03 December 2019

Tri-athlete and banker Ruth Purbrook on the juggling act it takes to compete against the best in the world

Tri-athlete Ruth Purbrook has revealed the crazy double-life she leads juggling a 60-hour-week banking job at Lloyds in London while training for an Ironman in Australia.

Now in her early 30s, she sets herself a ridiculous schedule that involves waking at 4.30am, getting to work at 7am, and hitting the pool, bike or road in the evenings.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, the part-time athlete details how she manages to balance a demanding career with a vigorous regime of swimming, cycling and running.

“I don’t get very much sleep. A full-time Ironman triathlete will be looking for nine hours a night. I’m lucky if I get six," she said.

“My boss is incredibly supportive and understanding. Though I admit he wouldn’t be that supportive or understanding if my work was suffering. So I make sure it doesn’t.”

Purbrook finished 43rd in the Ironman Western Australia last Sunday, out of a total 1,129 competitors.

Despite her full-on occupation, the banker beat a number of professional athletes while using equipment such as a static bike in her shed.

She said: “I think it would be really hard living in London to do the speed work without a static bike.

Purbrook is a sensational example of perfecting the work/life balance (Twitter: @slowtwitch)

"Even if I went out to Richmond Park to cycle there are dangers. An Olympic rider broke his back after colliding with a deer there. And you just can’t go as fast as you need to. There’s a speed limit of 20mph, which I’ve been in trouble for breaking in the past."

Many would think the incredible training regime she has to keep up would be a hindrance to her job. But Purbrook believes it actually has the opposite effect.

“Training is my stress relief," she added. "After you have done an Ironman you have to take a rest, two weeks of doing nothing. I find during that rest time I really struggle at work. It’s just much harder to get through a day if I’ve not trained.”

“I think just as training makes me a better worker, work makes me a better competitor,” she says. You’ve got to keep your brain active otherwise the mental challenges of the sport become really hard.”

Yet while her life is jam packed with work, swimming, cycling and running, she maintains her ability to let her hair down every once in a while.

“Actually, I do have a drink. After a race there is usually a pretty good party!"

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