Chasing Tenby: One man’s Ironman comeback begins
Think it’s too late to train for an Ironman? Think again. Join us for a six-part series as one age-grouper takes on Tenby. First up, he must start by "laying the groundwork for success".

Ready to face an Ironman later in 2025 or next season? Then you’ll need a plan to cross that finish line in style. In this new six-part series we follow 220’s Matt Baird as he gets ready for Ironman Wales. This month, some of tri’s top experts attempt to get our training-adverse age-grouper to start training in earnest.
Triathlon is the greatest and toughest endurance sport in the world. After 17 years, however, I’m going through the motions.
I’m 44 with dodgy knees and a plummeting VO2 max. PB-hunting is out the window and I’ve even started doing triathlons on my folding Brompton bike to freshen things up. Quite simply, I need to rekindle my love of multisport and find a season with a clear and focussed goal.
My inspiration for that goal arrived when I was in my happy place on the sofa, in pyjamas, with a plate of custard creams on my lap.
My kids were giving me gentle stick about the size of my gut, but they’d quieten as the narrative of Billy Monger’s Comic Relief Ironman World Championship challenge unfolded in the BBC1 documentary.
We see the double-amputee former motorsport driver struggling to clip his prosthetic limbs into his bike shoes, the bleak training rides in the rain and Billy experience the mother of all chafing on his stumps on the run.
We see the doubts, the pain, the pressure. And yet Billy triumphs in Kona, Hawaii, breaking the course record for a double leg amputee and raising a seven-figure sum for Comic Relief.

My own ailments are put into perspective and a competitive spark is lit. I want to do an official Ironman, to experience 226km racing with thousands of other athletes and tens of thousands of spectators. I want to hear ‘You are an Ironman’ at the finale of triathlon’s most iconic challenge.
And for that, it has to be Ironman Wales in Tenby, arguably the loudest and best supported M-Dot on the planet, which also happens to be the closest one to my house.
Now, I just need a plan, some structure and a little (or a great dollop of) help from my tri friends to make it to that September start line having given myself the best possible chance of crossing that line before the 17-hour cut-off.
In the first part of our ‘Plan for Ironman’ series, the focus is on laying the groundwork for long-distance triathlon success, of leaving no-stone-unturned in the quest for Iron success.
And for that I’m calling on multiple Ironman champion Sam Long and top age-grouper, coach and Tenby finisher Graham Wadsworth to guide me to glory, with plenty you can also learn on fulfilling your own M-Dot dreams…
Build that big unit

My one and only Iron-distance (3.8km swim/180km bike/42.2km run) finish came in 2018 alongside 40 other racers at the UK Ultimate Triathlon in Shropshire (pic above). My training was a mess, I finished with sick on my shoes after over 15 hours of toil, but it was the greatest sporting day of my life.
I could’ve made it much easier on myself, however, by having a vague semblance of a plan and not a scattershot approach to training before the big day.
“Following a training plan is super important,” says US Ironman star Sam Long. “If you’re winging it… good luck, buddy! But seriously, a structured training plan is your roadmap. It’s what keeps you consistent, keeps the load progressive and lets you peak at the right time.
“I’m also a big believer in listening to your body. If you’re cooked, adjust. If you’re feeling spicy, maybe you throw a little extra sauce in. But consistency is king. Stack those days, stack those miles. That’s how you build that Big Unit engine. The key is also to rest, though. Training + rest = getting faster.”
Have the courage to rest

The multiple spanners in the works of my 2025 Ironman attempt include a torn knee ligament from early 2024. I can only run twice a week currently and I’ve yet to run further than 14km since the injury, just a third of that Ironman race-day marathon.
I also – form an orderly queue, ladies and gentlemen – suffer from gout, which can leave me a crumpled heap who can only crawl backwards down the stairs. Not ideal for training for the world’s toughest one-day endurance event.
“Running has the best chance of getting injured, so you’ve gotta respect recovery as much as you respect the grind,” adds Long, who, at the age of 18, tore his MCL in a skiing accident yet still topped his age-group at Ironman Boulder that year.
“Sleep, nutrition, mobility, and knowing when to back off – that’s where the real gains come from. The biggest thing is listening to your body and knowing when you are on the limit and then having the courage to rest.
“I also like to follow the 10% rule in running, where you only build your distance, your volume or your time by 10% maximum per week. You can watch my Youtube about this.”
Love the grind
My sheer stubbornness and refusal to accept defeat is my ultimate race-day triathlon weapon. It has rescued me from trouble in countless events, including in that previous Iron-distance race, but that determination often goes absent when I’m in training mode.
The offer of a lunchtime curry, a post-work pint or a bakery on a training ride is enough to derail my exercise plans.
“Mindset is everything,” offers Long, who has Ironman wins at Chattanooga and Coeur d’Alene on his impressive racing palmarès.
“For me, it’s about believing in the process and loving the grind. I remind myself every day that I get to do this. That’s powerful. When it gets tough, I lean in.
“I say ‘Let’s goooo’ and embrace the hurt. You gotta have fun with it, even when it sucks. I’m out here to compete, to improve, and to push the limits of what I can do. Every session is a step closer. Just keep showing up.”
The art of the recce

