TRAINING BECAME MY LIFELINE AND THERAPY

When midlife sent her world into meltdown, 51-year-old mum Libby Ruskin decided to do something radical and train for a Half Ironman, and it saved her...

- Words: Libby Ruskin | Photography: Sportograf

Approaching my 50s, I was drowning in the daily grind. Between work chaos, endless washing loads, and teenagers who would rather grunt than talk, I felt like a ghost in my own life. Perimenopause had left me exhausted, my spark gone without a trace.

Then came a magical weekend spent hiking in The Brecon Beacons with my daughter, when one evening she casually said, 'Why don't you do a Half Ironman, and I'll do it with you?'.

My first thought? She has lost her mind. My second? Why the hell not? So, there we were, two slightly mad women signing up for a Half Ironman in Taupo, New Zealand. Oh, and I quit my job.