This weekend marked a big milestone for me as I took on The Roc England, and I want to share the full journey behind it. Last year, I did the Brutal Duathlon in Snowdonia—no swim involved back then, and I remember thinking I could never do a triathlon with a swim like this. But this year, after joining a triathlon club and getting some training in the water, I decided it was time to take on a tri sport event. The Roc events have triathlons in Scotland, Wales, and England, and the Lake District one really caught my eye. It’s the biggest triathlon I’ve ever done, and considering where I was a year ago, it’s a huge personal accomplishment.
We headed to the Lake District on Friday for registration. That’s where I picked up all my stickers, numbers, and got everything ready to go. This triathlon is a bit different because it splits the bike leg into two parts (and also has a bonus 1km run at the end), so we had two separate transition areas, which made for an unusual but interesting setup. I dropped off a bag for the second transition early on Saturday morning.
Originally, the race was supposed to start at 8 a.m., but they moved it to 7:30 a.m. a couple of days before the event because of another event happening nearby. I am not a huge fan of early start and I was a little nervous, but mostly I just wanted to enjoy myself and soak up the experience.
Swim Leg:
With everything set, we started with the swim. I took some time getting into the water after the main group—I’d placed myself at the back, and with the narrow water entry the “mass start” became more of a steady queue. It probably took a good 2–3 minutes to actually reach the water from the official start time (even crossing the mat was about 50m from the waterfront). Once in, I found a steady rhythm within the first few minutes and finished the 1500m swim in about 30 minutes. That was rather pleasing, considering I had pretty much the whole group ahead of me and had to manoeuvre around many swimmers. The lesson for me? To trust my ability more and try starting in the middle of the group next time. All in all, a ~30-minute swim at a steady pace was a big personal win given how new I am to swimming.
First Bike Leg:
Then came the first bike leg. I loved taking in the beautiful Lake District scenery, feeling strong and enjoying the rolling hills. It wasn’t as steep or hilly as I expected, which was a nice surprise. I had fun overtaking a few people and just soaking in the ride. Finished my 46.5km/600m ascend ride in just under 1:45h and with 26.6km/h av speed.
Mountain Leg:
The mountain leg was by far the toughest part of the day. The terrain was super technical, and with shoes that weren’t quite right for the job it turned into a real ankle-twister. It ended up being 18 km with nearly 1200 m of ascent—realistically more of a hike than a run, apart from the first and last 2.3 km where running was possible. It took me a good 4.5 hours to complete, so reaching the checkpoint 16 minutes before the cutoff felt like a huge personal win. My husband joined me for the climb, and despite the wind and the brutal conditions, it was a memorable and rewarding part of the race, albeit I complained a lot 😉
Second Bike Leg:
After the climb, I got back on the bike for the return leg. The route had a couple of climbs that felt steeper in this direction, but riding in the Cotswolds had prepared me well—so even though I was fatigued, I still enjoyed it. This section also included that fast-moving road with traffic, which on the way out had been fairly quiet thanks to the early start. On the way back, though, it was a different story: cars flying past at 50–60 mph on stretches of dual carriageway. It felt rather unsafe and honestly left me quite angry with the organisers’ choice of route—I’d never normally ride on a road like that. And it went on for about 8 km! Still, I got it done in just under 1:47 with an average speed of 25.7 km/h—not bad after everything that had already happened.
Run:
At the very end there was an extra 1 km trail run—not exactly an easy task after so many hours on my legs! I took it steady and covered it in 6.5 minutes, happy just to be moving towards the finish. Crossing the line felt amazing, and seeing the clock at 9:24:17 was the perfect end to an epic day.
Event and Organization:
In terms of the organization, the organisers did a good job marking the course and ensuring safety in the mountain section. The swim was well supported with safety boats, and the bike leg was generally well marked, although the fast road section could have used more caution. For the price, the amenities were a bit sparse—just a medal and a swim cap, not many extras like you’d get at some other events. But overall, it was a memorable day and a huge personal achievement for me.
