What is your history with sports and athletics?
When I was younger it was all about being in the gym and getting as big as possible, but it never lasted, as I soon got into drinking and smoking – this carried on for quite some time. After being a single dad for 6-7 years, I decided to get some weights for the house and start up again, but I was still a 15-20 pack-a-day smoker.
In March 2006, I had a freak accident and managed to obliterate (drs words) the bottom 2 discs in my back and sever the sciatic nerve. After about 10-11 months of agony I had an injection in my back to fix the nerve. Once I was able to, I started lifting weights again and thought I might give running a go, but I was still smoking. I managed to get up to 10Km runs and entered my first race (Timberhonger 10km) in 2014 and got the bug big time. I gave up the cigarettes and started doing some research into different training techniques and kept entering 5k and 10k races.
In 2017 I upped my game and entered the Birmingham Half Marathon, where I finished in 2h 02 mins. I was happy with my time, but wanted to break 2 hours. I returned in 2018 to do a 1h 52min (happy days). In 2019, a torn meniscus in my right knee prevented me from doing the race again. In January this year I decided to really up my game and get into triathlon which I have to say is the best thing I have ever done. Unfortunately due to lockdown the two I had entered have been postponed until September, but training has brought my half marathon time down to 1h 46mins and I’m feeling fitter and stronger than ever before.
What do you enjoy most about being an athlete?
I love getting up in the morning to go running in the quiet and seeing the sunrise. It makes the day seem better even though we are in the middle of a pandemic for those few hours I’m out or in the gym nothing else is going on in the world and I have no cares or worries. My mental health was quite poor but now I find life is a lot easier to deal with, just through feeling good about myself. A couple of years ago I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror because I didn’t like what I saw but now I like what I see and it’s all down to running/swimming/cycling and gym work. The thing I’m most proud of to date is going from an unfit/out of shape 30-something to being a super fit 45 year old who is now triathlon fit.
Have you experienced any obstacles or challenges?
I broke my back in 2006 which took a while to get over, even now I still get pain from it but its stronger now which helps. I had a torn meniscus last year which laid me up for 12 months but with help from physio I have come back to be stronger and fitter than ever before. I train 6 days per week, getting up at 5am Monday to Friday then doing a big session on Sunday morning which can be up to 3 1/2 hours. My recovery time is really good now, even after a long session I can train again the next day. I put this down to having a clean diet.
What is your “Why?”
I am always trying to be a better person than I was yesterday. I just love how being fit makes me feel. The thing that keeps me going is the possibility of beating my stepson in a 10k or half marathon – I’m 1 min behind on the 10k and 6 mins on the half at the moment and closing fast, so maybe next year is my year.
What’s next?
To complete an Olympic distance triathlon is my next goal and hopefully will be doing one September this year – fingers crossed. Hopefully next year or the year after I will be able to compete in a 70.3 Ironman.
Do you have any advice for someone interested in getting started?
My advice would be to just try it, you may even surprise yourself. you don’t need to be good at it, as long as you are enjoying it, that’s the main thing.