I love the outdoors, the feeling of being in the open air and the stimulation that different surfaces and backdrops brings to training.
What I struggle with is the monotony of pool swimming and indoor bike training, even in the depths of winter and on rainy spring days. My turbo trainer has joined the bread maker and paddleboard in my attic of Covid-era treasures.
“If you are training inside, I can’t go without ROUVY,” suggest Long on the indoor cycling app that’s known for its Ironman-specific training plans and the access it gives to Ironman bike leg routes, including Tenby’s 180km route in Pembrokeshire.
“It helps make the indoor training go by that much faster, boosts your workout, and allows you to preview most of the Ironman courses meaning you already know the course.”
There’s plenty of scientific evidence to support Long’s case for the benefits of the pre-race recce, as well as visualisation exercises, and with few chances to experience riding the actual Ironman Wales course before September, I know that consistently riding ROUVY’s Tenby course from my dining room will eliminate the chances of unwelcome surprises come race day.
Look good, feel good

My one and only Iron-distance race at the UK Ultimate was done on a £1,000 budget (including race entry) for a feature in this very magazine, meaning I did the race on an unfamiliar bike and other kit that was far from being by first choice.
This time around, although I’ll still be fiscally sensible (I’m from Somerset, after all), I’ll be wearing exactly what I want for both training and racing.
“Having that one outfit that makes you feel great is super important,” adds Long. “Look good, feel good, right?!” First-up is a new tri-suit from Tri-Fit, which I’ll wear for both Tenby and training, the latter I’ve regularly done in previous seasons to make every training session count. Complete with tri laces in my shoes and my regular race-day cap from Compressport.
Build consistency

My boys were three and six when I did the UK Ultimate in 2018, so I kept training to a minimum, roughly around five hours per week.
Both the years and the mileage have caught up with me since then, and Tenby is a much tougher course, so from May I’ll up that to 10 hours. I’m still concerned about balancing that with my family life, however.
“Let’s be honest, triathlon’s three-discipline nature isn’t always a great sport to fit with your family!” says Graham Wadsworth of the Bristol-based personal trainers, My Life PT, a vastly experienced age-grouper who ranks Tenby up there with Challenge Roth in terms of Iron-distance atmosphere.
“It’s very hard to keep a balance all the time, so pick your times when you need to prioritise training. When it comes to the big rides, Tenby’s September date means you can do very early mornings in mid-summer for big rides. Waking at 5am, riding for five hours and getting home at 10am isn’t impossible if you really want it.
“Families tend to work on routines, so build things into those routine – like going for a run when they’re at football practice – so everyone ends up happy. It might not be the most structured session, but it’s all good miles in the tank and it builds consistency.”
Race-day fitness markers
With Long and Wadsworth’s proven advice ringing in my ears, a new tri-suit to model and my turbo dusted off, I’m feeling less daunted about what awaits come September in Wales. Yet, having completed just one sprint-distance triathlon since my torn knee ligament, I know I’ll need fitness tests along the way.
I decide to enter my two favourite races ahead of Ironman Wales. The first is the middle-distance Slateman Legend event in June to reacquaint me with the Welsh hills, before July’s Croyde Ocean Triathlon will test my open-water swim powers in the swell of the Atlantic.
And just across the Bristol Channel from Tenby. Neatly meaning that triathlon number 40 for me will be Tenby. That’s the easy bit done. Now I need to knuckle down and, in the words of Long, start loving the grind.
Next month, we’ll be focussing on the Ironman swim, including sighting, sea swimming and how to build core strength ahead of Ironman race day.