This has been the best year ever; well at least from a training/exercise perspective!
I was never hugely into running or keeping fit for that matter, but Christmas time 2013, I thought I should get a grip! Without much in the way of consideration I signed up to my first Triathlon – which just happened to be an IronMan nine months later in September of 2014!
I was nearly three stones overweight and had never run further than 10k (which I had only done once before). Only able to swim breaststroke, I had some work to do. A lot of work to do. Too much in fact!
So, for the next nine months I ate and drank less (a lot less) and started my training and with three distinct disciplines you need to train around nine times per week for an IronMan triathlon.
In September 2014 I did it, I completed my first IM. It was an incredibly painful experience but came with an amazing sense of achievement. I certainly didn’t enjoy the journey though – especially the volume of training! So for the rest of 2014 I did not exercise once and ate and drank all I flipping wanted! Big mistake, feast or famine.
So, I went back to square one. Christmas 2014 I signed up for my second IM and 2015 followed the same pattern as 2014, and so did 2016 except when I completed my 3rd long distance triathlon, this one in the UK. I only had one month off from being ‘sensible’ as I didn’t want to throw away all my hard work three years running.
In 2017 I entered nothing longer than a half marathon. This year has been so much more enjoyable than the previous three years with no huge training commitment. I have simply enjoyed the journey, enjoyed learning to love running, getting up with the sunshine and have enjoyed just feeling alive! My weight has been more stable and I’ve loved living in my thin wardrobe rather than my fat one!
But its now time for a new challenge…
Paul Kemshell 