From Timmy Train to 'Tim the Fish'
Some People know me as Tim the Fish but to my friends Timmy or preferably Tim. I am currently on a 3-year journey and have just completed my first Ironman 70.3 race in Nice and would like to share my experiences with you.
My journey started quite a few years ago when I was a member of Rowton Castle country club. My typical evening of training was back to back spin classes followed by circuit training, 3 hours of training twice a week. Oh and squash afterwards and swimming after that which meant I was super fit and did everything at 100% (otherwise known as RPE 10). How wrong can a person be? I wondered why I never lost weight, ate too much and was always tired. Rest days were for wimps. I loved swimming and spinning classes and made some lifelong friends in the process, but something was missing. But little did I know what lay ahead.
Then I met Sam Mountain at the tri club. Well actually I sort of new Sam from spin classes and was introduced to the mad sport of triathlon ‘Swim-Bike’ oh and run. Easy I thought don’t know what all the fuss is about, I thought I would be the next world champ. This is when my Ironman journey began.
Now I’m going to introduce The Timmy Train to you. A word of warning to all budding cyclist out there. Going down a side
of a mountain overtaking your fellow cyclists saying here comes the Timmy train “choo choo” at the top of your voice whilst approaching a sharp bend basking in your own glory can only lead to one thing. Lets just say I left a piece of me in Lanzarote that year and the scars a still visible.
Oh well let’s move on a life lesson learnt. Well nearly.
I entered my first Triathlon in the September and I was bitten by the whole experience. I didn’t win it “surprise surprise” but did have a big smile on my face. The next 12 months passed in a haze and slowly learnt that I didn’t know it all, I wasn’t world champ and doing everything at a 100miles an hour wasn’t a smart way to train.
Enter Sam Mountain and Amphibian Triathlon Coaching if I was going to improve and not try and kill myself I needed a coach and quickly.
Now not everyone wants a coach or indeed can afford one, but I was now on a journey heading towards the Ironman 70.3 event in Nice and I wanted to do the best I could and more importantly be fit and enjoy the experience. So the journey began to get rid of the Timmy Train once and for all. So enter words like ‘control, and ‘zone 2’, hours and hours and hours of zone 2 running. I swear I could skip faster than I was running.
Focus Tim you don’t know it all. (Can’t believe I just said that)
So now it’s November and I’m now being coached and I’m like a sponge learning how to train correctly. No more Timmy Train for me.
Enter Tim The fish, I was and still am a model athlete always do as I’m told, listen, take advice and most importantly never play jokes on anyone. Right well let’s just say what goes on Tour stays on Tour.
That brings me to why I do triathlon, well there must be a bloody good reason and you have to be nuts to do it. Life long friendships, laughter and life memories are what it’s all about. I can honestly say I can not imagine life without triathlon and the friends I have made and of course my family.
Right back to my Journey my first Ironman 70.3 is fast approaching and all the training done. I’m excited, nervous but more importantly I’m ready. Now I’m not an emotional person and thought I was prepared for what lay ahead. I’m now making my way to swim start still laughing and joking but slowly but surely the sense of occasion was enveloping me. I’m in start position pen 30-32 min swim time feeling ok .I look around and then I’m hit with the emotions of it all. A tear in my eye and goose bumps, Wow now it’s real let the race begin.
A running start into the sea and we are off. Now I’m not making excuses but who ordered the tide to be coming in and sea temperatures to be more like a Hot tub, but oh well best get on with it. 38 minutes later and land ahoy, I run up the ramp and am met with 100s of smiling cheering faces. What a noise and a rush .
Time for T1 and the bike. It nearly goes to plan, almost forgot to put my race belt on “ops” A guardian angel Annica shouts and reminds me, phew that would have been fun running back to get it. So I’m now on the bike and heading out. I’m feeling strong and have a big smile on my face. Well that didn’t last long I meet with a very very steep climb!
2 hours later and I’m at the top of it, 1400m of climbing and I’m now on the decent. Now enter the word that Sam has imprinted on my brain Control, control and more control.
No Timmy Train on the decent and I’m now on the flat having just experienced the most amazing decent and views, 10k to go of flat roads. Easy yes. ‘Urm’ no enter the coastal breeze and 28c temps and a couple of Americans who were intent on trying to play bumper cars. Now time to focus the dismount line is now insight. A flying dismount performed to perfection, well not quite. Must remember when you a following one of the 2 Americans expect the unexpected he slams his brakes on 10 metres before the line and veers into my line .He will remember me for a while as he has a wheel imprinted on his back side. Well at least I had a cushioned stop.
Now only a short run at the seaside left easy I hear you say. Well no, nothing about Ironman 70.3 is easy and that finishers ‘T’ shirt and medal oh and the £200 I spent in the shop before the race was going to give it up without a fight. I now start the 13.1 mile run and Omg the heat hits you after a few miles and you then realize something has to give.
Now I know Sam will now be on the course, he’s like a ninja. You are never sure where he will pop up but I know he will at some point but I just need to focus on staying alive oops I mean strong. Sure enough just as I hit the wall I hear his voice ”come on Tim time to pick up the pace”. That did it, time to man up and the end of the race was insight. Surprisingly I’m now feeling good and the smile is trying to appear It’s time to look good for the finish line Photo. Sunglasses on, chest out , knees high (stuff that just get me there) As I’m approaching the noise is getting louder the crowds are larger and the smile returns to my face. I DID IT and the rest as they say is history.
Well nearly because it’s not history, it’s amazing and an experience only a small few get to achieve. Now us triathletes all have our own reasons for why we do this mad sport. I’m truly proud and elated to join the list of achievers.My advice to anyone thinking of doing Triathlon is simple. If you want to make new friends, enjoy an all-inclusive sport. Be fitter and stronger than you ever could imagine and smile and laugh a lot, then SYTri (Shrewsbury Triathlon) is the club to join and triathlon is your sport. If you like me want to go down the road of being coached then take a look at
