redding. And I'm laura siddall and this is the tribathlon podcast.

It's such a big deal, like, you know, making, making a team and just everything that comes along with that, the emotions and, you know, all the work. It's not just one season of work. It's like, since. It's like a dream, since you were like, really, really young. And it's like nine, ten years of work has gone into that one moment of like. And it's just. It was just devastating, to be honest with you.

That was Beth Potter. And this episode is from Track to Triath. Hey, Sid, how you doing?

I'm very good, thank you. How are you?

I am good, thank you. I'm good. What have you been up to now that you're based in. In Girona?

Yeah, I'm back in Girona. Well, actually, it's the. I'm just looking at it. It's still on the tv, but I've turned the sound down. It's the Tour of Catalonia, so I think La Vuelta it's called. And they're actually, it's the individual time trial today at Vaniolis, which is a. About a 30 minute drive. And I was going to go and watch like everyone else who lives in Girona has gone up to watch, but I've had a busy day of training when I started with a run, a swim, a gym session and then I had a bike session. So I was sat on my turbo trainer, practicing my aero position, watching professionals, doing that and feeling a little bit. I don't. Not sorry for myself, but a little bit like, should I have gone this dilemma? Should I have gone to watch it? Because it's. Live sport is cycling, it's so close and we don't have that at the moment, but also that kind of like, is it the right thing to do with knowing that. Yeah. Mind you, you know, I've just traveled to America and all of that and things, and then everyone in the UK is kind of. Yeah. Still stuck at home, so. But yeah, that's. That's been my day.

This is. It's going to be an interesting challenge for people, isn't it, when they start being allowed to do things.

Yeah.

And then are they comfortable with it? Do they think it's the right thing to be doing? You know, particularly as a. As a dad of two girls that are very keen to be back at school? It's like, well, do you do that even if you're allowed to do it? Because then that increases the risk that they have to go into isolation and can't go to school. So, yeah, it's going to be a bit of a mental battle on that ground, isn't it?

It is. I mean, I'm tempted to say something here, but it's a whole conversation about COVID and pandemic that I probably don't want to go into. But at some point, with the vaccine rollout and the numbers who have, people who have kind of had it, surely we've got to get to a point where we can start living again.

Yeah. And I think the economy needs it and I think people need it mentally, I think.

And more so for you guys in the uk, I mean, I'm talking from a pretty privileged position of having traveled in the last, in the last few months and been overseas and, you know, I'm looking at my next few weeks and it still has got some travel plans and obviously they may or may not happen, but I still feel pretty lucky that I've been able to do stuff. It's not been as easy or it's not been as free and fluid as I would have done in a normal year. But. Yeah, but you guys, you know, and then I talk to family and yeah, they've not left the house since before Christmas and then, yeah, it's, it's pretty shocking. Yeah. Upsetting kind of sometimes and the ongoing effect of that and you forget about it. I forget that my mom and dad, bless them, or my, you know, mum hasn't been able to do her normal things. But yet if you always look at your mum on a pedestal as being like the one looking after you, and then, yeah, we had a conversation the other day and, you know, I kind of snapped a bit because I was going through something here and then felt massively guilty because of, yeah, they've, they've been stuck at home and yet they're always so positive and cheery towards me and I seem to be downloading to them.

Wow, that's the role of the parent, isn't it?

Yeah, but it's so hard, like, like I said, like I've been able to sort of travel a bit more, but.

Yeah, yeah, I mean, I have to admit I'm the. More there's a lot of press here at the moment around, you know, whether we're going to be even allowed to do. Well, they certainly can't do any traveling abroad at the moment, but there's Talk of a 5,000 pound fine if you feel caught traveling abroad and, you know, when that gets unraveled, my focus is the start of August. I think if I can. If we can get clear by the start of August, then I can go to Tallinn for my Ironman. And then I've got a few things after that planned as well. But between now and then, I'm hoping that we can kind of sort something out. But I can't see it being much before July, the way that they're. They're talking at the moment.

I know it's. Again, we're going down conversations are probably not qualified to have, but we seem to like now bringing in a fine for going overseas and going on holiday. Like surely we're going backwards and surely the. The vaccine and the numbers of people we should be improving from this and building up a. Yeah, anyway, yep, let's.

Move on from COVID Let's talk about moving on. Good stuff. So actually a good thing that happened to me over the weekend was that my lasered eyes are now far more adept at picking up people are cycling towards me, which I've noticed the weekend before because I spotted a cyclist that I think I even maybe said it in last week's podcast. But this week I was cycling on happily on my own Saturday morning and two ladies were cycling towards me and as they went past me, I went. That looked like Nikki Bartlett. So anyway, to cut a long story short, I stalked her Instagram page, noticed that she had the same Santini top as the person that I'd cycled past and sure enough, I've been chatting to her on Instagram as. Because she was a former guest on the podcast actually introduced by you. So. And yeah, sure enough, it was her, but not just her, it was Lucy Gossage as well. So I. They were out cycling my neck of the woods slightly.

And didn't you say she was actually listening to one of the podcasts on her way home?

Yes, she was. She was listening to the interview of Ruth Astle. So that was really cool. And it wouldn't have happened, I wouldn't have known that had happened had I not had my eyes lasered, but I did, I did message her and say, next time you're over this way and stopping for a coffee at Cafe Ventou, which I assumed was where they were heading to. Let me know and I'll buy the coffee. And she said, no, no, no, we don't do coffee.

She's definitely not a coffee ride person until you get home. And then normally she's got a run off the bike or some, another. Another crazy session that she's doing. But this, this I need to probably come down to this. Is it Cafe One too?

Because.

Yeah, sounds like all the, all the celebs hang, you know, isn't that where you met Will Clark? Was.

That is, yeah.

So, yeah, as it turns out, Lucy and Nikki didn't end up at Cafe One Two, but it is brilliant. It's a really great cycling cafe and if I'm honest, it's the one thing that makes life feel slightly normal at the moment, the ability to be able to go out on a ride. I actually said this to Nikki, I said, look, when the weather gets better and life gets more normal, I'll be dropping the cafe stop too and doing my endurance ride at the moment. This is one of life's little blessings, you know, the ability to stop for a coffee and a bacon sandwich.

Is it kind of. I assume it's sort of takeaway or.

You sit on the side of the takeaway. But it's in a. It's in a.

But it's open. So that's.

