2019-06-01_220_Triathlon

TRI RUN

MASTER THE

Having relocated to Bath and with her sights set on

defending her world title and Tokyo qualification, Vicky

Holland’s run form has never been better. We join her on

thetrackasshesharesherstrategyforrefiningthe run

Tounderstandtherewardsforpersistency

inendurancesport,looknofurtherthan

thereigningwomen’sITUWorldTriathlon

SerieschampionVickyHolland.Her

impressiverésuméalsoincludesOlympic

andCommonwealthmedals,butit’sthe

incrementalimprovementseasonby

seasonthat’stobemostadmired.

“Everyonewantstobetheteenage

sensation,”saysHolland,33.“Noonewants

tobethegirlwhoplugsawayandgetstherein

herthirtiesbutI’mproudit’sgonethatway

forme;thatI wasn’tsomeonetowhomsuccess

cameeasy.I’vehadanunbelievablecareer,

really,andwhenit endsI’lllookbackand

say‘I’vedonealright’.”

It’snotfinishedyet,though. Holland

switchedhighperformanceset-ups from

LeedstoBathfor 2018 where,coached by her

partnerRhysDavey,herrunform and results

haveneverbeenbetter.Thisseason she plans

tocompeteondualfronts– defending both her

individualworldtitleandcementing Olympic

selectionforTokyo2020.Butit’s a tough ask,

asunderlinedinthefirstWorld Series race of

theseasoninAbuDhabi,where she ran up to

eighthplaceasoneoffourBrits in the top 10.

Withtheneedforspeedinher 33-year-old

legsgreaterthanever, 220 caught up with

Hollandfora tracksessionheld by her sponsors

Polar,tofindoutwhattraining secrets we could

gleantoconquertheall-important run...

WORDSTIMHEMINGIMAGESITUPOLARSUPERLEAGUETRIATHLON

48 / / June 2019

with vicky holland

FEATURE