Rebecca Lane Triathlon 220 Competition Winner and Sundried Ambassador

Sundried get to know our new ambassador Rebecca Lane, who won her ambassador status by shining through all our entrants in our competition to become part of team Sundried with Triathlon 220 magazine.

Have you always been into sport?

I’ve always been very active, taking part in tag rugby as a kid and taking up hockey, badminton and rowing at school. I rowed as a lightweight until 2015, having represented Oxford University and GB at national races and European University Games and then looked for a new sport to challenge myself in a new way.

I love the way sport has pushed me to be the person I am now. As a teenager I was reasonably shy; constantly pushing myself and daring to dream has be great for me.

What made you decide to enter triathlon?

After rowing, I really wanted to take up a sport that didn’t just focus on my strengths and would give a lot of options for future challenges. Triathlon seems to tick all those boxes! I’ve never trained for any of the sports exclusively before February, so starting each of them was a big challenge. I think back to a year ago when I struggle to swim 1.2k, run 5k or cycle 60k, now I’m doing double that distance several times a week.

What’s been your best race to date?

My best race so far would be Avenger Triathlon where I did my first Olympic distance. I came 3rd in my Age Group and managed to push on more in the run than I thought I would be able to. I haven’t done many races yet and 2017 is going to be a big year for me so looking forward to see how fast I can go.

And your proudest achievement?

My proudest sporting achievement in sport so far comes from winning the Lightweight Women’s Quad at the European University Championships. I’m really happy with my performances so far in triathlon as I’ve been learning but I can’t wait to see how this season develops.

Have you ever had any racing disasters / your toughest race yet?

I think the toughest race I’ve had so far was Hereford Duathlon. It was my first multi-sport event. I just turned up with no clue about pacing or transition and just gave it my best shot. My, did it hurt when I was running on the second leg; I had a big lesson on pacing that day!

How do you overcome setbacks?

I usually wallow for a little while and then reset my thinking to the bigger goal. The other day I totally messed up a race simulation because I simply didn’t eat enough on the bike and bonked on the run. After a bit of consideration, I was glad for it because I knew my nutrition strategy was wrong and I needed a rethink. It was better to come across this in training than racing. I’m always trying to remind myself it’s ok to be a novice even if my goals are further than whether I currently am.

What is the best bit of advice you wish someone had told you before you started competing?

You won’t be performing 100% everyday and you might not be 100% on race day. It’s about making the choice to finish your session when it hasn’t gone to plan because the race might not and it’s equally as important to train your mind as it is your body. I’m much kinder on myself now I’ve taken that on board and my training consistency has only improved (and so has my speed!!).