Hannah Bizoumis - Triathlon Coach and PT Ambassador
Please tell us about sporting events you have taken part in or have coming up.
Between 2018 and 2021 I've done 5 full IRONMAN races. I have done more than 10 (half ironman) 70.3 races, countless sprint distance races, and many online Virtual Ironman races where I have been placed in the top 10 for my age group.
- IRONMAN PB - 12hours 6mins (Copenhagen 2018)
- Half IRONMAN Cotswolds 2021 -PB 5hrs 28mins – Bike split 5th/138 Age Group & 7th Female/211
- 1st Female 2020 - Cycling Time Trial Castle Combe 10 miles
- 3rd Female at 2 events 2019 - Cycling Time Trial Castle Combe 10 miles
- 4th /31 Age Group and 12th /175 Female 2019 - Eaton and Dorney Sprints JLL
- 9th /190 Age Group and 26th /190 Female 2019 - Eaton and Dorney Sprints
- 1st /4 Age Group and 8th /54 Female 2020 - Ironman Virtual Half Ironman (Kona Course)
- 2nd /85 Age Group and 3rd / 61 GB Female 2020 - Ironman Virtual Race Duathlon
2021 races included:
- IRONMAN Austria
- IRONMAN Portugal
- Half IRONMAN Austria Zell am Zee
- ITU Qualifier Eaton Sprints
- And some other cycling events and races in-between :-)
Tell us about your journey to fitness? Where did it all start?
I started doing triathlon in circa 2012 when I entered a sprint distance as a relay with some pals, I couldn’t swim but was okay at cycling. I did the cycle part of the race on a borrowed hybrid bike and to mine and everyone's surprise I placed really well. From then on, I thought I love cycling – I could actually be quite good at this. In 2014 I entered my first half IRONMAN, and was a bit like a rabbit in the headlights, no one I knew had done anything like it so I was completely riding solo! I also couldn’t swim…well couldn’t do front crawl and I was petrified of putting my head in the water and being trampled by people, I was also really scared of open water. So after hours and hours in the pool learning how to swim and facing many many demons I eventually got to the start line of my first half IRONMAN. I completed it on my rusty old road bike and I didn’t own cycling shorts….I needn’t say any more on that one…it was painful! But I was HOOKED! I then went on to do my first FULL IRONMAN in 2018 (Copenhagen), I had a coach which was completely needed, there is no way I would have been able to do it without him. Since then I’ve completed countless half IRONMANs, countless sprint triathlons and two more IRONMAN’s (Copenhagen again and Italy) and have two more for 2021 (Austria and Portugal).
Since then I’ve become an IRONMAN Triathlon Coach, Fitness Instructor and Trainer – I want to share my passion for fitness and triathlon and make them accessible to all – truly anything is possible.
If you are interested in getting into Triathlon, Sundried's kit is suitable for beginners as well as seasoned athletes. We have both men's and women's options available.
What are your training goals now?
- Goals for 2021 are to qualify for GB Age Group sprint distance
- Even faster bike splits at Full IRONMAN
- Place top 10 for Half IRONMAN
- General goals are to stay strong and compete to the best of my ability
Tell us one unusual fact we wouldn’t know about you:
I had lots of rescue animals growing up including a peacock and a goat - which I used to milk - ever since I cannot touch goats cheese!
What advice do you wish you'd been given when you first started out?
- I wish I had a coach for my first half Ironman
- I wish I knew ‘how’ to train properly
- I wish someone had told me about getting a proper fitting saddle....
Do you follow a specific nutrition plan? If so, what/when do you eat?
Not really – but when I am training for IRONMAN I do make sure I have sufficient carbs and protein post training. I always have a coffee and breakfast (usually peanut butter on toast) before a long training day.
What do you do to keep your clients motivated? Do you have any top tips to keep motivated?
Set realistic goals and always ask that they have 3 goals with one ‘dream’ goal and 2 others which are smaller and usually easier to achieve. I keep them accountable and am always accessible if they have any questions – training for a triathlon is hard enough in itself, you need to be really organised as it is a big time commitment. I help athletes organise their training to fit with their lifestyle so that triathlon becomes ‘life’ and not a ‘chore’.
Talk us through your training regime.
Training load and training goals vary depending on what phase of the training programme I am in. When I am training for an IRONMAN, I usually do 3 bike, 3 run, 3 swim and 2 strength session a week with the biggest (longest) on the weekend.
My sessions include very specific interval sets, threshold and endurance – again the session detail depends what phase of the programme I am in
How do you keep your fitness knowledge up to date?
I am constantly doing CPD online, IRONMAN do really good lectures and I listen to podcasts. I also find that speaking to fellow coaches and personal trainers to share knowledge is great.
What are your top 3 trainer tips?
- Recovery is as important as the training – you must periodise your training to allow for physical adaptation to be absorbed and for progression
- Foam roll, Foam roll, Foam roll
- Core strength – work on the smaller muscles before you go to big weights and make sure you have good form
If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Peanut Butter (zero palm oil!)
Why work with Sundried?
I love their ethos, I love that they care about the environment and their products use recycled materials. I also love how the clothes fit – they are really good quality and for affordable prices. With sport these days, getting good kit can cost a fortune and when you live in sports kit 90% of the time it gets really expensive. I love how SUNDRIED have managed to keep good quality garments at an affordable price. It also looks great!
Favourite fitness quote:
"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone".
To hear more from our ambassadors and get free tips on workout plans and more, connect with the Sundried Personal Trainers on our app.