It's open so that you can, you can eat out outside, I think. Yeah, that's supposed to happen, but. But it is just a small drop of normality. So. So that is. Yeah, it's not getting dropped anytime soon for me. And anything happening in your world, what's happening in the world of triathlon?

Oh, I mean. Well, I was talking about cafe rides. We've got. It does feel a little bit like it's getting back to normal life in Girona. I'm managing to find my way around most of the cafes here, normally at the end of the ride or the beginning of the ride, which is. But that's still quite good. So Jan Frodeno opened a cafe and hotel. So I've been sort of testing out the menu there and the coffee, but what have we got? Well, I mean, it ties in with today's guests anyway. But it's Super League Triathlon, the Arena Games this weekend. So it's the second time they are putting on this kind of real life slash, virtual racing. So it's. It's going to be in London this time and it's indoors. So they swim in a 50 meter pool and then jump on their bikes and ride on Zwift and then jump on treadmills and again ride on Zwift, but obviously all together. So you kind of see them on their bikes and on the treadmill and in the pool, but then they're racing in the virtual world at the same time. Um, I think something we forget listening to some of the athletes that race the first time they're also like you. Okay, again, touchy subject. I was going to say, you know how hot it is in a swimming pool and I appreciate the UK's not been in swimming pools for a while but they're then swimming in a pool and then on the side of the pool deck basically then having to smash out a bike and a run. So that's pretty hot. But we've got. So this week's guest, Beth Potter is racing. So she's sort of been doing some virtual racing which we'll hear about. And then I think Georgia Taylor Brown is down. Lucy Charles Barkley, which is probably the big name coming from the longer side of things. Ruth Astel, she's racing as well. So former guest Helen Jenkins and then on the men's side and this is where my knowledge of the equality of the sport is shocking and biased towards the women. I know Tim Don is racing.

And.

I know, I think Johnny Brownlee and I should know the rest of the men but I haven't looked. So. Yeah, and it's going to be live coverage and Super League tend to do a pretty good job at that. It's pretty short and fast. It's like 200 meter swim, 4k bike and a 1k run and they do three races pretty much back to back and change up the order of each race.

Okay, that sounds really cool. And because I was, you know, chatted Beth about this whole training virtually thing and racing virtually and I think it's really interesting. How can people watch that? Do you know how people can watch it if they want to?

I think you can if you go on the Super League website which is superleaguetriathlon.com there's plenty of information up there and it tells you can. I think you can watch it live on their YouTube channel or on their own sort of TV on the super League website.

Okay, brilliant. So we can. Yeah, so we look out for that on YouTube. One of the things that I interested to pick your brains on a little bit in the triathlon world is I don't know if you've ever watched the Iron Cowboy James Lawrence doing 50 Ironmans in 50 days. It's actually a brilliant watch. Um, if not because of the. So he goes out to raise money for charity. I can't remember exactly which charity it was originally But I mean 50 iron mans in 50 days is in 50 states is absolutely incredible. It's off the charts from an achievement point of view, isn't it? And yet most like when he was three quarters of the way through the challenge, he'd raised next to no money. I mean like you're talking a few thousand dollars. And there was also some controversy around him doing. He did a one iron man, one of the 50 was on a cross trainer for the run because his knees were causing problems.

That's right, yeah.

There was another one where he was on a drip and people said, oh, he's taking drugs. And anyway, as a result of the documentary, he ended up raising some really good money for charity. But it's just a fascinating journey, not just from how he can actually do 1 to 50, but also the psychological journey of it not really going according to plan. So I don't know if you saw, but he's now just started doing 100 Ironmans in 100 days. I think his first one took him 14 hours and 40 minutes, I think. So what do you make of that?

Crazy. No desire at all. I know some people who tried to do a similar thing. A husband and wife couple in Australia. She was doing. She was trying to set a half distance, 100 half distance and then he was trying to do 100 full. He actually failed pretty early on and then. But she carried on and did 100 half distance events, but she was doing it and I don't know where he's doing. I'd be interested like she did it like in a swimming pool and then laps around a park in, in Sydney which is about 3k in length. So she was just riding laps around there and then running around there, which I. And then they're literally sort of camping there in a, in a van and support crew and stuff. But I mean, look, each to their own. We all have whatever goals, desires that drive us and do things. I do remember now some of the controversy around his 50 in terms of whether it was legit and of how he was doing it. But I mean there's no rules in this game. Make it up I guess as you. As you want to tick your own boxes.

Yeah, I mean this one is being done in the pool, whereas generally. So last time, because it was in 50 different states. I mean that just adds a huge logistical nightmare to the whole thing in the foot as well. But yeah, this one is in a. Is pool swimming and it doesn't look like he's doing it in, you know, moving around as much. But yeah, it's just how, how the body recovers and continues to allow him to do that is quite amazing.

Yeah, I mean, I guess, I mean actually if you said he did the first one in 14 hours, 40 or just under 15 hours. That's no slouch time at all. So he's certainly not hanging around. It'll be interesting to see sort of over the days and over the hundred days how that changes if it does or if he's just found that's a steady pace that he can sustain. Yeah. And how the, how the body keeps going and holds, holds together.

But, but doing it in that sort of time doesn't allow much time for recovery, does it? No, it's literally other than sleep. I mean, you'd kind of, you'd want to be sleeping in the rest of that and then.

Yeah, you're not, you're not doing much else for those hundred days anyway.

Bonkers. I have, I think he'd be great guy to get on the podcast. I did approach him right. In my early days, but I haven't heard back from. But he's, he's become a higher profile guy because he was on. My daughters were watching him on the. He was, he was in the world's toughest race, which they were fascinated by. This race through Fiji.

Oh, yeah, that's the teams and stuff, isn't it?

Yeah.

I've had friends that have applied for this, the next like series. I don't know when that's happening now, but.

Yeah, yeah, so, so he was, he was in one of the teams for that. There was an Iron Cowboy team. So my daughters were fascinated by that.

I now have. Sorry. I have the men's lineup for the Super League just so that we are equal on coverage of men and women. So Alex Yee. So that's going to be interesting. He's a very young, speedy up and comer. Jonathan Brownlee, Ben Dexter, another up and coming British, George Goodwin. So that'll be interesting. And then some internationals. Tim Don as well. So yeah, it could be interesting to watch.

