My Passion With Alan Metcalfe

Alan Metcalfe is an associate director of Baker Tilly’s corporate finance team, which operates from offices in Leeds and Hull.
Alan MetcalfeAlan Metcalfe
Alan Metcalfe

Back in 2002, I featured in the My Passion column, talking about my interest in long distance triathlons.

At that time I had done a number of long distance races including four Ironman events and had represented Great Britain as an age grouper in world championships in Sweden and Japan. This all came to an abrupt end in 2006 when I found I required major hip surgery.

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Since then I have tried to keep up the biking and swimming but gradually was becoming less and less fit without the motivation of competition. Then about 10 months ago a ‘friend’ suggested that a group of us enter one last Ironman event before we finally hung up our Lycra.

He chose Lanzarote Ironman. This involves a sea swim of 2.4 miles, a very hilly 112-mile bike ride and a marathon run, all in hot and windy conditions. Perfect. I went along with this proposal, secretly thinking I would drop out at some opportune time well before the race.

However, I enjoyed getting back into the commitment of regular training and the months passed by and I found I was keeping to my training plan. Having been out of triathlon for so long, I found that fear of what I have let myself in for was brilliant for focusing the mind. Motivation has not been an issue.

Race day finally arrived and after a sleepless night we headed off to the race start at 5.45am. It is still dark. An hour later and the 1,800 competitors are lined up on the beach ready for race start. My adrenalin is pumping.

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The gun goes off and we pile into the water, all heading for the same buoy only a few hundred metres from the start. This may be a great spectacle but can be horrendous to be in the middle of, with legs and arms coming at you from all directions.

Fifty miles into the bike ride and I am struggling both physically and mentally. There has been a strong headwind for most of the ride and the 20 miles coming up are the hilliest part of the course.

I conclude there is no way I am going to be able to run after this. In my mind I start putting together the explanations I will give for not completing the race. The bike does become easier for the last 40 miles and I can run, well I can shuffle. Shuffling is good! Twenty miles into the run I am very tired but know I am going to finish.

In the past I would have been chasing a target time but in Lanzarote my only aim was to get myself fit enough to get round the course and enjoy (?) the experience as much as possible.

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I was very pleased to have successfully completed the race and, although I won’t be doing another, the Ironman is a fantastic challenge and a brilliant event to be part of whether as a competitor, supporter or volunteer so I guess it remains My Passion.