Lisa’s looking ahead to a return to Roundhay Park

Having taken part in her first triathlon at World Triathlon Championship Leeds last year, Lisa Singleton is looking forward to the event returning to Roundhay Park on 11 and 12 June to see how she can improve after 12 months of swim, bike, run.

“When I set off for the swim I dashed out so quick, it was unbelievable how quick I set off for me,” she explained. “Before I even got to the first buoy I was out of steam and was the last out of the water, even though I was only like the third in.

“The bike ride was good although I had issues with my chain where it kept clonking every time I changed gears so I had to stop to sort that out. I managed to complete it but it wasn’t as smooth as I wanted it to be.

“The run part, I actually want to run some of it rather than just walk it all. At the moment I’m doing a 40 second run and 30 second walk, which seems to be working for me for my training which is what I’m going to try and take on for the actual run.”

World Triathlon Championship Series Leeds aims to provide opportunities for anyone to experience swim, bike, run. Whether it’s the longer standard or sprint distance, or the shorter GO TRI distance, Roundhay Park provides a stunning setting and opportunity to give swim, bike, run a go at Britain’s most high profile triathlon event. Find the opportunity that’s right for you at https://leeds.triathlon.org/2022.

Having dipped her toe into triathlon in 2021 in Leeds, Lisa has lined up a number of events this year, however, was keen to return to Roundhay Park again.

“The atmosphere was absolutely insane, it was fantastic” she said of the event in 2021. “Everyone was so positive. The kids were positive, the adults were positive. It was great being part of it and it really did bite me, the triathlon bug.

“I did manage to see some of it [the elite action] on TV and I was absolutely over the moon because I was two minutes faster than Alex Yee on my triathlon than he was on his. It doesn’t matter that I did the GO TRI and he did the Olympic one because I was two minutes faster.”

Like in 2021, this year will also see Lisa cross the same finish line as the elite athletes because all races over the weekend will see participants making their way to the blue carpet finish down by Waterloo Lake.

The routes have been announced for the participation races in 2022, and you can view them on the event website here - https://leeds.triathlon.org/event_information/the_routes/.

Lisa is part of Team Manvers, a triathlon club based in Rotherham, with the support of coaches and other members guiding her in her swim, bike, run journey.

“I’ve had a load of support from them which is fantastic,” she commented. “At the moment, my plan is swimming on a Sunday night for an hour, I’ve got a book of guided swim drills. Tuesdays, Thursdays and either Saturday or Sundays is the running, then Wednesday night is turbo sessions at the club and they also do a Zoom part so you can link in from home.

“If I’m on my own I tend to quit quite easily. When things get hard I don’t like doing things that often. I have a very good friend who’s doing the event as well, she’s the one who paid for my tri last year.

“She’s fantastic at keeping me motivated. If we lived closer she’d be dragging me out!”

Having given triathlon a go for the first time last year, Lisa reflected on her accomplishment of completing her first here:

“For me it wasn’t about any times, it was just about completing it,” she added. “When I see others like me and my friends and they’re having to walk sections as well, it makes me feel that I’m not on my own walking which was brilliant.”

Join Lisa and thousands of other participants in Roundhay Park on 11 and 12 June 2022 for World Triathlon Championship Series Leeds. Enter here https://leeds.triathlon.org/2022.