Brilliant. Oh, I think we should look out for that. And on that note, I think we should segue into the interview with Beth Potter, given that she's going to be in the Super League this weekend. Beth Potter is a British long distance runner and triathlete and she competed for Team GB in The Athletics in 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. But sadly that didn't go according to plan for her. But in 2019, she went on to win a gold medal at the European Triathlon Championships, confirming her place as a top triathlete. So in this conversation I really wanted to learn more about how she dealt with the disappointment of being ill at the Olympics, about racing in a virtual world, about lockdown Training and also the secrets to her success in transitioning from the track to triathlon. So, Beth, welcome to the Tribeathlon podcast. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm really looking forward to finding out more about your success so far. So for those people that don't know that much about you, do you want to introduce yourself, tell us a bit about your story, how you got into the world of triathlon and what your successes along the way.

Sure. So thanks for having me on, first of all, and I guess so. I'm Beth Potter. I come from a track and field background and kind of got into track and field through swimming, actually. So when I was very young, I don't think my mum could ever get me out the water because I just love swimming. And it wasn't until I was at secondary school that my PE teacher, she was a runner and she just told me to enter this, you know, in Scottish schools, this race, and I actually finished second and then kind of from there. I remember getting asked to come along and join a run, a run, kind of squad running group, just not far from my house. So kind of as that, as running started to take off, swimming was like, I wasn't competing as much in swimming anymore and I was just doing it for fitness. So I would do that six times a week and then just kind of complement that with three run, like basically just three quality sessions of running a week and then got some success, obviously. Got success particularly with running. I was making GB teams, like after a year and a half of being in the sport and, yeah, I was really enjoying it and, you know, going on towards, like, university, I started to look at universities where I could go and be serious about running. So decided on Loughborough, set, set on going there. And then actually at Loughborough, I spent a lot of my time there injured and funnily enough, training with a bunch of triathletes at the uni. So every kind of. Every now and then when I would get injured, I'd jump in and kind of swim again for three weeks, get really, like, get better, like good in the pool again. And then, you know, I'd be back running, so I wouldn't. I would leave the swimming until I was injured again. And then obviously with having the home games in Glasgow, Commerce and then doing so well there, I thought, well, let's, let's give this Olympics a shot. So I was actually working full time as a physics teacher in London and qualified for the Olympics. And then in the back of my mind, had always been interested in triathlon, you Know, but I just. There was never a right time for me, just because I just felt like I'd never achieved what I wanted to do in the track. Um, so that was. That was quite a hard decision for me. And then making the team in Rio and then disappointingly not doing so, like, not doing very well with. In. In the race. Just having picked up a stomach bug a couple the night before, actually. Um, and that was really my turning point. I was just like, I don't. I need to kind of. You know, I was 24 at the time. It's not. Which is not old, but in my head I was like, I need to make this decision now, or is, you know, I'm going to run out of time sort of to get. To get into the sport a little bit. So I, Yeah, I just. I quit my job and I moved to Leeds. And yeah, here I am four years later, still doing it, still enjoying it. But it was. Yeah, there was definitely. It was a big learning curve and there was a lot to learn along the way and, you know, much harder than I actually thought it was going to be. So I'm glad to have stuck it out. And, yeah, the last four years has been fun and interesting and I've learned a lot about myself.

Fantastic. And what have been the highlights along the way?

So I think probably a big highlight for me was winning the European Champs, and that was probably two years to the date of actually racing in a triathlon. I moved to Leeds in 2017 and January 2017, and I'd never actually been on a road bike. I'd never ridden clippings before. Like, it sounds mad to be moving to, like, the best place in the country, the world, to do triathlon and, you know, being welcomed into the Olympic training squad here and never having ridden a bike, like, it is a bit mad. And it's no exaggeration. I'd never been on. I'd never been attached to a bike before. So, yeah, I feel like I've come a long way, but there's still, like, there's still so much to improve on, which is quite nice. So, yeah, I've been working really hard the last couple of winters and, you know, like, I don't. I feel like last year I didn't manage to showcase fully what I can do. But I'm hoping that, you know, with. With how well the races went at the end of the season, hopefully I can, you know, get some proper racing in this year and. And show everyone what I've been working on.

Fantastic. And that Olympics in Rio, I mean, it must have been an incredible experience, but also quite difficult not performing as well as you knew you were able to. Tell me about. Tell me about what it was like qualifying for that and going, and all the kind of the excitement beforehand. But also tell me about what you learned from it not going according to plan.

Yeah, it's a funny one. I've got really mixed emotions about it because it was my first, obviously, first Olympics, and it's such a big deal, like, you know, making. Making a team and just everything that comes along with that, the emotions and, you know, just all the work. It's not just one season of work. It's like, since. It's like a dream since you were, like, really, really young. And it's like nine, ten years of work has gone into that one moment of, like. And it's just. It was just devastating, to be honest with you. Like, I just. Yeah, I still, like, I still just wish it had been different, but at the same time, it's such a good experience and I learned a lot from it. And, you know, I just hope I can go back one day and do myself justice of, like, what I. What I know I can do.

So what did you. What did you learn from that experience?

I think it's hard because I think I was. I was really hard on myself after that race. So I think, yeah, just try and be a bit kinder to yourself. Like, things don't always go right on the day, and it was just really bad luck, really unfortunate. It was a great experience, like, to meet, like, so many people and see, like, see people do so well and just be part of the whole Olympic Village experience and everything. It was. It was great. But, yeah, and it's just hard to, like, you have to wait four years, and this year's harder, obviously, going to wait five years, but, yeah, I just. Yeah, it was great. But I'd love to go back and.

So talking about the next Olympics then. So they've already announced the Team GB, the female athletes for 20, 21, haven't they? Did that just come too early for you in the. In the. In your journey into triathlon, do you think?

Yeah, I mean, to be honest with you, I think, like, had the Olympics been this year, I think it would be, you know, I think I've made a lot. I've made big gains in the last two years, even. And I think, yeah, it. I think some with something with triathlon anyway, like, coming into a new sport, something you got to be patient with, and that's definitely something I've learned along the way with this journey that I'm on now. But yeah, I mean, yeah, the team's been picked so I just gotta, I'm gonna aim for Paris. Paris is always my long term goal anyway and I'm actually not gonna rule out Ellie because I, I won't be that old, so who knows?

Fantastic. So that, so that is the main goal, is it, to make the, the GB team for Paris?

