My third – and most wholesome – book! This is my story of discovering the world of endurance sport and the challenges that go with navigating such a transition from a London city chic. This book was long-listed for The William Hill Sports Book of the Year when published in 2018.
If you had told me three years before I wrote this book that I’d be getting up at 6 a.m. on Sundays to swim in a freezing reservoir and spending my Saturday nights unshowered, covered in mud in a pub, I would have spat out my champagne. But when the realisation hits that every social activity involves drinking, I set about finding an alternative.
So, I launched myself into the challenging but addictive world of running, cycling and swimming, swapping a life of cocktail bars and dating for the challenges and exhilaration of the great outdoors. Soon I was navigating sea swims in choppy waters, losing goggles 5k out to sea and fixing punctures in torrential rainstorms, with a lot of soul-searching along the way. Then, I set myself the seemingly impossible goal of qualifying as a Team GB triathlete.
Reviews:
‘A chatty, and sometimes racy, account of going from glamour girl to GB triathlete.’
(Daily Mail, Friday Books)
‘I love Helen Croydon’s honesty. It makes me connect with every word she writes!’
(Jo Good, BBC Radio London)
‘Helen’s portrayal of her transformation through running is utterly brilliant. It’s warming, funny and extremely relatable!’
(Editor, Women’s Running Magazine)
‘This has to be one of the most enjoyable running related books I have ever read. It is incredibly well written and brilliantly captures why so many people of all abilities take up running or triathlons in the first instance…I found myself captivated, nodding along in agreement and smiling to myself as I recognised so much of what she described.’
(So Let’s Go Running Magazine)
‘Proof that we can all surprise ourselves and those that know us. A great tale with honesty and plenty of humour. I might get my running shoes on yet…’
(Lucrezia Millarini, ITV News)