For 12 months last year I had the pleasure of coaching Fin to his first Ironman. From what started as a 6 month plan for sub 11 in Ironman Hamburg we had to pivot only a few weeks out to a new goal. After an unfortunate accident whilst training on Sa Calobra, the new focus was recovery, healing and rehab. But he never gave up! And as soon as he was back on his feet he entered Ironman Barcelona. After all the good base training, we didn’t want to miss out on closing out the year in style. Read his story below.
Did he just come from serious bike accident to Ironman in 6 months? Yes he did. Did he post a sub 10.30 ironman time? Yes he did.
But this is less about the time achieved but the commitment.
✔️The commitment to rehab.
✔️The commitment to finishing an Ironman this year – no matter what.
✔️The commitment to getting the work done.
✔️The commitment to holding back when you need to.
✔️And the commitment to letting go and pushing hard when required.
That is your Ironman story Fin.
Not all Ironman stories are the same. We do these endurance events for different reasons. It might be a bucket list race or a qualification for something else. To raise money or remember. They are all equal in creating our ‘why’.
Fin wanted the best first Ironman he could do. And even when the goal posts moved he still achieved the best Ironman he could do. That was his why.
My ‘why’ for coaching? For moments like these. I was just trying not to cry too much when I saw the Ironman tracker clicking on. Just incredible. As predicted? Yes. But the journey to get there was not so easy. The last 6 weeks really came together and after one year of coaching I can finally say he did it!
Fin’s Coaching Story:
What inspired you to sign up for this race, and how did you feel about the challenge before we started working together?
I have wanted to do a full ironman since 2015 after I completed my first 70.3, but since then I have never had the time and energy to focus on performing to the best of my ability. I knew I wanted to do an Ironman and I knew I wanted to do it quickly, so I originally signed up to Hamburg (where I had to pull out) and then closely followed by Barcelona. Before I partnered with coach Sophie I was never afraid of putting in the time, but my main struggle was having confidence that what I was doing would be effective.
What were your initial goals for the race? Did you have a specific time in mind or was finishing your main focus?
I targeted 11 hours. I wanted to be 2 min/100m on the swim, >30kmh on bike and sub 3.45 marathon.
How would you describe your training experience over the past few months? What aspects of the coaching stood out the most?
I have really enjoyed training and because I have been working with Sophie for a year I have become more comfortable with speaking up about injuries and tiredness, whereas before I just wanted to train regardless (which didn’t work out great for me….). Sophie plans great sessions, she is a great communicator and is always happy to amend sessions where required (even at short notice). I have appreciated having someone with great experience that can push me to my limits in a controlled manner.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced during training, and how did coaching help you overcome them?
I had a crash in May (fractured pelvis and elbow), which completely through me off my race plans and targets. I missed an A race and also a B race. Sophie was one of the first people I spoke to after the crash and she gave me the confidence that I will come back stronger. This flipped my mentality from anger and frustration to motivation. So we then worked our arses off for 4 months to be Ironman ready whilst having constant rehab and physiotherapy. Sophie was always happy to communicate with the health professionals too, to work collaboratively to support my goals.
How did your performance evolve throughout the training cycle? Did you see improvements in specific areas like swimming, cycling, or running?
I improved in everything. My swimming has come on massively as this was my weakest discipline. I have always been a confident cyclist, but riding in an aero position for an extended amount of time was something I developed and got more comfortable with over the past 6 months. My FTP improved pre crash and since breaking my pelvis, it has returned back to my previous PB. Finally, I achieved a PB in the marathon on race day, which for me was unexpected due to injury, but it gives me great hope with what I can achieve in the next couple of years.
Which sessions or training do you think had the biggest impact on your performance and success?
All of them. I can’t point out an individual session with the greatest impact, for me, it is the aggregation of the correct workouts week after week.
How did your nutrition and recovery strategies evolve, and how did they influence your ability to maintain energy during the race?
I had been experimenting with different fueling strategies in key workouts over the past few months. This allowed me to see the amount of carbohydrate I can take on, during both bike and run. By the time I got to the tapering period, I had devised a plan with Sophie on exactly what I would eat pre race and all food during the race, broken down to the hour.
How did you feel leading up to race day, and how did our training prepare you both mentally and physically?
I felt comfortable. I was definitely nervous the days before as it was my first time travelling abroad to race. However because I was confident I had all my equipment and nutrition due to the extensive packing list we had put together, that relieved a lot of pressure.
This was also the first race I had tapered properly, so I felt great physically. I was getting frustrated and energetic to the point that I just wanted to get the race going. So I felt very ready!
Can you walk us through your race day experience? How did you feel during each stage of the race (swim, bike, run)?
Swim – I felt great! It is a long wait before you actually get into the water and get going, but I was confident in what I was doing and I had an effective pre race strategy. Once I was in the water, my breathing settled quickly and I was able to keep a solid pace throughout.
Bike – I felt great for the first 3 hours even though my power meter was faultering. I had all my nutrition on my bike for that first period. I was then not able to pick up the desired Maurten solids until the end of hour 4, so I under ate and had a dip in energy. This didn’t seem to impact my speed but I felt considerably weaker. I was able to eat more towards the end of the bike and recover well pre run.
Run – I felt great!! I managed to hold a good pace throughout. I have an ongoing achilles niggle which I felt occasionally throughout, so had to change pace. But I stayed in control through the entirety of the run and kept a good heart rate even in 25 degs.
What was the most memorable moment for you during the race?
The finish line. Been a bloody long time coming! I was thinking: “I can do it faster… but that was the best experience of my life.” I was very grateful for my family that came to watch and support, a very long way to go to only see me a handful of times.
What kind of support or feedback from coaching did you find most helpful?
Understanding when to train hard and when to recover effectively. A better understanding of injuries too, when my achilles first went Sophie was confident that we should be able to ‘deload and reload’ and it worked.
Sophie’s confidence in me to come back stronger from injury, especially on the bike. I was not sure what was possible when it came to my power output for >5 hours, but you gave me confidence in hitting some big numbers!
Did the coaching meet your expectations when you first started?
Yes definitely. I thought it would be harder to start with but that quickly changed.
What’s next? Do you have any new goals or challenges in mind?
Always. 2025 sub 1.25 half mara, 3 hour mara, sub 5 half Ironman. I am also competing in T100 London and an ultra marathon in the lakes.
What would you say to someone considering working with a coach for their race or triathlon journey? And would you recommend?
100% recommend. Race day can be a stress. Sophie has relieved me of so much pressure because I have confidence in the training I am doing and that I can push within my guidelines on race day.
Thank you Fin!
Sophie Kirk - Triathlon Coaching 