Ultra-triathlons are not for the faint hearted. A 3.80km swim in cold waters, a 180km cycle over four mountain plateaus and a 42km run with a finish on Gaustatoppen, the highest mountain in southern Norway – sounds tough, right?
Tough would be an understatement, according to Aberdeen’s Eilidh Prise, who conquered that exact course – dubbed the world’s toughest – in 11:47.49.
The 26-year-old didn’t just finish the race with an impressive sub 12-hour time, she led the pack and was crowned Norseman and Xtri (extreme triathlon) World Champion.
Her achievement is even more impressive considering she only started competing in ultra-triathlons last year – winning and setting a course record in her first Scottish Xtri Celtman race.
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She only entered that event – alongside her dad – to see it would be like after she bought a bike during lockdown and started running over longer distances with hillier terrain
Although Prise has always been sporty and used to compete in modern pentathlon, her move into ultra-triathlon was going to be a whole new adventure.
She won the Celtman again this year just six weeks before winning the Norseman.
She didn’t expect to finish the race in Norway, never mind win it.
Prise said: “The first part of the cycle is a rare flat bit before you climb the first hill. On the climb, it was all in my head and I really didn’t think I’d be able to keep going.
“I kept imagining myself stopping, but I did end up finding my rhythm. I just had to not think about far I’d already went – I had to think about it from each turn to the next.
“When you break it down into small chunks, you don’t let yourself get overwhelmed by how much of challenge it is or how much more you have to go.
“And then you just surpass whatever you thought was possible. You look back at the end of the day thinking: ‘I did that’ – without really knowing how you did it.”
Winning secondary to ‘buzz of new route’ and ‘survival’
Prise’s mantra is “adventures, not training” and it very much felt like an adventure when she was swimming, cycling and running the elevated route in Norway.
She doesn’t seek medals, but rather wants to appreciate every single moment of the physically-demanding race – if it results in a win then it’s an added bonus.
Prise said: “You’ve just got to stay in the moment and be present – and what will be, will be. For me, I just get so much of a buzz doing a new route.
“So last weekend, doing that on the bike and running up these hills, that’s what drives me forward. It’s the excitement of being there and gaining the experience.
“It really is about just moving forward and having all these adventures along the way. I wouldn’t like having to hit a specific time, because for me, it’s just about survival.
“You’re not even thinking you’re in a race, you’re thinking: ‘Oh my goodness, can I do this?’ You don’t think you’ll ever get to the finish line.
“It’s battle against the elements and yourself – and that’s what I enjoy. I like to challenge myself that way, rather than specific times or outcomes.”
No training programme, just listening to her body and doing what she can
Prise doesn’t follow a training programme, but rather a lifestyle that helps her prepare her body for what is an extremely taxing sport.
Knowing her body’s limits is a key part of that lifestyle, as Prise says if she isn’t up to running, swimming or cycling, then she knows not to force it.
She explained: “I just try and do as much as I can around work. I’m good at listening to my body and knowing when to pull back or push forward.
“But, it really is a lifestyle training for these events. These competitions are so gruelling, you can’t just train for them – you have to love what you’re doing along the way.
“By the time we jumped off the ferry for the swim, I knew that I had done as much as I could for my preparation, and I’d got so much enjoyment out of it.
“There wasn’t any pressure on the outcome of the race, because I don’t feel like I sacrifice that much to train.
“It’s just what I choose to do because I love it.”
Conversation