This week’s race report is a little more personal. Back in the spring, while visiting family in the UK over Easter, my cousin Emily asked if I could coach her for her very first half marathon. With her red hair and freckles that match mine, and her vegetarian lifestyle, I couldn’t resist!
We got her set up on TrainingPeaks, and I recommended she invest in a Garmin watch to track her progress. From there, we were off to the races! Emily spent her summer training hard during a student exchange program in Northern Quebec and returned to the UK at the end of August, fully prepared to tackle her goal.
She ran her first 10km race on September 1st at Dorney Lake, and it gave us great data to analyze her pacing and heart rate in a race environment. This helped me plan even more precise workouts to guide her toward her half marathon.
Emily stuck to the plan, hit her training targets, and went on to crush her half marathon beyond my expectations! It was so special to see the whole family cheering her on at the Bournemouth Half Marathon, alongside another cousin and his girlfriend who also ran the race.
Emilys Race Report
"I arrived super early to the start line, and it was absolutely freezing cold! After a quick warm-up jog and some stretching, we were off. I started with a comfortable pace of 5:39 mins/km, but soon realized I was feeling pretty great, so I picked it up a bit, figuring I could always slow down halfway through. As I weaved in and out of people dressed as Mario and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, I reached the halfway point and thought, ‘I can keep going at this pace!’
Around mile eight, I hit a killer hill. My only goal was to keep running without walking, and I managed to push through. At that point, I wondered if I should ease up, but my Garmin told me I was still in the target pace range, so I thought, ‘No way, I can go faster!’ I picked up the pace again, and before I knew it, I was flying through the final miles.
I finished with a time of 1:56:04—not bad for someone who just started running back in February!
The Bournemouth course was gorgeous, mostly flat with a few hills, and the route took us along the coast and the beach promenade. The event buses to the start were well-organized, and I found the water stations great, though I prefer to carry my own water. Everything from the start to the finish was smooth and efficient.
The highlights for me were definitely the scenic route and running around the piers—it was such a fun experience!
Next up: London Marathon, April 2025!"
Emily’s journey from beginner to half marathon finisher in just a few months has been incredible, and we’re excited to see her continue her progress as she trains for the London Marathon in 2025. Stay tuned for more updates!
Julia Aimers
CSEP Clinical Exercise Physiologist
CSEP High-Performance Specialist
Certified Triathlon, Cycling, Yoga and Swimming Coach
USA Cycling Level 2 Coach
Training Peaks Accredited Coach
A year ago I could only tread water and had not run since childhood. With the amazing Virtual Olympic course, support, guidance, and tips from of all the folks at Team Triumph I've ended the season with my first Olympic distance triathlon under my belt and am hooked! Really looking forward to the 2025 season and even to the hard work over the winter to prepare. Karen Houle
I wanted to let you know that the Perth triathlon was a great experience, I somehow placed third in my age group! What a supportive group of participants (including Team Triumph athletes), cheering bystanders and volunteers.
Thanks to your swim lessons, I learned the technical basics and gained confidence to get back in the pool after decades. And it was really special doing this with Ann Laidlaw, my bestie for many years. We did a couple of additional swims with Kevin and Team Triumph people, also a great way to continue learning and practicing good technical form.
I will continue with lane swimming and who knows, maybe there's another triathlon in my future!
I love the accountability and the structure of the Virtual 70.3 Half Ironman training program. I don't think I would have gotten this far without the program. The accountability is huge for me!
Deborah Jackman