Yeah, that was always coming into, I mean it was going to be a big ask to, to, you know, to, to do what I had in my head I wanted to do in the space of four years. So I think, you know, I'm really getting to grips with the, the event now and, you know, I've had way more experience. So I think, I think Paris is a good goal to go for.

Fantastic. And why, why did you switch from. I mean, obviously you had a swimming background, but as you say, you've never clipped into a bike before the switch. You know, what was it that really drove? That was, you know, were you falling out of love with running in any way? Was it the Olympics or was. Did you really like the idea of incorporating swimming and cycling?

Yeah, I think it's a little mixture of everything, to be honest with you. I've had all along, like since I was really young and when I was swimming and running, everyone's always like, oh, you should, you should try triathlon if you can ride a bike sort of thing. So I think there was always that in the back of my, in the back of my head. And there was obviously the disappointment after Rio, you know, and I do, I love a challenge. I really do. Like, I thrive off a challenge and I think I just wanted something new and something interesting. And also it's, it's really hard in my event in 10k to win a global medal. It's predominantly, you know, dominated by Kenya and Ethiopia. It's really tough. So, you know, that's, that's what I want at the end of the day. I want, I want a medal. And to be honest, I just didn't fully believe that I could do it on the track. So there's that. And I was really inspired actually by the burnleys back in 2012 in London. I actually was injured that year and had to completely sit out that season. So, yeah, I think a little bit of that as well. And having them here to train with Leeds is obviously pretty inspiring too.

And what is it like training with the Brownlees?

That's good. It's really good. Yeah. You Feel like you want to do well, it's good atmosphere. You feel that you want to kind of impress the best. So, yeah, it's good. I enjoy it.

So it drives you on more than you would otherwise. Is that, do you think that's true?

Yeah, well, I think it's always, I've always been of the attitude, like, train with people who are better than you because you know they can push you. So, yeah, I see it like that. And it's just, it's just a good atmosphere. It's a good environment to be around and. Yeah.

And did you learn? So obviously you had to kind of pick up cycling pretty quickly and it would seem with your success you have done. What do you think the secrets were behind getting your cycling up to? I mean, clearly, I would imagine that your strongest of the three elements is, is the running still, isn't it? Um, but, yeah, and your swimming was strong beforehand, but what, what have you done to really focused on to, to get your cycling up to a level that's, that's competitive.

So initially, when I moved to Leeds, I actually just found the volume of training just really hard. Um, you know, I'd, I'd get through Monday, Tuesday, start to crack on Wednesday, Thursday I was exhausted. So, you know, I think year after year I've just seen, I've just seen a complete change in being able to cope with the training load and being able to back up sessions like day after day. So that's definitely been key. And, you know, I've really put an emphasis on making sure that my swim, that I prioritize sessions around swimming and biking. So, you know, if I'm tired, the first thing to go is a run or gym just to make sure that I, I do those swims in those bikes because ultimately that's my weakness. So I, I need to do, I need to do those bits. Um, but yeah, with, with the bike volume, you know, just, just riding. I just needed time in the saddle, to be honest. I, you know, I just needed to get, get good at doing that. And the same with swimming, really. I just needed time in the water and, and I had a lot of input with my coaches on my technique because that was the. A little bit out the window. So I've been working really hard on those now for a couple of years, so I'm hoping, hoping it's going to come good.

And how has training been during lockdown for you? You know, have you been swimming? Have you been having to jump in some cold water or, you know, what have you been up to there. Yeah. So how's lockdown been to you?

Lockdown was hard. Yeah. Not gonna lie, it was really tough. And I spent in the first lockdown, I spent a long time out the water and then, yeah, was in, was in the lake earlier than usual. So, yeah, it was, it was really tough. But, you know, since. Probably since Hamburg now, I've been. I've been in the pool like consistently, you know, five, six days a week. And I really feel like my swimming's come along a lot since. Since back then. So, yeah, especially with the second and this third lockdown, I've been able to swim. So that's been really, really good for me. And then luckily I just, I just continued with a bit of a winter block really all last summer. So I always, just, always said I just needed a little bit more time in the bike. I just needed a little bit more time to get better. And I had that last year and I had, I had time to not rush it and just, just carry on with a winter program and get strong. So that was actually that kind of played in my favor a little bit, just having that extra time just to get better.

And we were talking before we started recording about something that helped you during lockdown. Do you want to tell us what really helped you?

Yes, he's here. He's actually. They say let sleeping dogs lie, so I'm going to let him lie. Yeah. Bit of a impulsive thing to do, but I'd always. I always wanted a dog and it just was never the right time with like going away and traveling and my mum wasn't. My mum hadn't retired yet, so she's never retired. So. Yeah, so he's, he's got somewhere to go when I'm away and he's got a big. An uncle up there as well, his big brother Harry. So, yeah, it's been great having Charlie because especially like living alone and stuff, it's quite hard. And in the lockdown, you know, it's not having. Not being able to have people around for dinner and just like, see friends properly. He's been, he's been great and he's been doing some runs with me recently. So, yeah, he's a good, He's a good training partner every now and then.

Fantastic. And he's got a fine name, so well done.

He does, he does. He's gorgeous.

And. And you've also been embracing racing in the virtual world, haven't you?

Yeah, this is just. I was hoping to do the last lot, but I had a knee injury that I picked up in between the last two races of the season and basically I just needed to rest it, so I had to, I had to pull out of the last round. But, yeah, really enjoying these races on a Wednesday night. Didn't think I'd be so competitive, but it's, it's been good. I think the hill, the hill climb works in my favor a little bit, so. And the fact that there's a run in there as well, that's also quite good for me.

So it's, it's really interesting. There's a lot of people. You know, I was always a trainer, road user and just got it done and if I could be, if I could possibly be outside, I would be.

Yeah.

Whereas now I'm finding myself embracing Zwift. And actually, you know, I look out the window and I think, well, it could be a bit icy. Do you know what? I'll just, you know, I'll hedge my bets and stay indoors. There's been a real, kind of, A lot of people have obviously been forced to embrace virtual cycling. How do you think that's going to change your training going forward?

