Elite Triathlete Parys Edwards gives us an insight into competing at the top
London based triathlete Parys Edwards (38), a champion age-grouper, has already seen some great results in her first year as a pro. Following on from a win at Laguna Phuket Triathlon and second at Challenge Phuket at the end of last year, Parys stormed through the field on the run at Ironman 70.3 South Africa to take third, behind fellow Brits Jodie Swallow and Susie Cheetham.
Tell us a bit about Ironman 70.3 South Africa...
I wanted to start on the right hand side of the field and this meant I lined up next to Jodie Swallow. I had a good run into the water and dolphin- dived a fairly long way keeping her in front of me and thinking, 'This is the closest I'll get to her in the water!' The sea was rough and sighting wasn't easy and I found myself on my own in the last 1/3rd of the field. I felt good in the water and was very disappointed when I looked at my watch to see my poor swim split, but it fuelled my determination to work even harder on the bike. Someone called out that I was in 8th and it helped keep track of my position as I passed girls on the bike.
I saw Lucie Reed by the side of the road early on the bike course and thought she had a mechanical issue but later learned that she had been vomiting at the start and was too unwell to continue - I felt for her as she was a real podium contender! About 82k of the bike course is on a long straight highway so you can see people miles ahead of you and I did all I could to catch them. With 4k from the turnaround I saw Jodie riding back amongst the pro men and had to smile for her as it meant she had gained three minutes on them...poor guys, it can't be cool being chicked by that much! I saw Susie Cheetham and Emma Bilham about four minutes ahead of me and hoped to make ground on them before the run but I didn't catch them. The crosswinds on the return were tough and I pretty much staggered through T2 wondering how the hill on the run would go.
I ran well to start and soon caught Emma to put me in third place- now to stay there!! My R adductors (inner thigh) and hamstring cramped badly up the hill on the first lap and I had real concerns that if it fully cramped I would be in grave trouble, so I eased up the pace slightly and focused on my technique. The turnaround points allowed me to see I was comfortably in third and that Susie was not losing any ground to me, so I actually got to enjoy the last lap of the run motivating myself with the fact that I just had to keep going and I'd finish on the podium! In many respects the race went exactly to plan and I’m delighted with a great early season result!
You’re based in London. How long were you in South Africa before the race to acclimatise?
I was extremely fortunate in my preparation as I was in Zimbabwe for the last two weeks of December and in SA for all of January. Two weeks before the race I based myself in East London where the race was held (a city in Eastern Cape of South Africa, not the London we know!).
What do you think are the major pros and cons to training at elite level in London?
London is not an easy place to train. The cons are the weather for most of the year! Also the traffic which makes rides and commutes to training stressful. But for me the worst thing is finding a decent pool that I can swim in regularly without getting pool rage. I get especially annoyed with people doing breaststroke in the fast lane…Grrrrr!!
Pro's- there are some good people to train with (all my club mates and Team Wednesday you know who you are!), my club Ful-on Tri is based here and my coach Tom Bennett (T2 Coaching) is here and I really benefit from his squad sessions.
What are your favourite training locations in London?
I am only a six-minute ride from Richmond Park and although I could probably ride it blindfolded, I still really enjoy training there as long as I avoid the busy traffic. I'm also a massive fan of the Surrey hills and I love my long rides in the lanes especially in Autumn when the scenery is truly breathtaking (this might have something to do with the coffee and cake at Box Hill Cafe!)
You’re a member of Ful-On Tri club – do you still have a chance to attend club sessions or events?
I joined Ful-on Tri as a complete novice in 2007 and I owe them everything. I coach club sessions whenever I am in London and try to attend the not-to-be-missed social events that make that club so special. Last year the club created a Bursary for me, which provided me with much needed financial support for the year. So yes, I'm still very much involved with Ful-on Tri and will be for as long as I can.
In the past you’ve raced in many of the London League events – which is your favourite?
I loved all London league events as they were relatively cheap (compared with some rather exorbitant races) and close to home. If I had to pick a favourite I would choose Crystal Palace. Despite it being a non-wetsuit pool swim (my absolute worst!), I thrived on the hilly, technical bike course and the gritty run course. Good support and a good track record (I think I won it all the times I raced there) helped make it top of the list for me.
You’ve recently made the step from age-grouper to pro. Have there been changes to your training?
Yes plenty! I train more as I have more time for it, but the volume is not the biggest change. It’s that I train smarter now, with real attention to what I'm trying to achieve in each discipline. For example I used to just go out and run 15k at a steady pace, now that 15k run will look like this- 1-2k warm-up followed by some dynamic stretches and drills, then 1.6k at 4-4.10min/km, 1k in 3.45-3.50min/km, 800m at 3.35-3.40min/km, with three minutes easy running inbetween. Repeated three times. So I’m running the same distance but thinking about pace, which has improved my running and my ability to adjust my pace in races. I also get to do more maintenance work - core, strength and stretching, but most importantly of all I try to sleep a minimum of 8-10 hours a night and this is essential for good training!
How do you find racing as a pro compared to an age-grouper?
Once I got over the initial terror I discovered that it’s nicer in many ways. For one thing I often get to start early in a small wave which means I miss the chaos of ploughing my way through the slower AG men ahead of me and I'm out of the heat of the day sooner. I also generally know what position I'm in and this is a big plus for me. There are few things more motivating than knowing you're in the top three and doing everything you can to keep it that way.
What has been the biggest lesson you have learned in your first year as a pro?
There have been many lessons but I think the biggest is that the mind is your greatest asset! Pushing your body to the limits and training hard every day, constantly worried about niggles, recovering from bike crashes, not having a steady income and losing pretty much any social life you had, all test your mind and your belief in yourself. Racing pro is brutal and without a strong mind you'll crack. You need mental toughness to produce the very best that you have in you.
You’re also a physio - do you continue to work or are you now full time athlete?
I worked full-time at Southfields Physiotherapy and as physio to the England u19 women’s team until April last year. For the remainder of the year I continued to work two days a week at the clinic with some ad hoc Football work. This year I hope to secure enough sponsorship to allow me to do triathlon full-time.
What’s on your race plan this year?
It’s going to be an exciting year as I feel I am learning the ropes and developing the craft of racing at pro level. Mid February I'm heading to the Philippines for two races - Challenge Philippines Half and the Subic Bay 70.3. I plan to stay in Asia until the Malaysia 70.3 at the start of April. After that I'll come back to the UK where I'll base myself for the European race season. I am also entered for the Haute Route Alps in August (Chrissie Wellington did this last year) – it’s a bucket list event for me and I decided that a bit of late season bike miles and a short break from triathlon would be good for my legs and my soul.
Parys Edwards was interviewed by Dana Voysey (@DanaVoysey) for Triathlon England: London.
Pictures reproduced with kind permission from FinisherPix.com
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