Dr. Sarah Ruggins – Record-Breaking Endurance Cyclist on Pushing Limits, Managing Pain, and the Power of Aggressive Patience
- xtinecruzat
- Aug 5
- 4 min read
In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, we’re joined by Dr. Sarah Ruggins—a high-achieving investment professional, academic powerhouse, and now a record-breaking ultra-endurance cyclist. From her early days as a national-level track athlete in Canada to surviving complex PTSD and rebuilding her life, Sarah’s journey is one of transformation, resilience, and radical self-belief.
In 2023, Sarah competed in the Transcontinental Bike Race, and in 2025, she took on her most audacious challenge yet: cycling from John O’Groats to Land’s End and back again—2,715 km in just 5 days, 11 hours, and 14 minutes, setting a new outright record.
This conversation dives deep into the planning, training, and mindset behind the ride—from strength work and 3:30 AM mornings to battling hallucinations, sleep deprivation, and pain barriers. Sarah shares her three-part mantra—Focus, Discipline, Gratitude—and unpacks how elite performance is built in the margins: with structure, strategy, and sacrifice.
Whether you're chasing a personal goal or looking for motivation to push your own limits, this is an episode that will fuel your fire.
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Show notes
Who is Dr Sarah Ruggins
Working as an investment professional for the past 10 years
Growing up in Canada
Being part of a very active family
Doing a lot of running and focusing on track and field
Working with the best coaches
Holding national records in middle distances
Preparing for junior olympics at 14/15
Wanting to represent her country at the highest level
Her teenage years
Needing a routine surgery on her feet
Developing a disease of her nervous system
The impact on her life
Developing complex PTSD
Getting back to a ‘normal life’
Starting to focus more on academics
Getting 4 degrees in 4 different subjects
Competing in the trans continental bike race in 2023
Wanting to understand what her limits were
John O’Groats to Lands End and back again
Being supported by a crew
Working with Rob Lee from RLP Coaching
What training looked like from Sept/October 2024 to May 2025
What a typical week looked like
Working with a strength coach to compliment what she was doing on the bike
Increasing the volume of training on both the bike and in the gym
Squats increasing from 45kg to - 4 sets of 5 reps at 110kg
While working a full time job in finance
Having her whole life scheduled from 3.30am - 10pm
Figuring out life admin
Setting big goals in your life - you need to be prepared to make sacrifices in pursuit of those goals
Planning, schedules and logistics
Coming back to the WHY was integral
Building the team and pulling everyone together
Reaching out to sponsors
Wanting to make a history making ride
Probability, chance and luck
Going to maximise our probabilities of success
Being on the start line being 100% confident
Being forced to be brave and tough - but coming from a place of power
Wanting to demonstrate to herself her own resilience and wanting to inspire others
Starting the challenge and wanting to ride to her capabilities
Working in blocks of 4 hours and focusing on the power.
Managing her process and focusing on what’s on the road ahead
Riding 4 hours and then off the bike for 10 mins - the ‘Pitt stops’
What goes on in those 10 mins
Eating and nutrition and eating constantly while on the bike
How her body responded to the challenge
3 phases while doing endurance work: phase 1, the first 36 hours - feeling great, phase 2 hitting a pain wall which you need to push through, phase 3 - where you feel like you can go forever, your body has accepted this is just what you do now
Going though the pain wall and pain gate
The mind body connection and what was happening mentally
Developing a 3 part mantra: focus, discipline and gratitude
The biggest challenge while on the bike
Not being able to tolerate solid foods on day 3
Moving to liquid food - Supported by Huel
Dealing with the sleep deprivation - confusion and falling asleep while on her bike
Crashing into a nettle bush and going into hyperglycemic shock
Using blue light to wake her up
Being ahead of the record by about 7 hours and 175km - stick to the process
Reaching the end
The feelings of relief
Keeping your emotions locked in for 5 days
Being able to relax!
2715 km in 5 days 11 hours 14 minutes. NEW OUTRIGHT RECORD HOLDER
Her limits….
Taking the learning and applying it to new projects
Recovery after the challenge
Getting back on the bike and back in the gym
Raising funds for 2 charities
How you can connect with Sarah
Working on a feature documentary about the challenge - due in early 2026
Final words of advice from Sarah
Understand what is most important to you, and curate an objective around that
Demonstrate aggressive patience in pursuit of your goals
Focus on the small wins everyday.
Social Media
Instagram @sarah_ruggins
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