I mean, I think I'd always rather get outside, but, yeah, with the weather being the way it's been the last couple of weeks, it's been tough. I think the key is to keep it fun and keep it interesting. Like these Zift races on Wednesday night are really fun because, well, they're super hard and they're kind of short and sharp and you get quite a lot out of it. So, yeah, I'm really enjoying them, actually. It's good fun. And then also, I don't know, I think it's difficult because you don't get the skills when you're on a trainer. You know, you don't get the cornering practice and the riding in a group practice. So I think that's really beneficial when you're out in the road just picking up those skills that, you know you're going to come across in races and stuff.

Yeah, yeah, I mean, I, I, I agree, and it's still much better being out on the road, but I think people, my instinct is that people will use the Turbo Trainer more going forward than they probably would have done previously, because I think, you know, the platforms have, have done well to kind of give us a way of making it enjoyable. Whereas, you know.

Yeah, oh, definitely.

Turbo sessions used to be torture, didn't they?

Yeah, they did, yeah. Even like, I quite enjoy making the, or like putting the workout that my coach has given me into Zwift, and then it gives you a little dial of what powers you have to hit. So I think that that makes it quite fun as well. And just make sure you make your recovery easy enough. I've made the mistake of not actually being able to hit my recovery watts because it's been too hard.

So that sounds like good advice. How was Sid asked me to find out what the children made of you qualifying for the Olympics when you were their teacher.

Oh. So I just would get started at the running club at school and the kids knew that I. Oh, I went under Elizabeth, though, at school. So my badge, it was Ms. E Potter. So the. They didn't know, you know, they couldn't really Google me until they. They worked out that I was Beth and not Elizabeth. So, yeah, they knew I was a pretty serious runner. And then I would take the running club at school every Thursday morning and then they were like, oh, miss, you going to Olympics? They kept asking me every week, it's like, miss, you going to Olympics? You go to Olympics? And I was like, no. Like, stop asking me. I don't know, I don't know. And this. I was very quiet one week because I was very nervous because I had the trial at the weekend and I just didn't tell anyone and I was just a bit off because I was just. I was just a bit distracted. And we went to this trial on this Saturday night and obviously finished second, qualified for Olympics. But it wasn't like official official, was it? Because the other trials were like, a month later. But I knew I'd qualified, I knew I was going, it just hadn't been announced. Anyway, I came into school on Monday and we had our year team, like, meeting, so it was like. I think it was teaching. I had a year 10 tutor class and we're standing outside the hall about square and one kid, I remember who it was still came up to me, said, miss, are you going to the Olympics? And I was like, yes, yes, I'm going to the Olympics. And he was like, what? Announced to the whole, like, year group, Mrs. Going to the Olympics. I was like, oh, God. I just. From that moment on, I just couldn't concentrate. Like, I was trying to teach lessons and I'd be distracted every three seconds or I was trying to plan lessons and I just couldn't. I just couldn't. It was weird. I just was on a different planet for the last two months of school. Just. Yeah, it wasn't me. I was just distracted. It was like I was winding down for the holidays already and I still had two months of. Two months of teaching to go. I just couldn't. I just couldn't concentrate. It was. It was hard. It was tough.

I was quitting to. To dedicate yourself full time to triathlon.

Well, I felt a bit bad about that because. Because I'd spent all that summer away, you know, on training camps or away in Rio. I didn't actually, like, literally arrived back and I was back in school. So I had, I had an. I asked for some time off. So I had maybe three, four weeks off. And then during that time I made my decision that I didn't want to. Like, that was it. I was going to move to Leeds and that was kind of. I needed that time, I think, to be honest, to. To make a decision. I hadn't really had a break or anything, so, you know, made. Made my decision and then actually had to go back and hand my notice in. And it was a. It was like an awkward two months after that, up until Christmas. So I don't know. I think I made the right decision. And yeah, I loved my job in London. It was really good and it was a great school and the kids were lovely and I really did enjoy it. I miss all my friends down there, but I think it's just this is a bit of a one in a lifetime kind of situation and I just. I knew I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't at least try it. So I'm glad I. Yeah, I'm glad I did it. It was a bold move, one for making bold decisions. But, yeah, I think it's paid off.

Fantastic. Well, yeah, it's. Yeah, it's definitely a brave decision. But yes, the worst decision would be not making it and then wondering for the rest of your life, wouldn't it? So that's.

Yeah, exactly.

And you've obviously been troubled with a few injuries over your career. Have you kind of changed your training or adapted your technique or done anything to try and mitigate those injuries going forward?

So I think when I was, when I was running, I was actually really quite injured, especially at uni. And I think especially, like for anyone who's listening, who is maybe, you know, running or, you know, doing a kind of higher impact sort of program, I just found it really difficult being able to cope with a load, having come from a swimming background. So, you know, when I went to uni, I was running like I was going from running three times a week, not very much mileage, to running, you know, twice a day. And it was hard I just, I just couldn't. And it wasn't like I had a lot of bone injuries, like stress responses and stress fractures, and it was nothing to do with, like, my diet or, you know, anything like that. It was just to do with the training load. I just couldn't hack it. It just was too much to me. And, and I think, like, you see, you see that a lot, especially with, like, going away younger, younger athletes, going away from home and going to university. It's just, it's quite a hard adaptation because you're suddenly like, living, you know, you're doing everything on your own, whereas your parents were doing all for you before. And also I was, I was quite young. I was only 17 when I went to uni, so that was even, even harder as well. And then I think coming to triathlon, definitely had different kind of injuries since doing. I mean, it's a different sport, so obviously you're gonna pick up different injuries. But, you know, I had, I've had a couple of like, more like muscular problems, which, yeah, to me, I've never really had that from running. I've had a bit of an Achilles and plantar fasciitis, a knee problem, random and a shoulder problem. So, yeah, definitely, definitely different injuries. And I've had to really change my S and C program to kind of, you know, help rehab those injuries and just, yeah, just getting. Picking up different niggles, which is, yeah, I guess, part and parcel of it.

So what, what changes are you making? I mean, not like in super detail, but what sort of changes are you making to your strength and conditioning to try and kind of prevent these injuries going forward?

So obviously when I was running, it was more a kind of run program, whereas now the strength and conditioning is, you know, more kind of focused towards like, swimming stuff. So, like upper body and a lot of it's single, you know, like single leg dominant now, like for the bike, like pedal pushing power and stuff like that. So it has, it has changed quite a lot. And yeah, I think as well, like Touchwood, haven't since, since I've been doing this program, haven't had any lower limb kind of injuries. So that's been, that's been really good.

