by Nadia Sinclair

Serving as a British Army physiotherapist until 2019, Natalie Drake, transformed into a professional triathlete and never looked back. By May 2022, she graced the second position at her debut Ironman World Championships. But her most noteworthy achievement to date was during the Pho3nix Sub7 Sub8 Challenge, where she made endurance history. Natalie became the first woman to complete a full Iron-distance triathlon (3.8K swim, 180K bike, and 42.2K run) in less than eight hours! Her record-breaking time? 07:31:54. Now she shares the secrets that shaped this victorious journey.

Dedication to Cardio and Strength Training

Natalie’s training regime albeit rigorous, doesn’t subscribe to conventional daily structuring. Her training schedule includes a 90-minute swim five times a week, cycling nearly every day, and a thrice-a-week running routine. Intense training trio-segments punctuated by significant rest hours remain her constant. Natalie professed her strength in running doesn’t demand as much training time, highlighting the importance of individual athletic strengths when shaping training schedules.

When it came to the historic Pho3nix Sub7 Sub8 Challenge, she emphasised optimising her existing training, recovery and nutrition routine instead of drastically altering her regimen. Natalie stressed the importance of minimising the variables that could lead to inconsistencies during the iron-distance race.

Finding Power in Recovery and Nutrition

Natalie emphasized the significance of getting at least eight hours of sleep and tweaking her training load based on her well-being each day. This mindset reframes sleep and recovery as crucial aspects of a successful training regime. Natalie’s mantra is simple—training to your max requires eating to your max. For her nutrition strategy, equal weightage is given to proteins and carbohydrates, underlining the importance of fuelling your body suitably for an energy-draining and physically-demanding sport like triathlon.

Must-have Training Gear: The List

Natalie swears by a quality heart rate monitor and her Asics running shoes for both training and racing. A good sports bra is integral to her workout regime, an essentiality she feels needs much preaching for the women who still are not wearing the right ones.

Natalie’s spectacular second debut at the World Ironman championships remains her best performance so far, but she mostly takes pride in her Pho3nix Sub8 performance—a grand testament to team effort. Always one to look ahead, Natalie’s eyes are set on the Ironman World Championships, Hawaii, this October 2022. If all goes well, she might also take on an Ironman in November.

This account is courtesy of the Pho3nix Foundation, a non-profit organisation promoting physical activities amidst children.

Success is a collective effort—hard work, determination, apt nutrition, secure gear, and a team’s persistent drive. Natalie’s triumphant journey beautifully encapsulates this intertwining narrative.

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