Ruth Astle has faced numerous setbacks so far this season, but is now looking ahead to the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona with a mix of nerves and excitement.

The British star says she is finally beginning to feel better after getting back into her stride with a recent hit out at IRONMAN 70.3 Zell am See ahead of that huge test in Hawaii on October 14.

Having already arrived on the Big Island, Astle is now fully dialled in on producing the best performance she can on race day, with a race against the best in the world the perfect opportunity to gain a benchmark after spending so long on the sidelines.

Sharing her thoughts on the mental challenges which came whilst injured, Astle gave a great insight ahead of a race which is being billed as one of the most competitive women’s world championship events in a long time.

Form guide out of the window

Reflecting on her journey to Kona this year and comparing it to her buildup in 2022, Astle points out that whilst not racing for most of the season has left her a little nervous ahead of the world championship, it has also given her the freedom to just be excited at the prospect of competing again.

She told TRI247: “This year has been really tough, and I haven’t felt like I’ve been able to race at all. It feels very different to last year when I was feeling pretty confident coming into Kona and knew I had a really good block of training behind me (which didn’t result in a good race!).

“I have a mix of nerves and excitement, nerves because actually I have no really idea of where my form is at in comparison to everyone else racing, but excitement because I feel like I’ve been sat on the the sidelines all year and finally getting a chance to race properly.”

Austria return good for Astle

One thing that helped calm the nerves slightly was a recent day out in Austria over the middle-distance, where Astle finished fifth and got some confidence, in particular about her run.

“It was great racing at Zell am See, although I didn’t have a great race overall, the main thing I wanted was the confidence I could do some proper run training pre Kona. I also wanted to go through the motions of racing, feel the race morning nerves, remind myself of setting up transition / what to eat etc.

“There are so many things that go into a triathlon, particularly a full-distance race, that getting that race in was really important to me. For my mental health it was also really important to be back racing!”