And do you think. You see, you said that obviously Paris next, maybe la. So does that mean that you're not going to go towards, you know, like Al Brownlee going towards the long course? Or are you kind of. Have you got any thoughts to switching to longer distances?

I haven't thought about it, no. I think they love the distance. Is the one for me. But I don't know. Never say never. I mean, who knows?

So do you, have you run marathons? Because obviously that's, I'd imagine that's the one bit of the longer distance you might. Have you run marathons in the past or not?

No, I've never run a marathon. No, I think the longest I've ever run is 15 miles. So I, yeah, like when I was running I was on high, like high mileage, quite high mileage. But I've always, you know, like my, my long runs would never be more than 1112 miles. We tend to cover volume within a session. And so a lot of, a lot of my mileage was done at like pretty high quality. So. Yeah, and I've 15 miles. I got lost on that run. But yeah, I don't usually run longer than like just now. I think I run like 30 miles a week. I don't run very, very much. So.

Okay, fantastic. And, and what about training during the winter? Have you, obviously this will be more difficult now with the dog, but have you disappeared like Sid. Do you disappear off to sunnier climates or do you just kind of thrash it out in the snow?

I mean, I would definitely prefer like a two week break somewhere this winter, but I, I've always just quite liked being at home. I like, I'm a real stickler for just like routine and you know, being in one place and just. I like being here because I know, I know where I know everything. It's just, I don't know, I mean, definitely if the weather was a bit better, I'd take that. Like I would have taken two weeks in Spain at some point. But no, I'm quite happy just staying in Leeds, to be honest. Well, I suppose I like it.

With your accent, I'm guessing you're fairly used to the kind of snowy conditions that we're currently experiencing.

Yeah, you see that. But I haven't lived in Scotland since I was 17, so it's a good 12 years now. So it's, this is definitely. I was saying to my mum the other day on the phone, this is definitely. I was like, what this, this is such a bad January mum. And she was like, yeah, but this is, that's every year in Scotland. I'm like, yeah, but I lived in London for four years before this. So I'm slowly making my way up, back up the country. But it's definitely, this has definitely been the worst winter for me since I don't know, probably being at school.

Yeah, it is. And it's and it does mess your training up, doesn't it? I mean do you, do you still, I guess you're running on the track, are you? But do you still, do you like, do you prefer running on the track or out in the countryside? What would you, what would you take and what would you do at this time of year?

So I like, yeah, I love the track but I've got a bit of a love hate relationship with the track. Like you know, if it, if, if it was hot and sunny right now, I know I could be running. I just need the weather to change and I'll be running fast. So that's, that's tough like especially running on the track when it's horrible conditions. But yeah, I do, I do like track workouts so they're, they're one of my favourites of the week.

So more so than running on the trails.

Yeah, that's roll your ankle territory for me. Yeah.

And are there any products that you think, you know, don't mind whether they're gadgets or running shoes or whatever? There are, but any products that you think have just been brilliant and really helpful for you?

I do like the carbon shoe and which, which shoe? So I'm with Asics so I'm just trying out their new ones. Yeah, I'm a big, I like the carbon shoe. I think it's good. It's also like a bit of a, you know, if you're having one of those days where you're like, oh, I'm a bit tired to put the shoe on. It's just like it changes everything.

How does it change everything?

I don't know. I think it's like a bit of a placebo. It's like I've got the shoes on now, I can run fast, I can do it. I can do anything saying that though I do like their non carbon shoe as well. So. But yeah, what else? I think the game changer is the, the watch's music as well. That's, that's good. The, the Garmin watch that has music on. Yes, that's. Oh, that's much easier now I can just download all my Taylor Swift onto the watch and not have to worry about having my phone as well. So that's good, enjoy that. But yeah, no, I think those two are the two for me, to be honest. Yeah.

Okay, fantastic. And you mentioned a six, were you, you were involved with a, some research around mental health and with the charity mind, weren't you? Is that, is that right?

Yeah, so we did, we had to do a post on and they were donating one pound for every sunrise selfie to main charity, which I think is a really good initiative, especially, you know, especially well timed during this lockdown as well. And I actually, I noticed last year on my street, so my street is only about, I don't know, 50 meters long and it's now loads of like young couples. And I don't think I've ever seen anyone go out and run in my street. And they all must have thought I was mad. And since lockdown, everyone now does exercise on my street. I see them always going out to do exercise, which I think is really cool. Like that, that kind of changed during lockdown. And it definitely. Exercise always makes you feel better. I don't think I've ever come back from any sort of session and felt worse. Maybe if it was really cold. But I think it always. You never feel bad after doing exercise. It always makes you feel better. I think that's like. I think it's a really good idea.

Yeah, I do. I mean, I think we all know, you know, we all know that exercising makes us feel better and is good for our mental well being. So anything that can be done to promote that is a fantastic thing because I think, yeah, as you say, now more than ever, people need it. And also now more than ever, they've got the time to kind of lock in those good habits, haven't they? Because they've often gained time back that they wouldn't have normally been able to do.

Yeah. And just you see like so many more people out walking or, you know, running or cycling was big during lockdown as well. Yeah, I think it's, I think it's really, really good.

Yeah, absolutely. Do you hear any bad advice, maybe particularly in, in and around, but not exclusively around switching from, you know, from a single sport like running to triathlon. Did you, was there any bad advice out there that you thought? No, that was nonsense.

I just had a lot of people I don't know. I think it was difficult because I came into having not done one of the sports. So there was obviously a little bit of doubt about whether I could do it like I believed I could. But I think, yeah, I think there was. I'm trying to think what. Yeah. And maybe like to do with injuries and I think as well, like making sure that you stick to your own training program, like not getting roped into anyone else's. That was maybe, you know, you have to be quite individualized and just, you know, go with what is best for you because it's not an Easy thing to do. It's really not. It's hard. I did cry, I think, every day for about nine months, wondering whether I'd made the right decisions. But I think, yeah, just believing in yourself is a big one. If you. If you believe, that's like, that's half the battle. You just got to go with your gut and just go with it. It's never going to happen overnight. It's a process so brilliant.

Are there any books or any other similar resources that you found really valuable through your career?

So I follow Steve Magnus on Twitter. Have you heard of him?

I've heard of him, but I don't know. I don't follow him.

