{"id":13855,"date":"2022-05-12T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-11T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=13855"},"modified":"2022-05-16T11:54:12","modified_gmt":"2022-05-16T09:54:12","slug":"pro-qa-lucy-buckingham","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/2022\/05\/12\/pro-qa-lucy-buckingham\/","title":{"rendered":"Pro Q&A: Lucy Buckingham"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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<\/p>\n\n

THE MERMAID<\/h1>\n\n

LUCY BUCKINGHAM (N\u00c9E HALL)<\/h4>\n\n

Recently married, recovered from Covid, and returning from the brink of quitting the sport in 2019, Leeds-raised Lucy Buckingham sits down with <\/span>220 <\/em>to chat all things training dynamics, race strategy, and what she\u2019d like to see change in the sport\u2026<\/p>\n\n

Interview <\/strong>Kate Milsom Image<\/strong> CLASH Endurance<\/p>\n\n

\n\n

She\u2019s a powerhouse when it comes to 70.3 racing, with numerous Ironman, ITU, and Challenge wins under her belt, but 30-year-old Lucy Buckingham (n\u00e9e Hall) is also one of the first generations to grow up in triathlon, starting at the ripe age of eight having followed in her dad\u2019s footsteps. Fast-forward a few years and she\u2019s taking on the world\u2019s stage at the London 2012 Olympics. Chosen as domestique to Helen Jenkins, Buckingham scored the fastest swim leg of the race, and propelled Jenkins on to secure an impressive fifth place. Known as La Sir\u00e8ne (mermaid) in France for her incredible swimming ability and fiery red hair, Buckingham\u2019s fired-up and intent on making a name for herself this season.<\/p>\n\n

220: You started the new year by getting married to long-term partner and fellow athlete Mark Buckingham, congratulations! But you also got Covid! How have you altered training as you recovered?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n

Lucy Buckingham: <\/strong>Thanks! And yeah, I had about a month off around Christmas, the plan was to just chill out and enjoy the festivities. But getting Covid just delayed getting back into training another 10 days. I\u2019d heard of other athletes having long Covid symptoms and cardiac problems, so I was super careful and used heart rate quite a lot, just to make sure I wasn\u2019t overdoing it.<\/p>\n\n

220: Your last race of the 2021 season was Clash Daytona when Jackie Herring just pipped you in the last few minutes. Is there anything that you would\u2019ve done differently in that situation?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n

LB: <\/strong>I don\u2019t think so. I tend to put it all out there when I race, so I really had nothing left at the end. Even though I wasn\u2019t like physically on the floor, I was just mentally done.<\/p>\n\n

It was like a dagger to the heart when Jackie came past in literally the last kilometre. But that\u2019s racing, it comes down to the wire sometimes. That\u2019s why we love it, and sometimes why we hate it.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

220: From that, you qualified for the Challenge Championships, which your dad also qualified for in his age-group. How did that feel?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n

LB: <\/strong>It was awesome because it was my dad who actually got me into triathlon, when I was eight years old. It\u2019s so nice that I get to share that with my family. My mum goes to races with my dad and my brother\u2019s head triathlon coach at Loughborough University, so we\u2019re big into triathlon!<\/span><\/p>\n\n

220: Mark is the head coach at Brownlee Fitness, he\u2019s also now your coach, how is that dynamic?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n

LB: <\/strong>It\u2019s really good, I think it could have gone one way or the other! He\u2019s a very patient guy, because sometimes doing a lot of training together can get quite intense when you\u2019re tired and fatigued.<\/span> Mark was Jonny\u2019s [Brownlee] training partner originally, he supported Jonny leading into Tokyo and then retired after that.<\/p>\n\n

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LUCY\u2019S FAVOURITE RUNNING SHOE: HOKA ONE ONE ROCKET X<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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“The Rocket X is my favourite running shoe, I love the fit and the carbon plate propels you forward so you feel nice and springy -which is exactly what you need in a half marathon off the back of a 90km bike! I also love the Rincon 3 for solid tempo run sessions; the shoe is very forgiving on the body and lightweight.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

*With special thanks to Hoka <\/strong>for helping organise this interview<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n

220: You came off British Triathlon funding in 2018, what did you learn from training and racing with the British women\u2019s team?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n

LB: <\/strong>So much! With Helen [Jenkins], it was just nice to see that you can be a lovely person and <\/em>at the top of your game; you can do it all if you do it right.<\/p>\n\n

I matured a lot over those years. There\u2019s such a good group of girls, who\u2019re all very, very successful.<\/span> Helen was the start of that in 2012, and it\u2019s just so nice to see that\u2019s there\u2019s a legacy now with so many girls coming through.<\/p>\n\n

220: The PTO list your compatriot and friend Jodie Stimpson as your rival. How do you feel about that?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n

