I have achieved some big life time fitness goals recently! It all started again when a mate asked me to join him in riding a bike again (meant to be socially)! It had been 10 years since I last rode and definitely was not on my radar. I was unfit, not unhealthy, but unfit. So I started riding my bike again, gently running and a very occasional swim. It re-lit a fire I had previously dulled down and put out. I entered an ocean swim & twelve months later I was back racing triathlon. This fire quickly grew into an inferno of obsession and passion to complete an ironman. Which took me 5 years from that first bike ride to achieve.
Feeling pretty proud of myself and my achievements, I went on and complete a 2nd ironman and am registered for a 3rd ironman in New Zealand next year. Celebrating the milestones got me thinking and now I am now looking to try to help other with their goals! I am a run director at Capalaba parkrun, where the most rewarding part is volunteering, pacer week is a particular favorite, where I don a fluro vest and complete the 5km at a specific pace, as consistently as possible! The rewards and fun comes from encouraging those around me to achieve their personal best!
The parkrun environment is like no other place I’ve ever trained, the community assisting and encourage each other to be the best they can be! It’s awesome because it doesn’t matter if your running 17 minutes or walking over the hour, the fact you are up on a Saturday morning and trying to achieve something is inspirational to everyone at the parkrun event! The focus is on participation not pace!
One of my highlights at parkrun over the past year has been watching my wife Mel drop her 5km parkrun personal best time under 30 minutes. She has done this with little assistance from myself, but with the encouragement and guidance of the parkrun community. She has now completed two fun runs at 10km each, a 3rd at 11km and I have offered and guided her to complete not 1 half marathon this winter but two. My wife is a massive inspiration to me and I hope over the coming months and years I can continue to help her achieve her goals!
She has been working with a small group of ladies from parkrun to train together, assist each other & inspire each other in their running. They all keep each other honest and ensure that they achieve the goals of each session laid out in front of them. The thing I admire most about this small group is the support they supply each other goes well beyond just their running. They may not realize it but this support translates to all facets of their life!
I recently listening to a podcast interview with a war veteran. The question and response / message that stuck with me was about how soldiers overcame fear in the battlefield. The response I expected was once centered around ‘self preservation’ or something similar. Instead it was the direct opposite Captain Dye said it was through thoughts of others, helping your mates, protecting your family, your country, the soldier next to you, serving others, that allowed you to overcome your fear, that motivated you to keep going.
Lewis Howes – School of greatness – podcast, Capt Dale Dye
So after listening I feel even more inspired to change the world I live in by truing to positively affect those around me, by helping those around me that want to achieve big dreams or gaols in their life. So for the rest of 2016 & into 2017 my focus is divided. I still have to prepare myself for my next ironman & triathlon challenge but I am now looking to help others, help those around me achieve their goals. How exactly am I going to do this, I not certain, but I am taking steps to start the process.
I am now doing my community level triathlon coaching course, which I hope will equip me with further knowledge & skills to assist, guide and help people on their journey to health, fitness or their particular life goal. I am consulting with a select few athletes to guide them on their journey through various running distances from 5km up to marathons and triathlon. More personal steps will follow, so stay tuned to follow my personal progress and those that I consult with!
I would love to hear from you. What are your goals? What step are you currently taking to achieve your goals? What do you need to do to over come fear in your life?
In life there is no greater pleasure than helping others!
Till next time build consistency, keep smiling and live to Tri!
SO, YOU WANT TO BE AN IRONMAN? 
Goal #1 Get 10km time back under 40 minutes.
Goal #2 Continue to beat triathleteted at parkrun!
Touche Garnett, the 40 minute 10km is easily achievable for you with a little more consistency. As for continuing to beat me, I’m pretty sure you’ll have that in the bag forever! Thanks for reading!
What a pleasure to find someone who ideifitnes the issues so clearly
Coachted, what sort of baseline testing do you recommend for a former ironman hasbeen who’s looking to get back into the sport of triathlon?
Kieran, start slow & rebuild your base! Let’s book in some time, I’m certain we can put together a program that will have you back racing at your peak in good time!
Base before testing to answer your specific question! But we could do some basics around heart rate & threshold testing, but in reality the numbers would mean nothing in the early days as your improvement& changes will be rapid! I recommend building your base first! You know where you have to get, as you’ve been there before!