So he was the one of the, like, coaches in the Oregon Project. But he's. He always, like, tweets just. They're just really. I don't know. Like, I'm always. He's just like a fountain of knowledge, wisdom. So I really. Even when I see one of his tweets and I read it, I'm always thinking, oh, yeah, I often retweet them. But I've listened to his podcast as well, so I think it's the passion paradox. And there was one, actually. I was really struggling in training back in the summer. I just couldn't find any sort of swim fitness at all. And I remember listening to one of his podcasts when I was at running, I think, and he said something about doing a power pose. So it's just you kind of like, find a stance or like, you know, kind of like put your race face on and just kind of get into the zone and just. Just pose like that for a minute or two minutes, you know? So I first, sitting in my car before swimming, just like, doing this kind of power stance and like, trying to. Trying to feel like, man, I've got this. I'm gonna go swimmel today. I've got this. And I remember doing it. I actually had, like, I had like a. I don't know, it completely changed. I had a really good session. I was like, oh, my God, it worked. And then that kind of just got the ball rolling a little bit for me. But, yeah, that was. I really enjoyed that podcast. He's just. I just find him really, like, interesting. And he's always good. It's like he's got, like, good advice. And I'm like, I'm gonna take that. I'm gonna take that on board tonight.

So what is your power pose? I've got this vision of you kind of almost now standing on the edge of the pool. Like Superman about, you know, about to.

No, it's. I wouldn't do it on call side. I just do it. I would do it in the changing room before I go out. But just, I don't know, just kind of like a bit of a resting bitch face. Almost like, just like look like really like quite stern, like as if I've got my game face on. I'm in the zone. The gun's about to go. I'm just ready to go. That sort of, kind of almost like try to be a bit intimidating. That kind of like, you know, I want people to be scared of me, not scared of me, but, you know, like, I want, I want to look like, I mean, business sort of thing. So, yeah, I find like stuff like that as well. And just like on that topic, like kind of going, if you go to training looking the part or feeling the part, it helps, doesn't it? So like I often just like, you know, braid my hair for track because then I'm like, yeah, I'm gonna have a good session, I feel the part. So I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna run.

Well, tonight, Tony Robbins talks a bit about this and he would say it's about changing, changing your physiology. And you know, there's quite a lot of research that shows if you smart, if you're feeling really miserable, if you force yourself to smile, you start feeling happier because you're basically, you've changed your physiology and you're convincing yourself that you feel happier. So there's got to be something in that game.

Well, it's the same with tiredness. Like, I'm not, I'm not very, like, I'm not brilliant at getting enough sleep. I struggle like a little bit with like anxiety about sleeping. And I often find like, I've actually been quite good in this during this year of lockdowns. But before, what I used to do was I would trick my. You can trick yourself into, you know, telling yourself you had enough, enough sleep. So I would, I'd be quite good at that. But then it would always come back and bite me somewhere like three weeks down the line when I just would have a session where I just crumbled. I'm like, I need my bed. I need to just reset. So, yeah, like, you can like trick your, trick yourself into doing it as well. I always find a bit of music helps as well to, you know, kind of, you know, get you in. There's on a little bit as well. So that, that always helps me.

Well, I I. You need to listen to the episode that we've just released, but obviously your. Your episode will be released a few weeks later, but by Dr. Charlotte Edelston. So she is a sleep science coach.

Oh, cool.

But also is a Ultra runner, so she really understands the whole kind of. And she does a lot of research on sleep in Ultra Running. So interestingly, Sid has the same thing. She doesn't sleep. I wonder if it's, you know, linked to creating too many endorphins in the evening and then not sleeping so well.

I think with mine, it's more like I get quite anxious about it. I get anxious about not getting enough sleep. I know that sounds mad, but I get anxious about, you know, the next morning waking up and feeling tired, but then that just spirals out of control because then it's like, you know, a touchwood. I've not had it for a long time. I've been quite good this last year. I don't know that's to do with lockdown. I don't know that's to do with swimming a little bit later now, I'm not sure. But yeah, I get anxiety about alarms that are going off at six, six something. So I don't have that anymore, which is good. But, yeah, definitely something that I wish was better, but I don't know. I'm working on it.

Well, she is a really interesting interview with Charlotte, actually, and I would really recommend it to anybody that's struggling with sleep. And also there's a lot of resources in there in terms of, like, books and. And gadgets and all of those sorts of things that can. Yeah, we kind of talk about them anyway, so. So yeah, I would. I would suggest you. You give it a listen. It's interesting actually, because I found the opposite by going into triathlon. I sleep like a baby every evening. It's like my kids take the mickey out of me now about the fact that I want to go to sleep. I'm trying to stop myself falling asleep before they do because I'm just exhausted by the time I get to that point.

Oh, I know, I know. It's. It's a lot of training. When I first moved to Leeds, actually, I. I was living with Johnny for a little bit and I just. I couldn't believe how much training he did. I was like, wow, this is mad. How does he do it? How is he not tired?

Well, they're renowned for packing in a ridiculous volume, aren't they?

Oh, it's just mental. But like, the thing is, three years, four years down the line, I can do it now, so it's, it's okay. But I just, I just never thought I'd be able to get to that stage. I was just like, wow, they, they're just, they're recharged again. How are they going again? So, yes, it's definitely something that you learn to get better at and just be. You're just. Your body can cope with it after you've kind of trained it for a bit. So, yeah, no, I think it would be weird going back to. I think it'd be weird going back to just running twice a day now. It seems a bit mad to me.

So I suppose it's kind of winding things up. What are you most looking forward to in the year or so ahead other than getting back to racing? Because everyone says that obviously there's Paris that bit further ahead. But what, you know, what are you excited about in this coming year?

I think I really enjoyed, you know, like over the last three years, four years I've been doing the sport. It's just seeing the improvement year on year. Like you feel like you're back like being a kid and you just take massive chunks off all the time. Like I'm looking forward to seeing like again what another winter's done, you know, what another winter training block's done and how I can, you know, see where I'm at compared to the other girls that I'm looking forward to that. Looking forward to going to new courses, hopefully. You know, I've not actually done that many of the races on the WTS circuit, so I'm really excited about that. Yeah, just getting stuck in really. It'll be great to get back racing and yeah, just getting to see a bit more of the world again, I suppose.

Fantastic. And if you could give one piece of advice to age groupers in terms of how they improve their technique or their performance, what would that one piece of advice be?