LB: <\/strong>Jodie\u2019s a fantastic athlete, we\u2019ll hopefully be doing a lot of racing together over next year. [GB pro] India Lee\u2019s riding is also insane, she\u2019s not to be underestimated. And I\u2019d love to race Nicola Spirig again [before she retires at the end of 2022]. I raced her in [Challenge Mallorca] Peguera in Spain last year and I was trying so hard to hold her off, but she caught me on the last 15km. She\u2019s a phenomenal athlete.<\/p>\n\n

220: What does a typical week\u2019s training look like for you?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n

LB: <\/strong>I swim five times a week on weekdays. I have two days off riding, so that\u2019s five times a week. Then I run pretty much every day, around six times a week. I\u2019ve also started doing gym. I\u2019ve got very floppy feet, they\u2019re just very big and awkward, like boats!<\/span> So I need to make sure that my lower limbs are strong and my core\u2019s good, that\u2019s key for me.<\/p>\n\n

Everyone\u2019s individual, though. I\u2019ve been told that Mario Mola doesn\u2019t do it [strength work], whereas some athletes swear by it \u2013 Jonny [Brownlee] does it twice a week.<\/p>\n\n

220: We heard a rumour that you plan to complete your first Ironman next year to mark 10 years since the 2012 Olympics. Why this goal?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n

LB: <\/strong>After last year, a lot changed. I was going to retire and then after the year I had, I got a lot more confidence. I really want to give it a go, but to do it right and not just for the sake of it.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

For the first part of this year, it\u2019ll be very much 70.3 and half-distance focused, and making sure I hit my goals for what I want do. Then towards the back end of the year, I\u2019m going to look for a full distance.<\/p>\n\n

I don\u2019t think I\u2019d change much in my training. It\u2019d just be things like going from max four hours up to six on a Sunday long ride. I\u2019ll do some longer runs as I\u2019ve never gone over 90 minutes. Swim-wise, I\u2019d keep everything the same and just put in some more volume for a block of training, and periodise that training specific to full distance.<\/p>\n\n

220: When you stepped up from Olympic to middle-distance racing, what were the main challenges?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n

LB: <\/strong>My pacing, it was terrible. I remember the first one I did was Lahti [70.3 Ironman] in Finland, in July 2019. I swam pretty hard, rode really hard, and my bearings had gone on the bike. They tried fixing it before the race and it just collapsed, which meant I was just moving about in the frame. I lost a lot of power.<\/p>\n\n

I also didn\u2019t have the right equipment. I didn\u2019t have an aero helmet, or a proper suit. There were loads of things that I could\u2019ve done better! And then I absolutely screwed up my nutrition \u2013 not enough gels.<\/p>\n\n

The great thing about 70.3 and full distance is that you\u2019re forever learning. From what I gather, there\u2019s never a perfect race. There are always variables that you just can\u2019t control. I think that\u2019s why we love what we do, because it keeps you on your toes. I\u2019ve learnt a lot and come a long way since that first race.<\/p>\n\n

220: You\u2019ve been in the sport for a long time, is there anything you\u2019d like to see change?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n

LB: <\/strong>In the sport in general, I think the PTO are doing a great job of supporting athletes in long distance.<\/p>\n\n

Things like the Super League are awesome, and provide another avenue for athletes. Triathlon\u2019s such a cool spectator sport, so I\u2019d love to see more of that.<\/p>\n\n

But looking at how athletes are treated, and from being in that world of the ITU at Olympic distance, sometimes I think you\u2019re seen as commodities and not as people.<\/p>\n\n

It\u2019s also hard when you come off funding. I\u2019d love to see a bit more support for young athletes and those who are potentially moving away from the sport.<\/p>\n\n

It can be difficult [to change paths] when you\u2019ve done triathlon for such a long time; it\u2019s your job, your lifestyle.<\/p>\n\n

You miss birthdays and funerals and all sorts. Then when that\u2019s taken away from you, it\u2019s difficult to then come away from it and think: \u2018what am I doing with my life? What can I do?\u2019 It\u2019s self-worth as well. The biggest thing is to not overthink and then to try and find your way in the world a little bit.<\/p>\n\n

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LUCY\u2019S TOP CAREER HIGHLIGHTS<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

30 August 2021<\/strong>
Takes the win in Slovakia at The Championship, Challenge Samorin.<\/em>

4 August 2018<\/strong>
Sets up the victory for the Leeds I team at the British Triathlon Mixed Relay Cup in Leeds.<\/em>

11 February 2017<\/strong>
Another strong sprint finish against teammate Jess Learmonth secures Lucy the win at the Cape Town ITU Triathlon World Cup.<\/em>

15 October 2016<\/strong>
First place in Turkey at the Alanya ETU Final Triathlon European Cup.<\/em>

26 June 2016<\/strong>
Pips Learmonth to the post at the Ch\u00e2teauroux ETU Sprint European Championships.<\/em>

26 July 2015<\/strong>
Wins the European U23 Triathlon Championship.<\/em>

4 August 2012<\/strong>
Sets the pace in the swim at the London Olympics to help teammate Helen Jenkins to fifth. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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