Nic Walton – #thetrilifereporter

• Posted onjofrancis
• in thetrilifereporters
• onJanuary 26, 2016
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My friends and family think I’m a nutter for doing triathlons, especially after they saw the broken man who finished his first iron distance in Nice, France, last year. At my first ever event back in 2011, I did the cycle leg of a relay for charity with work. I loved the atmosphere and was quite jealous I wasn’t doing the whole thing. Although I’ve always been a keen cyclist, that first experience lit a little fire within.

For work I travel, hunting for the best blueberries, and that can make training tough to work around, perhaps a reason I haven’t followed a plan before. Yet over four years I’ve done 15 races of varying length. Last year I gave myself a real challenge with the goal of completing Iron Man in the run up to my wedding. I finished but instead of feeling elated, I felt mentally beaten. I saw my wife and parents at the finish line saying ‘if I ever want to do that again – remind me of how I feel now’! A month later I signed up for another.

My time in France was 12hrs 14mins, whilst not a disaster it was the fact it beat me mentally that got me. I’m setting a target of 11hrs for Elba. This is going to be very difficult, hilly course – which is why I’m hoping following this plan from thetrilife will help.