I think I've had to learn to be really patient. So I'm usually someone that wants everything, I want it all, I want it now. But I've had to learn just to kind of slow down and just, you know, I find like setting, I actually do this with my psychologist setting like individual goals for things that you want to kind of achieve, either whether it's in like the swimming part or the biking or the running. So having like kind of short term, so that can be anything between like, I don't know, three, six, a month a year, sorry to up to kind of longer term goals. And I found that quite Useful just to like check in every now and then, see if I'm on track. But yeah, going back to being patient, I think you can't rush it because you get a bit stressed then if you rush it and it doesn't come then. So I think it's really important just to just try and be as patient as possible. I found it difficult but kind of just taking a step back and just like checking in that you're on target then. Yeah, I think that's been really, really useful for me over the last couple of years.

Fantastic. It sounds like brilliant advice. And coming back to goals, are you quite kind of strict in terms of how often you revisit them and how you structure them or you know, what, how do you go about goal setting?

So I usually have a kind of like a yearly thing. So I, I actually just sent them to Stacy the other day and they were quite detailed. I had like a recap of last year as well and to check in whether I take it quite seriously, check in whether to see if I met the ones I wanted to do last year. So yeah, I tend to break it for me just because it's a triathlon and it's, it's three sports and obviously the transitions as well. I tend to break it into like swim, bike and run. And then in each part, what part of that I need to improve on to get me to where I want to be. So I have like a list of like, you know, what I need to close the gap, where do I need to be, how am I going to get better? Like I make it quite detailed so that I can like incorporate it into like sessions or like my training program sort of thing and then how that feeds into my long term goals like you know, competing at Paris and stuff. So yeah, yeah, I just, I have it all like kind of mapped out on a kind of tree diagram. It's very detailed. So I quite enjoy like sitting down every year and doing that. I do revisit it every year whether it's like I might be two or three months out across the year. But yeah, I like to spend usually my Friday afternoons doing that. So I'll choose a Friday afternoon and do that.

I think it's incredibly powerful. I did a, I was interviewing Tim Don recently and, and we spent a lot of time talking about goals and I remember listening to Sir Chris Hoy being interviewed about the importance of him setting goals at the start. It can make a huge difference to your long term performance, can't it?

Yeah, I think it just kind of Gives you something to aim for. That's what a goal is, isn't it? That it just kind of, I don't want to say hold you accountable but you know, it's something there that tries to keep you on track and it's something that you can physically check in with. Am I doing this? Am I doing that sort of thing? So have I seen the progression? And sometimes like for the swimming ones I'll put like actual like time targets, try and hit. So we actually haven't done it yet but I want to do a 400 time trial and see if I can hit that target. So just waiting on when that's going to be. I'm so excited about it.

Brilliant. But that's the great thing about writing goals. You get excited about setting them, don't you? You and then it's brilliant to be able to go and pick them off. So Beth, it's been an absolute pleasure chatting to you. I'm really excited to see what you do in the coming years. Thank you so much for joining us and yeah, I wish you every success in the future.

Thank you. Thanks very much.

So Sid, what did you make of that interview with Beth?

Well, I mean there's actually loads I didn't know about Beth. I didn't realize that she started as a swimmer as a swimming background to start with. I love the fact that she just a little bit similar although I'm not definitely not in the same league as Beth, you know, quit her job and moved to a different part of the country. I quit my job and moved countries but to to pursue, pursue triathlon and she moved from London up to Leeds. I loved hearing the story about her school, kids at school, like working out when she'd made it to the Olympics and things like that. What else is she that like the love hate relationship with running the track sessions. I think I have again have similar from being coming from a track background and you have that sort of. Yeah, you love the sessions but you hate them at the same time. I remember when I used to do athletics as a kid and or when I was younger and like coming back after track and just having to sit on the bathroom floor because I wasn't sure whether I was like gonna throw up or like. Or I would be okay. So very much could resonate with her on those and then yeah, just interesting to hear her battles I guess with sleep as well and sort of that fear of. Fear of sleep almost. So yeah, really fascinating, fascinating chat and.

I was really interested to hear about her Olympics because you know it's great to hear stories when people, when they work for years and years and years and they get to the Olympics and it goes really, really well. But it's also interesting to hear. You know, she clearly, you know, you could, obviously listeners won't see it, but I could see, I know if you could tell from her voice, that was still very, very sore subject, but she'd learned some good lessons from it and ultimately has actually gone on, you know, and changed her sport as a result of it hasn't. Hasn't it? And it'd be, you know, it probably was a year too soon this Olympics, but the next Olympics, she could well be in a, in an amazing place for that.

Yeah, it's. Well, I'm an Olympic fan anyway. And you know, we. Coming up on the podcast in a few weeks, we chatted to Krista Colin, who has her own Olympic stories. So anything around that is fascinating, like you said, I think so often it's the success stories that you hear or that they've come overcome adversity heading into the Olympics but then had that sort of crowning moment. And so it's always fascinating. And ultimately in the day there's only a few people that have that. You know, it's sport ultimately there's only one winner and not everyone can win. So there's always going to be those stories where it doesn't quite go as planned or. And still the experiences and the learning from that as soon as so valuable still.

Yeah. And just I think she made a really good point there around just not being as hard on yourself. You know, she'd obviously put huge amounts of effort in, but kind of reining it back to, well, look, you've got to focus on what you can control. And if you get sick just before your Olympic race, that's out of your control, isn't it? There's just not much you can do about it. And so you do have to go easy on yourself at times.

Yeah, that's right.

Right. On that note, it's been great to chat to you again, Sid. So have a great week. For everybody else, keep on training. And remember, this podcast is brought to you by Brits Superfoods. You can find out more@britsuperfoods.co.uk but if you use the link in the show notes or you use the referral code of tribathlon, you'll get 10% off your orders. You'll get a free bag of juices worth £15 with every order. And those will happen forever as long as you buy from BritSuperfood. Having started with that referral code, you'll get those forever. In addition to that, you'll also benefit from that 110% money back guarantee. So if you don't see the value in it, so then, then you can. They'll give you your money back and an extra 10%. So go check out the link in the show notes or go to BritSuperfoods.co.uk and use the referral code Tribeathlon and you'll get that 10% off free shipping and free juice on every order. And don't forget to download the Tribathlon app for more amazing podcasts, but also to help you train, compete, and to build your tribe.