{"id":25999,"date":"2023-10-11T10:32:38","date_gmt":"2023-10-11T08:32:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/880184d3-526d-4a6f-9d4a-2f3016e76504"},"modified":"2023-10-11T10:46:05","modified_gmt":"2023-10-11T08:46:05","slug":"fenella-langridge-is-fist-pumpingly-positive-about-hawaii-return","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/rss_feed\/fenella-langridge-is-fist-pumpingly-positive-about-hawaii-return\/","title":{"rendered":"Fenella Langridge is fist-pumpingly positive about Hawaii return"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>

By Tim Heming\n <\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 11 October 2023 at 08:32 AM<\/p>

\n\n

Fenella Langridge<\/a><\/strong> spent a chunk of her debut at last year\u2019s Ironman World Championship fist pumping and smiling. This time she\u2019s hoping to continue it all the way to the finish line on Ali\u2019i Drive.<\/p>

The Brit cut a jubilant figure as she joined leader Lucy Charles-Barclay<\/a><\/strong> on the bike leg in Hawaii 12 months ago, and while she faded in the heat and humidity of the marathon, still held on to finish an impressive sixth.<\/p>

A positive attitude <\/strong><\/h2>

Consolidating fitness with a consistent year of training, the 31-year-old says she is well-placed to match or even better the 2022 result, with a positive attitude remaining a cornerstone of performance.<\/p>

\u201cIf I\u2019m racing like that I\u2019m having a good time and it’s the performance I’m happy with,\u201d she explains, about he choices to gee up the spectators. \u201cIf I\u2019m not, it\u2019s probably going the other way, but learning how to mentally turn that around is hopefully a strength and I’ll be cheering and shouting however it\u2019s going.\u00a0<\/p>

\u201cIt\u2019s the world champs, you have to be happy to be here and grateful. You don\u2019t know what is around the corner, so enjoy every opportunity you get and hopefully that\u2019s cheering and fist pumping on Saturday.\u201d<\/p>

Breaking the 3hr marathon<\/strong><\/h2>

Fenella Langridge, who won Challenge London with the fastest swim and run legs in August, knows that to threaten the podium, she needs to slice several minutes off the 3:16 marathon she produced last year, but has since been boosted by breaking the 3hr barrier in Challenge Roth in June with a 2:59.<\/p>

\u201cThe fastest girls will probably be running 2:50<\/strong><\/a>, but if I can run close to 3hr and have 10min [advantage off the bike] then anything can happen. Racing last year helped me realise that it\u2019s not as flat as people think, and it should help just experiencing the race in terms of the dynamics and long drags where you can see the end but it never comes any quicker!\u201d<\/p>

Swapping Texas for Lanza<\/strong><\/h2>

Another factor that instils confidence is swapping pre-Hawaii training locations from The Woodlands in Texas to Lanzarote for nearly four weeks. <\/p>

\u201cLast year in Texas it was completely flat, so I think being in Lanzarote has helped because it\u2019s hillier with a bit more strength work. But last year there were a few more injuries too, and so generally it\u2019s just being a bit more consistent with my running.\u201d<\/p>

Following a 14th place in the PTO Asian Open in Singapore<\/a><\/strong> in August the rest of the build-up has gone smoothly. <\/p>

\u201cIt\u2019s very cliche, but training has been consistent, we\u2019ve just done block after block after block. Preparation started from last year\u2019s race knowing we wanted to be here on the island in good form. There has not been a standout race where I\u2019ve thought I\u2019ve absolutely nailed it, but hopefully that\u2019ll come this weekend.\u201d<\/p>

The benefit of past experience? <\/strong><\/h2>

While USA\u2019s Chelsea Sodaro<\/a><\/strong> bucked the trend by winning on debut last October<\/a><\/strong>, Fenella Langridge hopes that like most triathletes on the Big Island, she will benefit from past experience.<\/p>

\u201cI came in last year not having a clue what Kona was like, and everything was new,\u201d she says. \u201cTo think where I was there in comparison to where I am now, it\u2019s a whole different story. I feel more prepared mentally and physically to take on the challenges of this race.<\/p>

\u201cI\u2019d love to be right up there, but the level of racing has gotten even more competitive. I just want to be able to play a vital part in the outcome of the race and hopefully that\u2019ll see me on the podium.\u201d<\/p>